The Hickman courier., 1872-11-16

nodded Mrs. Marley, "and high tim
she thought of settling"
Mr.. Avenel looked across t.
where Juliet stood in her pink ging
ham dcess, the soft summer wine
stirring her curls, and her cheeks a
softly tinted as the standard rose OF
the lawn. Seventeen. Was it pos
sible, that little Juliet Hawkhurs
bad grown TO be seenteen years old!
! oh, relentless Time, that would no
stand still? Oh, cruel yeys, tha
went by and stole the fair .bri@fSt
ness of childhood away So Ben
- IN a.sss.shad actually asked Juliet
Hawkhnrst TO be wife,
T" wish you and Harry'd talk Sc,
rious to her bout it, went on Mrs
Marley d" Tain't likely she'll have
any more such cnances as that"
"No; TO be sure not" said Avenel
abstraetedly.
"And o course she'd oughtel
think it over WE'LL" added Mrs. Mar
40 certainly-to be sure ="
When Harry Avenel came home
from the city that evening he found
his uncle in brown study.
"Harry," quoth the widower.
Z" Yes, uncle"
"Ive been thinking"
$50 1 should conclude, sir, from
the H shaped wrinkle between your
brows," laughed the young mer-
chant. "Well, and what has been
the topic of your meditations, Un-
Gle Joe p
"Why, | was thinking whX
would become of us if Mrs Hawk
hurst were to take it into her head
to leave u.s.
Harry opened wide his merry
hazel eyes at the idea.
"What made you think of such a
thing, sir ?" he asked.
ooh, don't know. She has a
good place here; but one couldn't
expect her to be contented with a
housekeeper's situation always, Har-
ry."
No; to be sure not"
She has become very essential
20 our domestic happiness, Harry, -
went on Mr.. Avenel.
"Yes-I grant you that, Uncle
Joe"
And 1 really don't know how
we could manage to exist without
her.
Raise her salary, UNCLE" sug-
gested Harry.
"No, l hardly think it won d an
swer my purpose; but, Harry
Well, uncle 2"
Mr.. Avenel looked slightly sheep
ish. -
Cant you imagine any other
way OF Keeping her here 2" he asked.
Harry stared at his uncle. Mp
Avenel felt disposed to give him a
hearty shake for his stupidity.
ooh! - cried the young m&n, with
a sudden dawning of lucidity over
the darkness of the brain. You
don't mean-matrimony, uncle ?''
"Yes [ do p quoth Mr.. Avenel,
stoutly. Would you object, Har
ry ~
"I, uncle p
"Because you are the only person
interested besides myseIf-and her.
"My greatest interest, uncle, is to
see you happy" the young man an
swered, wringing the elders hand.
" "And-if l, too, should conclude to
marry at no very distant day"
Why then," cried Mr.. Avenel
gaily, ''we can all live together,
just as we do now, and be the hap
piest family in the world"
And he went into the house,
whistling. as he went a." J ohm Ander-
son, my 10. john" as blithely as a
boy of sixteen.
Juliet Hawkhurst was standing
by the little side garden gate,
that evening. thoughtfully watching
over her right shoulder, of course,
the slender silver crescent of the
new moon. Juliet had certainly
blossomed into a perfect little rose
of maiden, during the years she
had been an inmate of Avenel place.
She was fair haired and rosv, with
with long eyelashes, deep blue eyes
full of shadowy purple CLEANS, and
a complexion like rose colored sat
in; and, moreover, there was in her
every movement a selfpossed grace
and dignity of mien, that was mex
pressibly Charming. Juliet Hawk
hurst had been born lady, but un-
toward fate had made housekeep-
er's daughter of her. m
As she stood there, leaning over
the iron rail of the gate, footstep
sounded behind her.
"Jnliet?"
She turned with a little rose blush
and q smile she fain would have
concealed, and Harry Avenel came
up and stood close beside her.
:" Little elf, you thought you had
hidden away from me, but you sec
I have contrived to find you out,
even herel What makes yol blush
and look so confnsed?"
"Do I?'a And Juliet fixed her
gaze very steadfastly on the green
turf at her feet, where a single yell
low dandelion was closing its eye of
dawny gold for the night.
Listen!" cried Harry, triumph
antly. GIVE get piece of news
for you"
What should you think of step
father. eh, little one?"
Juliet looked up this time in real
and genuine astonishment
A stepfather, Harry ?"
Ny uncle has confided to me
this evening that he thinks of mar
rying, Juliet, and from ali that /
can gather, the bride is none other
than your mother. So when we are
married there will be a nice little
family circle of us, eh z"
And the audacious young man
belted her slender waist with his
arm, and ventured to draw her lit
tie closer to him.
"Oh. but Harry, you are all
wrong" cried Juliet. crimsoning
and smiling like a June flower, 81
meant to tell you of it. Your
uncle told me also that he had con-
Guided to marry again. and-he ask
ed me to be his WIFE,
s The-mischief he did ~ cried
Harry, starting back as if some one
| had struck him d blow.
! sYeut Why, Juliet, you are