The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-04-12

ono uiu Hpb tNtu Htui MI iopib
hearts ring, and started, in sweet con-
fusion, on his appearance.
I'm all alone she said. Mamma
and Lima won't be home until eleven
o'clock I'm afraid you'll find it very
stupid
But Mr.. Softheart was not afraid of
that; and the two talked together, in
very low voices, sitting very close to
ench other on twin chairs.
Mr.. Softheart looked and sighed
and uttered romantic sentiments, but
he did not pop the question. Miss
Belinda did all that modest young
lady could to further this object, but
in vain.
She did not know how should she?
that ut the door Mr. Softheart had
said to Biddy:
Look here, girl, put this in Miss
BClnda's room, where she will be sure
to see it, and I'll give you quarter"
And had presented her with the bill
lot containing his proposal, crowned
with silver twenty-five cent piece.
How should She guess that even at
that moment the offer Mr.. Softheart
could not make in words was in her
work basket? At all events she did
not
II the man did not avail himself Of
sieh n chance, after six months court
ship plain even to the servants in the
kitchen, why he meant nothing. And
the unhappy, unlucky Mr.. Softheart
did not utter the expected words, and
lcft at n quarter to eleven, with a quo
taton from Byron and a sigh.
He's a contemplate flirt !" said
Miss Belinda "What did he mean by
Squeezing my hand and by signing so,
and by saying such pretty things, and
10y looking into my eyes so ? Gentle
men friends never do such things. I'll
show him my heart is not broken. I'll
marry Spooney
And Belinda wcpt, for she was bit
terly mortified and Spooney did not
own a brown-stone house with marble
facings
Belinda wept, rs we have said, and
went to bed in the dark. OF course
she did not see the letter in her work
basket, and no one else saw it, until
the first Of April dawned.
Now, in their normal condition, with
no love affair on the taps, the Bellows
were merry people, who INDUCED in
practical Jokes and April fool's-day
was always religiously kept in the
family A new trick was always hatch
ing the year through, and bundles OF
rubbish were sent by express, and cot
ton cakes made, and door bells rung,
and alarms of fire given, and people
sent post haste to remote regions to
End April fool awaiting them in some
shape or other.
But this year, the three particular
Bellows with whom we have to deal
wero not prepared with any particular
Joke, though each suspected the other,
And when Angelina, sitting up i'll bed
beside her sister, saw the differing
white note in the work basket, she i'm
mediately made up her mind that il
was 50 trick"
She crept softly towards it and read
the inscription-"Miss Belinda Bel
lows and retired to her pillow again
"What fat trick she said to her.
self. Why, Bell VIII guess at once
unless she forgcts that it is the first
of April. Mas tricks are always sc
smart, it's queer she should DO such 6
foolish thing.
Then thought struck her. She
out of the room and down stairs tc
the kitchen where Bridget, with 1
smutty face, was making the fire, ia.
king the letter with her.
"Biddy," she said, in whisper
come up stairs and awaken my sister
and tell her Mr. Softheart brought
this this morning. Tell it as if it was
the truth, remember, and there's tel
cents for YOU
And Angelina tiptoed with barefoot
softness back to bed. But Belinda was
awake this time.
She's going to try to fool me.
kRo'c,' said she to herself, with hel
eyes shut and in n very cross mood
and awaited the deaouemem Will
anything but her usual good nature.
Biddy meanwhile had recognized
the letter
It's lucky one for me, she sale
to herself A quarther over nigh
an ten-pence this mornin."
And upstairs she stumped, anC
! knocked on Belinda's door.
Misther Softheart babe me give Y,
Hlis, mum, she said
Ill teach you to tell lies, said Be
linda. you iao,g Miss Angelina gay,
I, it to YOU"
Biddy was COMPOUNDED.
| " He gave it to me last night, Miss
, as true as l hope to 60 to Heaven,
! she said
" Last night?" said Angelina, with
: warning glance, supposing Biddy t.
have forgotten her lesson.
+ " | name this morning" said Bidd,
taking the hint.
4 Give me the letter." said Belinda
! then snatching it, she tore it delber
ately into four pieces, and threw then
/ on the floor DO you suppose | meal
y to be called an April fool p she sobbed
/ "Hou ought to have more con sid
: Grafton for my feelings; when he
G triiled so !" And went off into hystel
$ les.
, Mamma r,,ebnd in Ri1l, earoa,,