The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-11-19

pOrtunity of being clOseted with his
wife. In the conference that ensued both
were utterly puzzled. How Bygrave
should have behaved as he did was in
comprehensive. And yet, while appear
ing to have fled from and Tilted their
daughter, the young man had really pro-
| posed.
Nobody, however, would have guessed
that he had, to judge from Nelly's be-
haviOr. A face as pale as q lily, nights
devoid of rest, and pillows wet with
tears, followed Immediately upon the
announcement made to her that Bygrave
had gone away; gone, without n word
or letter; gone, after the significant
speeches he had made secretly i'm her
own ear, and openly before her family;
gone, not to return for eighteen months
at least; gone, leaving a request behind
that letters should not be forwarded, and
not leaving any address to which they
could be forwarded. Then, apparently,
came the stage of woman's pride and just
resentment. Her heart was Scared in
delibly, but her face recovered bloom
and its brightness And Twillett became
the accepted lover. Twelve months
rolled away, and she became Mrs. Twill
lett. The happy honeymoon was over;
she returned to her native town to a
snug little house on the outskirts; and
in the very first week of her return, as
shc sat in her boudoir waiting for her
husband to come home, letter was
brought to her from her fathers. The
envelope was large blue one, and bore
an address which accounted for its hav-
ing been sent to her father's-Miss Flea
nor Fusscll. She smiled as she broke
I open the cover, but the smile was sue
cceded by frOwn and start when she
perceived inside tho cover q second let
ter. This second letter was blood red,
and, as she looked ut the handwriting,
she trembled exceedingly, and smOth
cred cry escaped her white lips.
1t may be remembered that on the
night of certain 1st of April, 18-, Mr..
and Mrs. Fussell had conversation
about the propricty of bringing Mr.. By
grave to propose; whereas, Mr.. Bygravc,
as was remarked ut the time, had already
proposed. Well, at dusk on the same
lst of April, a raw country lad might
have been observed in Fleet street with
letter in his hand, and staring and
gaping inquiringly about him. At last
gleam of intelligence and satisfaction
lit up his face, and he moved hastily to-
ward an iron pillar-box, which stood by
the roadside, and near which some mis-
chicvous young Arabs of the London
streets were playing.
"Want n letter-bOx? Here you are,
my boy; shove it in at that hole at the
top" said one of them in the most
friendly and insinuating accents, to the
country lad.
"Oi know" replied the country lad,
with look of superior knowledge and
experience, as he carefully dropped the
letter i'm at the suggested hole, and
walked off with an air of satisfaction.
"Oh! you April fool" shouted the
Arabs after him but he either didn't
know what they meant, or believed in its
being impossible that any boy whatever
would infringe the law which fOrbids the
making of "April fools" after twelve
o'clock at noon. At any rate, he went
his way regardless of SCOTS.
ooh dear! oh dearW screamed the
treacherously friendly Arab, laughing as
| if his very sides would burst "he's bin
and gone and put his love letter in the
dust bin; that he have"
As the country lad passed one of the
archways that lead from Fleet street to
the Temple, he was brought to sudden
standstill by a stentorian shout.
"Thomas!" cried voice which made
the country lad jump.
"Here oi be, Master Boygreave," an
swered Thomas, with a tug at his front
hair, and broad grin at the gentleman
who had called to him.
$50 you've posted my letter !" said the
gentleman.
GEES, Muster Boygreave, olive done
it," answered Thomas with unconscious
equivocatiOn.
"Bravo! Thomas" rejoined the gen.
tleman kindly; "you've done your first
errand in London splendidly. l watched
you from here almost as far as the pillar
box; but / couldn't see quite all the
way. You didn't have any difficulty, /
suppose"
"Noa; I fund t pillar, and I popped
un into t slit top"
"That's all right; and l am glad to
see you took no notice of those young
ragamuffins who seemed to be laughing
at you. Now you can go; good night"
And away went Thomas with an ex-
preston of unbounded selfcontent. Z.
Thomas was the son, or rather one of
the sons, of poor widow who had lately
lost her husband by an accident while
Bygrave was on visit to the Fussels,
and it was only one Of those many gener-
Gus actions which partly reported Ofhim,
and partly known of hei own knowledge,
had tended to endear him to Eleanor
Fusscl, and he undertook to find school
ing and occupation and livelihood for
Thomas in London. But how came
Thomas to be intrustcd with the posting
of Bygrave's letter? Why, thus: The
letter was addressed after fashion which
makes most bachelors living in chambers
do their posting for themselves, in order
to avoid prying eyes, significant looks,
well meant but offensive allusions, and
little tattle and 50 Bygrave had in
tended to post it himself as he walked
down to his club; but, having encoun-
tered Thomasin the very nick of time,
and Thomas not having yet eaten of the
tree of knowledge 80 far as to be able to
decipher handwriting, or even print, he
seized the occasion of giving Thomas a
lesson in the art of performing masters
behests. He had directed Thomas to pop
the letter into the first iron pillar box he
came to he had watched Thomas going
the right course; he had seen Thomas
halt close to the very spot where the
nearest pillar box stood; and he had OBJ
served with satisfaction that Thomas
promptly returned, and disrcgarded the
many chances that offered Of game or a
fight with round dozen of street boys
He was as satisfied about the safe lodg-
ment of the letter as if he had dropped 1t
into the box with his own hands; and he
never gave ita second thought:
And within ten days he, to the great
astonishment of Thomas, started off on a
sudden trip to Jericho.
Let us return to Mrs. Twillctt. She
had just strength enough left to tear
open the blood-red letter and read as
| follows.