The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1867-12-05
"Those absurd lettesssif you please,


my dear ma am" ' ~ r.s'''
And then the little woman faltered:
T-that isl believe4yes dear--I be-
lieve I have them," and gave him q
white pile of envelopes, encircled with
white ribbon, with ahand that trembled
like an aspen leaf. :.
AS for Lucilla, she began to weep as
though the end of all things had come
at last, and felt sure that If papa should
prove cruel she should die. #s
"Six letters-six shameful pieces Of
deception, Lucilla," sand the indignant
parent. II am shocked that child of
mine could practice such duplicity.-
Hem! let me see. Number one, I be-
lieve. June, and this is December
Half year you have deceived u, then,
Lucilla. Let me see--ah! From the
first moment he adored YOU oh? Non.
sense. People don't fall in love IN that
absurd manner. It tskos years of ac-
quaintance and respect and attachment.
with your smiles for his goal, he would
win both fame and fortune, poor as he
isu Fiddlesticks, Lucilla! A man who
has common sense would always wait
fore he proposed to any girl. Praise Of
your beauty. The lovcliest creature he
ever saw!' Exaggeration, my dear
You are not plain, but such tiattery is
absurd. Must hear from you or die"
Dear, dear-how absurd"
And Mr. Richmond dropped the first
letter and took up another.
1.-The same stuff he commented. ~
hope you don't believe a word he says.
a plain, earnest, upright sort of man
would never go into such raphsodies, I
am sure. All! now in number three he
calls you IAN angel" He is romantic
upon my word. And what is all this :?
r. "Those who would forbid me to see
you can find no fault but with my pow
crty. I am honest-I am earnest in my
efforts. l am by birth gentleman, and
love you from my soul. Do not let
them sell you for gold, Lucilla."
"Great heavens, what impertinence
to your parents!'
''1don't remember Fred's saying any
thing of the kind" said poor little Lucil-
la. "He never knew you would object" 4"
Mr. Richmond shook his head, frown-
ed, and read on in silence until the last
sheet lay under his hand. Then, with
an ejaculation of rage, he started to his
feet.
"Infamous he cried. "I'll 20 to
him this ant-I'll-I'll-murd
him! AS for you, by Jove, I'll lsend you
to a convent. Elope, elope with a music
teacher! Pm ashamed to call you my
daughter. Where's my hat? Give me
my boots. Here, John, call cab!-I--"
But here Lucilla caught one arm, and
Mrs Richmond the other. @-f
"Oh, papa, you are crazy" said little
Lucilla. "Frederick never proposed
such a thing. Let me see the letter.
Oh, papa, this is not Fred's-upon my
word it is not. Do look, papa it is dated
twenty years back, and Frederick S
name is not Charles. Papa, these are
your loye-letters to mama, written long
ago. Her name is Lucilla, you know"
Mr. Richmond sat down in his arm.
chair in silence, very red in the face.
Chow did this occur?" he said, stern.
ly, and little Mrs Richmond, retrcating
into corner with her handkerchief to
her eyes sobbed: ...
II did it on purpose" and paused, as
though she expected sudden judgment
But, hearing nothing, she dared at last
to rise and creep up to her husband
timidly. #
"Iou know, Charles" she said, ''it's
SO long ago since, and I thought yol
might not exactly remember-how you
fell in love with me at first sight; how
papa and mama objected, and how a
last we ran away together; and it seemed
to me that, if we could bring it all bacl
plainly to you as it was then, we nigh
let dear Lucilla marry the man she likes
who is good if not rich. l did not neet
it to be brought back any palmer my
self; women have more time to remem
Der, you know. And we've been happ,
have we not?"
And certainly Mr. Richmond coul,
not deny that. So Lucilla. feeling tha
her interest might safely be left in he
mothers keeping, slipped out of tn
room, and heard the result of the littl
ruse next morning. 1t was favorable t
the young music teacher, who had reall,
only been sentimental, and had no
gone half SO far as an elopement; and
in due course of time, the two wer
married with all the pomp and grandcu
befitting the nuptials of a wealthy mer
chants daughter, with the perfect ar
probation of Lucilla's father, and to til
great joy of Lucilla's mamma, VIII
justly believed that her little ruse ha
brought about all her daughters happi
ness.
The Boston Journal says: Every da
at noon, the author of the "Pickwicl
Papers" quietly leaves the Parker Hous
for ten mile walk into the country
. | Ia II toI f/.us ~