The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-01-15
FOOLED EN- BOTH.
A Girl Smarter Than Two Lovers.

Percy Van Rapp, by his own say.
ing, was of the purest blood of the
Knickerbockels. 1t was like listen.
ing to one CT the Mosaic genealogies
to hear him trace back his lineage to
old Rip Van Rapp, one of the verita
bic old Rips who built the town of
New Amsterdam Of bricks brought
from Holland, before it was known
that bricks could be made of Ameri-
can clay, or cheese from any but
Dutch milk.
Percy was spending the season at
fashionable watering place, and
was the heaviest swell there unless
we except Adrian Dodge, young
gentleman of great putative wealth
and rather more than average pre-
| tension.
Great rivalry existed between the
two. Which could wear the sleekest
hat, and dance in pumps of the finest
kip, was the daily problem of their
;ives-and they put their whole
minds to it till Kate Wiley came and
gave them something else to think
of.
Kate was beauty, and rich. This
was her first season, and at once she
became the centre of attraction.
Foremost among her admirers were
Percy Van Rapp and Adrian Dodge,
whom this fresh rivalry might any
day have personally embroiled, had
either known how great coward the
other was.
The truth is, in this matter both
were deeply in earnest. Mr.. Van
Rapp's fortunes were little short of
desperate; and Mr.. Dodge's, not
withstanding reports-chiefy of his
own circulation-were in a condition
not much better. Kate's cash would
be new lease of dissipated life to
whichever of them could manage to
get it.
Kate received their advances cool,
ly at FIRST, but after time they
seemed to amuse her-what impress
sion they finally made we must let
our story tell for itself.
Neither suitor had room to boast
over the other. If Kate had any
choice between them she kept it to
herself. There were times when
each would have counted the day
his own, had he not felt that his rival
had equal ground for confidence.
1t was impossible that things
should long continue SO. Percy Van
Rapp determined to know his fate at
once. Accordingly, he seized the
first opportunity of laying bare bis
heart to Kate, only suppressing men,
ton OF few private motives which
lay at the bottom of it.
When Kate blushed and stammered
something that didn't sound like No,
Percy could have stood on his head
for joy.
"But my aunt" said Kate-she
was in the care of a maideD aunt,
with very sharp eye in her head
"my aunt, fear, will never con-
sent"
"Aunts have no authority to com.
mand the affections" was the lovers
reply.
"True," she murmured.
"Then fly with me-" he exclaim
ed-"we will find some spot where
we can be happy"
Kate paused, as if irresolute.
"My aunt" she said, "alr ready hall
suspects. l can trust the coachman
however. Disguised in male ATTIRE >
she blushed prettily-"i can leave
the hotel unobserved, and John will
be in readiness to take me in the
carriage to a rendezvous agreed up
on. Meet me there, and in half an
hour we eau reach the house of q
neighboring clergyman, an old friend
of my fathers, whose aid we can in
woke and--and-what little plottel
am !''
"You're an angel!" cried Percy.
"But you must promise one thing,
said Kat. M
Anything, darling -
"Not to speak a word when VI
meet, nor until we are well away-
everything hereabouts has ears.
81 promise," he said solemnly.
i Time and place were fixed. an,
Percy Van Rapp rose to take hi
leave. He already heard Kate,s dol
lars jingling in his pocket.
1, Zone thing more," said Kate.
! Percy bowed obsequiously.