Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-06-07

Z or dG JtItlL BlOIleilI 1bOSd Ilelu DcGH0Su
! her fingers letter.
| Whether it was wrong 70 read stran-
gers letter yexed Belle for moment, as
| her eyes glanced a. the superseription and
/ handwriting.
"Why, Of all things exclaimed the de-
/ lighted girl, seizing the letter. "Why,
! Rosa, this is Jenny Marcy's writing, and
addressed to Richard Marcy-her only
! darling brother-Who wss in Europe when
we two graduated al Madam Ritter'S, il
| Brooklyn"
! Belle read rapidly until she had reached
the middle of the letter, when she burst
/ into merry laugh.
Clear this, Rosa," ana she read from the
! letter:
Above all things, Dick, dear, don't fail,
while in St. Louis, to see my best friend
and schoolInate, Belle Alden. I know you
viii fall in love with her, for, besides being
| the best girl in the world, she's a beauty
and an hciress, and fathers choice above
| all others for his sons wife. He used to
talk it over at home, and hope Belle would
not marry before you come home from
| Europe. She is fIiIi as anxious TO know
! you, and wears yodr hair and mine in a
! locket father gave her last year. Giger her
| lots Of love aud beg her to overlook your
| many imperfeCti0ns, for the saks Of her old
| school-fellow, Jenny"
Then this gentleman is, Of course Miss
| Jenny's br0ther," said Rosa, . and what
viii she say when she hears OF your having
met IL this romantic way ?"
don't intend to tell OF it til l 90 to
! New York this Fall" said Belle
/" Perhaps her brother will CALI
But iii this supposition Belle was wrong.
| Tie month passed away and she saw moth
| ing more Of the golden-haired Richard
And she carefully separated the yellow
| lock III the little keepsake from the dark
! tress of Jenny's and pat ii in its place
| alone, While another lO-s.ej held the lit Of
| Jenny's. And somehow Belle looked very
! often at the wee molGrn curl, and she never
| did So but the rest Of tie hauGsone head
| sprang Up beside the locket; and size would
| sit and contemplate the picture her fancy
| wrought for her, net dreaming the interest
! she was allowing to grow in her bosom
! for Jenny's brother.
! IN tho Fall Bei.e and iICT father went to
! New Y Orlz, and the (i:s1 day after arrival
! found her sitting with ler old friend, who,
! after the efusye meeting was past, sat
! down to empty her soul.
| / am 80 glad thet you are here this
! month";" Jenny said, ''because | an to be
married in October, and | have always
! been crazy TO have you for bridesmaid,
/ and Dick is TO be Usuy's best man."
! Belle hIushcd.
''But Dick las fallen hopelessly in love"
! Belle turned pale.
"I es, | was terribly provoked when he
| passed through ST. Louis and never went
near you. bat he went wild over some
! lady he met cn that fatal trip. He will
talk to me by hours Of his Angelica. And
! when L have spoken O. you he has been
{ positively rude, and asked me to have done
! botheriny him about my freckled school
friends-you know that your picture shows
| freckles. But bless me, you haven't any
now. And your picture don't look any
more like you than it does ike me, not a
biz.
'sBut tell me- said Belle, sis your
brother engaged to this lady ?'
Engaged! Why, dear heart, lie dout
know her name. lie just found some of
her old clothes somewhere. He's got her
old slipper under q glass case; he's got her
gloves stuffed under another; and he's got
| her nightgOTn done UP in lavender; he's
got her gold thimble hung on his watch
chain, and I do belieVc he's GOT a hair
brush and some hair pins next to his
heart! Oh, IFS folly to interferel He's be-
yond all hope. 1 did think the excitement
Of my wedding would wean him from it;
bat not a bic. He looks at my new things
as calmly as an oyster, anu only says-it's
not kind Of me to repeat il, though broke
off Jenny.
"What was it he said?" impaired Belle,
laughing now heartily. "DO not fear for
my feelings"
"Why,'' be said, 'I'll stand up with your
friend, Belle, and see you safely married;
and then I'm Off to winter in Paris; I'm
done with love OF my own account. It's
positively awful
And SO Belle thought, as she looked at
her old slippers and gloves lying beneath
the globe on either side Of the faithful
Richards mantle.
"And, " SAID Belle, ''since ne desires on
" to meet me on the morning Of The wed
ding, so it shall be. ] will be introduced
only as We sre leaving the house, and he
can 60 as lie pie?ses ahout continuing the
acquaintance afterwards.
Belle vas radiant with happiness when
size returned to her father, and delighted
his fond heart by the change, for Belle had
been very quiet Of late.
Jenny and Belle shoppeI and talked and
visited together tor tie next few days, and
when tie eventual fnocning arrived, and
amid bevy Of beautiful girls, Belle shone
Ike queen, the bride was cclirscd and
delightfully."- acknowledged it.
ooh Belle" she said; Il long to have
old stoical Dick sec Won. Uaik. there's
his sep. Come into the next room anC
"
riages cOme-it's an hour yet. >
And Belle, with a be tting heart, swep
through the door, and stood even as Dick
first saw her, only III place Of the gray
travelling dress, a magnificent white saith
fell in rich folds about her, and upon heI
lovely white throat lay the torquOise locke
that held Dicks golden curl. Upon the
beautiful head, crowned by its chestnu
hair, a cor0nal Of pearls added 20 the grace
and beauty Of that image that shrined il
Dicks heart was already an angel.
Belle did not look up, but she felt tht
presence, as Ric ard Marcy came up anC
was introduced to little Jenny's old school
mate. Then as Ao held Ont his hand, Sin
E raised her eyes, and lad her tiny palm il
his, and said:
- think we had better rcctify that mis-
take about those travelling bags, DR.. Mar
cy!'
Good heaven, Jenny" said Dick Mar
cy, "why didn't you tell me that you
friend Belle was ';ny Angel Of Mercy?'' =
: ''Because I didn't know it until las
,, night, and then Belle made me promise
not to tell. And besides you did lot wan
to meet the fFeckled school girl till it wa
positively necessary, returned Jenny
lDischiev0usly.
1t would be hard to say which of tn
four that made -jenny's bridal party wa
, The happiest tha5 day.
.. Dick did not 70 10 Paris that Winter
He found that 81. Louis contained mon
attraction than am foreign city.
But the next j all did see Dick an'
: Belle Oh their wedding tour, and he vow
l he will have tbs old romantic travelling
bags brushed UP for the occasion. DR.
, Townsend, who is to 90 along, says h
; knew the minute lie saw the girl, sh
I L. IA