The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-08-20

'>''" i''o no" 10 treat the posture IN
which he found things; 'but-you see
the fact is-the servant said she'd
90 to announce me-and really, when
[ came in, hadn't any idea you
were here, or Billy either"
"Then," said Billy, moderating the
defiant attitude, "you truly weren't
lodging around and trying to find out
what Lottie and | were about on the
sly? Well-I'1l believe you. I'm
sure you couldn't be as mean as that.
I'm the only brother you've got, that
always brings you oranges when you
are sick, and never plays ball On the
stairs when you've got headache
Now, then, I'll trust you. I've been
asking Le5t1s Ct He1b = me-: Ra'K Ksk her if she
won't, Daniel-see if she won't do it
for you!"
Miss Pilgrim had been trying to
find words; but her face was too
much for her, and she was obliged to
seek retirement in her handkerchief.
AS she drew it from her pocket we'll
worn piece Of paper followed it and
fell upon the floor. Billy picked it
up before she noticed it, and was about
to hand it to her when his jealous eye
fell upon withered rosebud sewed to
its margin. As he looked at it, with
his little brows knit into precocious
sternness, he recognized his brothers
handwriting Immediately beneath che
flower. It was one of the daily
anonymous sonnets o1 which Daniel
had told me. and the bud a relic Of
the bouquet accompanying it. Still
Daniel was silent. What else could
he be?
Every we'll! very we'll, Master Dan
iel!' exclaimed Billy,in voice trembl-
ing with grief and indignation; "there
is good enough reason why you won't
speak word for me! You want her
yourself-here it is in your own writ
ing. No wonder you won't tell Lot
tie to be my wife when you're trying
to take her away from me. Oh, Lot
tie! dear Lottie! I love you just as
much as he does, though I don't know
every thing, and can't write you poe
try like it was out Of the Fifth Read
er! Daniel, how could you 60 and
write to my Lottie this way-'my-
churner'-no it isn't churner, it's
'charmer'-Flet me call thee mineY"
Forgetting the sacredness ofprivate
MS. in that of private grief, he would
have gone on, with pause here and
there for certainty Of spelling, to the
conclusion Of the poem, had not Lot
tie sprung up with her imploring face
suffused by her discovery for the first
time Of the identity of her secret low
er and the escape Of his sonnet from
her nncket It was too late! There
proved, and himself Enthusiastically
proving in what estimation she held
his verses and bouquets.
"Oh, Billy! dear Billy! if you do
love me don't do SOP So exclaiming
she held out her hand, and Billy put
the MS. into it with all the dignity
of a wounded spirit.
"Mr Lovegrove," said Miss Pill
grim, Il don't know what to say"
II feel very much that way N.Y.
SELF" said Daniel.
II don't!v said Billy, now in COM
mand Of his voice. "I'll tell you
what it is-perhaps Daniel didn't
know how much 1 wanted you, Lottie
and perhaps he wants you most as
bad as I do. But whatever way it is,
I want you to choose between us fair
and square and no lodging. Come
now! You can take just whichever
one of us you please, and the other
won't lay up any grudge, though I
know if that's me or like me he'll feel
awful. You can have till tomorrow
morning to make up your mind be-
tween me and Daniel and if he won't
say any thing about it to Pa and Ma
till then L wont> Good-by, dear Lot
tie!
He drew her face down to his.
kissed her most affectionately, end
then marched out of the door, feel
ing, as he afterwards told me, as II
he'd blacked his boots all for nothing.
All! me dear Billy, how many times
we do that in this world! Of whst
followed when Daniel and Miss Pill
grim were left alone I have never had
, full details.
e But I do know that the young lady
5 obeyed Billy and made her choice.
Six months after that both my neph.
: ews stood up in Mrs Rumbulion's
J, parlor to take their several shares ia
! ceremony Of which Miss Pilgrim
y was the central figure when it began,
: and Mrs Daniel Lovegrove when il
concluded. Time and the elasticity
r of boyhood had so closed the sharp
y but evanescent wound in Billy's heart
! that he could stand the trial Of being
, groomsman where he had wanted to
be groom-more especially since he
was supported through the emergen-
!, cy by little sister of Lottie's, who
. promises to be wonderfully like hes
by the time Billy can stand up in the
~ more enviable capacity. Neithea
- Daniel nor Lottie would listen to any
a objections to such a groomsmsn OF
S the score of his extreme youth; fo2,
y as they said, Billy had been quite g
r.