The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-03-19


but better than lose ny Minnie. Dear little
thing-sleeping - soundly, her rosy lips parted,
and long golden ringlets falling about her shout
de.s-
1T contained only these words, as nearly q
can remember:
Meet me, my beauteous one, tomorrow night,
at half past nine, in the little summer-house. A
carriage will be waiting at q short distance.
Fail me not, thou precious angel. nor fear to
trust myself to one who would die for thee.
| Forever thine, HERBERT
"Oh, the little inbecilel So it is as predict
ed; and now what are you going to doF"
Exactly what 1 told you-elope with the
youth myself"
"How can you Jest SOP A few days ago you
told me it was NO laughing matter. Ia it any
less now? Yet there you sit, looking as if it
were a capital joke"
| Il am not testing, ANNIE and you needn't pro-
coed to turn up the whites of your eyes, and
| look sanctimonious, for the cause of my high
| spirits is simply the thought that I've found =
way out of this dificulty-at least for tho pres
ent-and perhaps forever,-who knOwsf
thought it all out last night, when you were
fast asleep, you lazy thing. I shall elope in
Minnie's place"
"Helen Chapman"
"Annie Graham
you'll never astonish me again, "a long as
you live, by anything you may say or do. Well,
let us hear how this pretty little maneuvre is to
be accomplished"
"Blt first, may I count on your assistance? ?"
"Did ever in my life refuse it when you asked
it, adventurous girl?'
every good here then. is the programme"
A long and mysterious conversations followed,
and the climbing roses that encircled the little
| summer house, peeped in at the young conspira.
tors, and stirred by the June breezes, seemed to
whisper to each other and nod their bright faces
in approval. As the clock struck nine that even
ing warm, soft rain was falling, and the night
air was heavy and odorous. The two friends sat
in the parlor gaily chatting together, while Min
ME, silent and ill ut ease, restlessy watched the
hands of the clock in their slow march, and
started at every sound. After short time,
Helen turned, affecting a yawn, and asked her
sister to step into the dining room and bring
some ice water. The instant she disappeared,
Helen ran to the clock and set it back ten
| minutes.
$50 far, so good" said Annie; "but don't you
begin to be afriAd as the time approaches"
afraid of that little bit of pink and white
candy!"
"But if we fail !" said Annie, anconsciously
quoting Macbeth.
eve fail - exclaimed Helen, striking an atti-
tude. "Still, I'm free to confess that 1 begin to
| experience a rather fiutterng sensation in the
region of the heart Hush here she comes.
Thank you, Minnie, dear; this is quite refresh
ing. Heigh no! What does make me sleepy
tonight? It's only little after nine. Well,
nevertheless, if you'll only excuse me, Annie I
tain you by playing that pretty overture to lie
Premier Jour de Bonheur.'" And Helen trpped
up stairs, humming gaily, while her sister CLAN.
cling once more at the clock, shrugged her plump
shoulders impatiently, and seated herself at the
piano.
-Helen's song died away as she reached her
room, and hastily letting her long hair fall down
about her shoulders, in imitation of her sister,
she threw veil over her face, wrapped herself
in waterproof cloak and softly stole down the
back stairs and out into the rain and darkness.
1t may be safely affirmed that Minnie Chap
man had never before played the overture to
| lie Premier Jour de Bonheur" so wretchedly as
upon this particular occasion. As she rose from
| the piano the clock pointed to twenty-five min.
utes past nine. Hurriedly nurmuring some.
thing about having left her crochet in the library,
she was about to leave the room, when sudden
cry of pain from Annie arrested her.
"What is the matter ~ she inquired, looking
back
"Oh, my eye." moaned Annie, with an ex.
preston Of extreme anguish. "Oh, dear, what
shall do "
"Have you got something in your eye Z" asked
Minnie, irresolute whether to go on or lnger
moment to help her friend.
YES; oh, what can it be! Do try ond get it
out for me. Oh !" and Annie screwed up one of
her azure cen very tightly, and glared wildly
about with the other, rocking herself to and fro
with frequent groans This was too much for
Minnie's tender little heart, and in an instant
she was searching eagerly for the cause of so
much suffering.
why, L can't see anything at all " cried she,
after moments careful examination
GLOW very strange"
1t was exceedingly strange!
"Can't your" groaned Annie.
"Oh IN turn the gas little higher. There
I've turned it out"
'Pshaw where are tn. matches ?" asked Min.
ME, cropping impatiently about in the darkness.
"They were on the table," replied her com.
panion, deity removing the safe to the mantel.
piece ....
haven't time to- mean--where can they be
There! I've tipped over that vase of flowers, and
the water will be all over everything. How
provoking! I'll wipe it up with my banker.
chief Mop, mop, mop. do look for those
matches, Annie"
~ am. What's the great hurry, I'd like to
know ~
Never mind; I'll run into the library and get
some; the gas il lit there"
"No. here they now! I've found them at
last ON the corner of the mantel. Take one"
So saying Annie handed the unsuspecting
viously moistened the lighting end in her mouth
Scratch scratch, scratch! "Why, it won't
light" Scratch, scratch, scratch. "Why it
tun- h.. . hid