Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-26
NO. 81.
HOW SAID YES.

My godiathers and my godmothers
in my baptism called me "Olive," and
they ought to. be ashamed of them
selves for it, for never was there child
with a more mistaken name. A bel
Egerent state was my normal condi-
ton. [ do net remember my nurses,
but [ have grace enough to pity them
The mildest of my teachers called me
''uDruly," and you can ask Goeffry
what he thought of me year ago
Now, it is different. [ have found my
master, and L believe 1 rather like it.
This is how it came about
Geoffry had asked me three times to
marry him, and three times [ said
mo" in the most decided manner
ence to him. He only laughed, and
said I would know better next time.
Il suppose" L said, you mean to
ask me once Quar.ef.
''Is that often enough p
''Too often. n great deal, sir
'Well, then. we will say once in six
months, Miss Olive"
| And then he walked smilingly away,
| and began some nOnsensical talk with
| father about DR.. Darwin and his be-
wi d airing theories.
This last asking was just at the be-
ginning of warm weather, and father,
who thought Geoffry's opinion infalli-
BILE, asked him where he would advise
US to go for the Summer
L had made up my m Ed to go to
Long Branch, and / said so very dis
tinctly; but Geoffry proposed some out
of..the way place in the Virginia noun
tains. that he painted in such glow
ing colors that nothing would satisfy
father but a personal investigation. It
was all Geoffry's doings, aud 1 told
him so at the railway station.
''It is your doing; shall remember
you for it
Thanks, Olive" he replied, "there
nothing l fear SO much as your for
| getfulness.
| [ wanted 20 speak saucily to him,
| but the train moved, and Ifelt it would
| be only waste of material
| AID the end of the second day we
| got to our destination. It was a very
pretty place; I must acknowledge that.
Nature had done all she could for it.
but art and civilization had passed by
it. The men were simply frights, and
the women were-well, not too good
for the men. The houses were log
cabins through which daylight peeped
and the wind blew as it listed. But
there was, of course, a big hotel-there
always Is. [ have no doubt if we had
gone to Thalequah or Bannock City we
should have found hotel and a pro-
prietOr--the institution is ubiquitary.
We procured rooms, and my trunks
We're, with some difficulty, got up the
hill and the fight of wooden steps into
the hall.
'I suppose" I said, with 3 resigned
look, "the1e is 10 use in taking them
up stairs u; I can have no use for my
dresses here"
CAS- you like, Olive" father replied;
in one of his meek, mild ways, that
gray thing you have on looks pretty
we'll, and does not show the dirt"
After this remark, of course, I had
every trunk, bonnet-box and satchel
snatched up stairs, and the noise and
confusion, and even the occasional bad
| word their size and weight called forth
was quite grateful to me.
cit is not my fault" I exclaimed,
'.if people will build stairs like cork
screws [ am not to blame"
In this amiable mood We took pos
-ession, and [ think if Geoffry had
known what [ was thinking about as 1
did up my hair and put on my white
evening dres', he would have lost
trihe of his self-complacency- is,
| if men ever do make loss of that
kind.
The first thing that pleased me was
! the supper. 1t was really good-par-
| ticularly the berries and cream, which
are specially with Inc.
But SIR" [ inquired, "are there
! anv Christians here beside ourselves 2"
1T is to be hoped so, Olive. [ saw
a little church in the valley"
"Pshaw, father [ did not mean
| church Christians; l meant society
| Chris tians
''Ah they are different, are they?
Wen, what 10 You think of Augusta
| Pennington fO" a Christian %
''Augusta Pennington? Is she here?'
| asked. amazed.
No, she is not; her brother lives
within two miles, and he has a daugh-
ter about the same age as yourself.
Mrs. Pennington wrote them We should
be here to-day; they will doubtless
call In the N.orning.
Well [ did not care if they did. The
dresses III my trunk were sufficient to
inspire any woman with comfortable
assurance. The next mOrniNS L made
IL bS ohNlAti 'oAiSts i}'>S -iflelISi 4hI. hoi
Mrs. Lacelles called Just at lamp
lighting heard little stir and hustle
on the stairs, rippling laugh, the
rustling of silk robes, and, leaning on
her fathers arm, Miss Lacelles en-
tered. She was beautiful, tall, pale
and lady-like, reminding You of a fair
white lilly. We soon struck up
friendship-a girls friendship, mean.
Some ono has said that there is no
friendship between the sexes, and
some one is mistaken; for | think the
world holds no safer friend for a wo-
man than an honorable man. A woman's
friendship is very likely to be the re-
suit of convenience, contigUlty, Oh OF
being. as my father sneeringly remark
ed, "the only Christians within hail of
each other" Mary showed me all her
secrets, and l returned the compli-
ment, mindful of Burns advice to still
"keep something to myself ] wad not
tell to ony.'
Life settled down i.,to an unexciting
but cnduraille routine. Mary and /
visited each other, for [ had invited
her to pass the cold weather with me
in New York. One day III the middle
OF one of these pleasant chats, a SER
want came in and handed me q card
The name Oh 1t aroused all the antagO-
nism in my nature. It was "Geoffry
Gardner
Now it so happened that the exist
ence of this gentleman was the thing l
kept back i'll my confidence with Mary.
So had now to explain who and what
he was | wanted her to come into
the parlor with me-but no, she would
go home first and dress; but she prom
ised to be back to tea.
I disliked Geoffry, yet was glad to
see him. My mental faculties were
rusting for want of attention. Father
would not quarrel with me, and Mary
was my only face card. I could not
throw her away. Besides, / rather
liked to see his great handsome figure
in the room: he was SO full of life that
he seem d to vitalize the chairs and
stools; they tumbled about and got
out of the way in the strangest manner.
toll him ohout Mary T,acalleS and