The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-08-08
BUDGET OF FUN.
Wiun, Allied Hannah


nY EuGENEJ. HALL.
Hannah was neither blonde nor Il bru.
nette; she was a kind of happy combination
Of both. She was tall graceful, and stylish
vounr woman, Of marriageablc age. she
was industrious and tidy in her habits, scru-
nulously particular in her attire and her CON
versatioA, and IN some particulars an inter,
esting and attractive person She was not
ayerse to the society of young gentlemen, nor
were all young gentlemen aversc to her SO
ciety. She had several admirers, who DOUBT
less visited her with serious intentions. licr
most favored sutton, however, was an indlVld'
ual by the name of Beard.
TO please her fortunate lover, Hannah was
willing to make many sacrifices. she even
consented to accompany him upon a oaopa.h
afternoon drive, notwithstanding ner con,
scicntious scruples about going out riuihS on
the Lords day; and might enumera'e mum.
erous instances of rare seli-aehial upon M, mci
part, equally remarkable ana surprising my
individual Bearing the name OF Beard tyok
heart at the encouragement she gave him; MS
visits to Hannah became more frequent anu
nrolonpcd and to the interested observer who
watched the progress of events, there was Inc
nrom,se of an earnest attachment, II not an
immediate wedding in the habitation inhab.
tied by Hannah ,,,o
name of Beard called upon Hannah After
deem delibcration, he had determined to offer
her his hand and his heart, and he had re-
solved upon this particular evening to break
the icy barrier that had long existed between
them, to make his wishes known to her TO
avow his admiration of her person and char
actcr or in more common parlance, to pop
the question:
Hannah'received him cordially, and inyll.
ed him to be seated i'll the parlor. lie SAT
down upon one end OF the sofa, ihwaruly
hopipg that by some circumstance Hannah
would sit down upon the other end of that
romantic institutions but for some unaccount-
able reason Hannah aid nothing of the kind.
She walked deliberately to the opposite side
of the room, and sat down upon one end OF a
sofa there.
The individual by the name of Beard sigh
ed. Hannah looked distressed.
Are you feeling pretty well tonight: =
asked Beard
"Splendldy," responded Hannah.
"Perhaps you were not expecting me-
mo, | was not"
But you look troubled. Has anything
mo, nothing n, all" said Hannah, eva
sively u,
"Perhaps ought to have sent you word
that was coming?
mo, it was not at all necessary that you
should take that trouble. am always glad
TO see you.
The individual by the name of Beard took
heart at her last remark, and crossing the
room sat down upon the sofa close by the SIDE
of Hannah. To his astOnishment and cha
grin she deliberately turned her face away
from him and seemed offended al his con.
duct. .
"Hayc I said or done anything TO incur
your displeasure?" he asked.
NO. nothing at all, she replied, still look
ing the other way.
but what is the matter, then:
Nothing, nothing at all-at least nothing
that would like to tell yol; tina, is, itwould
not be exactly proper. , ,,o
The heart within the individual by inc
name of Beard throbbcd with wild pang OF
jealousy; a feeling of doubt and distrust ran
through his soul. The woman before nm.
had been trifiing with his hearts noblest at,
fections. He impusvcly graspcd her mana
and bent his head close to hers.
"Listen!" he began eXcitcdly.
But Hannah seemed determined to do moth
ingof the kind, She pushed him away from
her. He started to his feet without even paus
ing for an adicu Selling his hat he pulled
It down over his eyes, and left the house
samming the door violently after him.
He never called at that house again.
For some moments after his departure Han
nah sat stupeficd with astonishment.. then, as
a sense of the ridiculous circumstances OF
her situation dawned upon her, she laughed
outright.
She had been cutting O~ions, that was what
allied Hannah-FErGSidc FiicI6.
One long summer afternoon there came tt
Mr.. DavldsoH'S the most curious specimen Of
an old h,chnlor tbr world ever heard of. He