Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-05-11
maggie Barton :" exclaimed Jack.

| MhpSlc DhI IOu eACldluucu chCh
:" know her-at least l did. May /
read itl" he asked, eagerly.
1t was a short letter, in girlish hand
writing, describing herself as tall and
slight, with golden hair and hazel eyes,
and requesting to be favored with a
corte-de-visite of her future husband,
by return of post, of course Enclosed
in the envelope was the fee of thirty
stamps.
Carleton held the letter mp before his
eyes long after he had read it, The
writer's name, " Maggie Barton" was
associated with very pleasant picture
/ in this young mans mind, Long ago,
on bright summer day, in the woods,
coughs fell on the gay figures of a pic
mic party. One figure IN particular
seemed very PLAIN in his memory; it
was that Of girl, about Il years old,
with her golden hair falling from under
I the broad brim of sun-hat with blue
! ribbons. He could see her distinctly
now. The graceful figure, raised on
| tip-toe to reach some unattainable
| flower or fruit, the white arms reaching
high, the beseeching eyes under the
shadow of the hat-and this was Maggie
! Barton Then he, tall lad of II,
easily reaching the coveted treasure,
caught the wilful beauty by the hair,
( saying, " You owe me kiss for this,
Maggie. viii You pay me whenever I
choose to claim it? y"
"Tll pay you dozen, if you like,
Jack, twas the careless reply, as she
broke away and joined her companions
But the very next day Jack departed,
I without his kiss, for continental edu-
cation and, rs you see, Maggie Bar
toms name was almost one of the first
to close his path on his return.
( And so she was one of his grand
4 fathers guests at Barby, and he Jack
/ would see her in less than 4S hours :;
and standing there, with her letter in
! his hand, a scheme entered this Young
! fellow as he was.
"Ill do it," he thought 81 don t
care for any one else, and of course she
is not engaged, or why did she answer
such an advertisement
" Morgan he said, suddenly, evil
Won do me favor Z"
Anything You like, replied the sig
| nor, in a preoccupied tone.
! Jack drew an envelope from his peck
ct, and selecting one likeness of him
! self from about dozen he laid it on
| the table.
" Morgan, said he, 81 want you to
send this to Miss Barton, in answer to
her application; and | mean it shall
come true, old boy"
| II was Christmas eve, and Miss Mag
/ gle Barton was putting the last touches
to her evening toilet for the forthcom-
| ing ball. She was tall, and you would
think stately till you saw her face; and
then the piquante expression of her
brown eyes and the demure laughter of
the lip led you TO suppose she was more
merry than dignified; and if your OBJ
servation extended to her conduct dur
ing "A whole evening, am sorry to say
You would be compelled to acknowl-
edge her little q fast
| She had dismissed her maid, and,
with her pretty head little on one
side, was trying the effect of a scarlet
geranium among the ambrosial puffs of
hair. OF course, Miss Barton wore n
chignon, all young ladies do now IA
days, long curl behind her left
ear. Presently the geranium was set
tied satisfactorily, and, with quick
movement, Maggie fastened tbs door,
and drew from beneath book cover a
corte-de-uisite and the gentleman on
the card was Mr.. Jack Carleton
p,tt Of nn,,rSa No ia NOT 1yn,r,
this. The very existence of such per-
son had long ago escaped her memory;
and even had she remembered the
name it would have been difficult to as
sociate the stripping of grandfather
picnic with the elegant, moustached,
young gentlemen before her.
In truth he was elegant. Leaning
against carved pedestal, upon the top
of which reposed the most stylish
of Newmarkets, in company with
graceful vase with dropping flowers, an
ample curtain and bookcase filled
with all the gems of literature compos-
ed the background. Miss Barton sur
veyed it with satisfaction.
$50 this is my future husband, ac-
cording to the astrologer,o said Miss
Barton. "The gypsy woman said l
should marry curate. Pshawl what
an idiot | am to have written such
FOOLS letter! l dare say l am duped
along with many others. | wish | had
not written, 1t is a good thing none of
the girls know it. OF course | am
dupe, and | suppose that the very ex-
istence of this piece of elegance is
myth. More fool / !"
| The carte was held off to be viewed
in a more favorable light. Very
| good, certainly -