Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-01-18
COUSIN JACKS COURTSHIP OR
THE LOST WAGER.

IOVUDAN ShOh y CVUAIDMII VI
THE LOST WAGER.
The trunks were still packed and corded
and the carpet bags were placed up in tn
corner Of the capacious old-mshioned hall
How melancholy they looked, those em
hlems of parting and adieus. Not even th
merry laughter of the two or three younI
girls, who were gathered around stalwari
fellox of about thirty, could not entirel,
Danish an impalpable something of sadnes
from the scene. Cousin Jack was goin,
away, the general mischief maker, torlnente
and teaser of the whole family, and old Mr.
Chester sitting by the window, wiped hi
spectacles every Eve minutes and declared
pettisbly, that the type vf the evening pape
was terrible trial to his old eyes.
"Aye! you may laugh girls" said Jack
applying himself vigorously to the lock o
portmanteau. "Perhaps you may one da,
discover 1t isn't such laughing NATTER
Think of the loss the family is going to sus
tain In my excellency."
"But you'll come back soon Jack dear,
coaxed Minnie Chester, the prettiest ant
most roguish Of all his cousins, and the ont
who kept up perfect fire of practical joke
and girlish tricks at his expense. fsi..1.
There she sat on the biggest trunk Of thu
collection, her brown curls hanging abou
her round face, and her eyes sparkling with
a curious mixture of fun and tears.
"Pm not at all certain of that, Miss Min
nie," said Jack decisively. " If succeed il
finding a location TO suit me, shall proba
bly, decide to settle permanently at Thorn.
vile, and turn landed proprietor on my owr
account"
"Only imagine our Jack gentleman o.
property" Laughed Minnie, appealing te
her sisters.
al don't see anything so very ridiculou;
in the idea," remarked the young man, rath.
er piqued at the amusement of his fair rela.
tives.
"At all events, there's one incalculable
advantage that will result from my depar.
ture."
"And what is that, Mr.. Oracle 2" ..t
"The fact that you have played your
last freak on me, you oimenting little
miuxl"
{" Don't be so certain of that Cousin Jackr'
said Minnie, shaking her long curls. "Whai
will you venture don't bestow a parting
trick upon you YETI Ali l haven't settled
with you for several little pieces of imper.
tinence but pray, don't imagine they are fol
gotten, sir
"My'diamond sleeve buttons TO your cor
al necklace that you don't impose upon me
within the next three months" said Jack
gaily.
"Done said Minnie. "Girls you all
hear the wager, don't you? ] always covet
ed Jacks diamondsl"
"But you won't have them, Mademosellel
How dark is getting in this cavernous old
hall. Shall ring for lights, Uncle Chester
and by the way, have you written that let
ter of introduction to Mr.. Thorne 2"
"All in good time, my boy-all in good
time" said the old gentleman depositng his
huge silver bound spectacles, in their case
You young people are all in such desper.
ate hurry. Tell Betsy to carry lamp into
the library, girls. And Minnie, where is my
gold pen? won't be very long about it
and then we will have nice long evening
to gossip about Jack and his prospects"
While Mr.. Chester sat in his cosy red-cur.
tained library, revising the letter which h,
had been writing to his old college friend
Jabez Thorne, of Thornville, to the effec
that his nephew, John Lacy, was in search
of an illegible piece Of land, and wished te
settle down rs a planter in that vicinity
and requesting Mr.. Thorne's aid ani cooper
alton in the selection OF the same, Mimi,
opened the door.
"Pappa, there's some one who wishes to
see you Immediately, down stairs, for one
minute" ..
avery annoyingl" said the old gentle
man.
"Just as was finishing up this letter o
Jacks. However, can seal itup afterward
Minnie, suppose you glance over it, and do
the is and cross the t's; I'm not so much o
pensmau as used to be
Aud old Mr. Chester pushed back hi
chair and rose from the antique oak table
to attend to the claims of his very urgen
guest.
Olive Chester was brushing out the heavy
braids of her luxuriant black hair before tn,
dressing mirror of her apartment two hours
later, when Minnie ran in, with counter
ance comically divided between dismay anc
delight.
you ? exclaimed the elder sister, dropping
her hair brush and letting all her raver
tresses ripple down unheeded over her shoul
ders.
"Fv won the diamond sleeve-b buttons
Olive But OIL didn't mean to. Wha
would papa say If he only knew it--ant
Cousin Jack, too? -.
"Sit down, you Wild little elf said Oh
live gently forcing her sister into chair
"and explain this extremely ridiculous rid
dle."
"Well you know papa left me to lool
over his letter to Mr.. Thorne--and he wa
detained longer than he expected-aImos
an hour, in fact, and could mt help mysel
by writing parody on the letter" N,
"A parody 2"
"Yes-you remember somebody was tell
ing us what beautiful daupht Mr.. Thorns
had so wrote that Jack was in search Of
wife and had heard Of Miss Thorne ant
wanted to settle in life, and all that sort O
thing. In short, wherever paDa had writer
land OF estate, wrote wife Was Mt 1t fun
calculated the little maiden, her eyes dane
ing with diabierie. But you know nevel
once thought of sending the letter, | onl,
wanted to read il to Jack when went dowr
stairs. Well 7, signed IL with great -four,
ish of trumpets, and just then who should
come in but papa and the stranger. O
course hed-and wnen came back tn
letter was sealed and safe in Jacks pocket
and, Olive it was the wrong letter
"The wrong letter."
alt was rather q dim Highland papa
eyes are hot as keen as they were wont tC
be--and impertinent missive was gone :
while the real bonne .fde letter lay there
among heap Of discarded papers. And
hadn't the courage to confess my misde
meanors, papa is so opposed to my innocen
| little jokes--and Jack Is off with that indie