American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-10-19

Minnie's teaching is in the neighbor
hood. She gets home generally about sin
O'Clock. For several days she has had al
escort hOme,-a sOldier-cousin of the girls
whom she is instructing.
When Edward Boughton is announced
| Mrs. Ward falls intoa paroXysm of Devil
derment. Minnie's lover; and there's
nothing ready for dinner! And Minnie
may arrive at any moment, suspiciously
attended; and-oh! what shall she do,
Mr.. BOughton asks one or two awk.
ward questions. Mrs. Ward evadcs tn,
questions. parties them, answers them
deity and sweetly. Presently there is :
knock at the front door; and as Edward
goes to the window, Mrs. Ward gets her
self out of the room. stO see about tea. y
Minnie comes into the hall radiant an
cnamOred young man follows her; and
Mrs. Ward meets them with despair
printed OH her matrOnly brow. She
whispers to Minnie, and Minnie is stag
gered. For moment only though; at
the end of the moment she whispers tC
Mr.. GascoiRne, and dismisscs him.
Edward BOughton, standing at the win
dow, sees the handsome young soldier
officer walking away but he does not for
a moment associate the son of Mars with
the fresh, fair creature who presently
bounds into the room. and seeks to make
him believe that she is grateful that
heis.
Up to the present moment. Mr.. Gas
cOigne, though he is on the brink, has not
taken the plunge. He is rapidly prcpar-
ing to fall at her feet; but he has not fall
len yet. Therefore, if Edward Boughton
has come to plead for an earlier wedding
day, Minnie will be fidelity itself to him.
She manages very cleverly, she consid-
ers, during Edwards visit. She writes a
pretty note of apology to her employer,
pleading a bronchial affection as the cause
of her nOn-appearancc. She writes Il pa
thetic little note to her martial adorcr.
telling him that. for time at least, it is
better that they should not meet-a note
which is worded i'm a way that leads him
tcrfering, and to vow that he will propose
to the sweetest, jolliest little girl in the
world the next time he sees her.
Minnie holds BOughton's heart in the
hollow of her little INSCRIPTIONS hand.
She does not spare him single look, word,
art. that may allure him to love her more
and more. She is full of coaxing, pretty,
carcssing ways; and these she plays of
upon him as pertinaciously as Kathleen
played hers Off upon ST. Kelvin. He is
desperately in love with her. Not doubt
of her being to the full as desperately in
love with him has ever clOuded his mind
for moment.
He goes back to Binham at the end of
his holiday. 4 happy man. For three days
after his return from that sojourn in par
adise he hears regularly from Minnie.
The fifth and sixth mornings are blanks.
He begins to look worn and anxious.
On the morning of the eighth day he
gets letter in the well-knOwn, dearly
loved handwriting and when he has
read few lines of it, his face, which had
been pale before. becomes CHASTITY white.
r.. L., :,
watching him pitifully; and her prophet
ic heart tells her that he has "got blow
from that girl"
A letter goes from him to Minnie by re-
turn Of post, such as might melt stone.
But il is pOwerless to melt the heart of Il
heartless girl. Then he waits three days
in silence, with such wounded feelings,
such passionate love, preying upon him,
that he gets to look so miserably i'll that
every one in the place calls on Miss Pau
lett in the hope of hearing that the lovers
have quarreled.
On the third day he has another letter
from Minnie-a conclusive letter; a letter
that shocks all hope out Of his heart, and
all belief in the good, pure love of a wo-
man out of his mind.
It is the topic in Binham for nine days;
for it leaks out, as such things invariably
do. At the end of nine days people cease
to look as if they are thinking about it
when they meet him.
The aunt and niece cross swords by
post, and wound each other freely. Min
ME is to be Mrs. Gascoigne in a week or
two; and "garrison town life will suit
her much better than prancing through
the parish,'' she says.
But in spite of this depreciatOry speech,
Mrs. GascOigne feels a sore pricking at
her heart when, two years after she
achieves her own destiny, she reads that
''old Aunt Catharine and Edward BOugh-
ton are married. "-TempLe Bar.