Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-10-08

but if not, why the absence counts for moth
ing to his Disadvantage This long speech
was something unusual for Jennie, and put
the momcntary propensity 70 tease quite out
of her old aunt's head, while it brought
look of admiration to the genial countenance
of Mr.. Simpson.
.:Jennic is right, he said, land talks like
Il book And you know, dear, that you be-
licve so, too, or did at least in the old days, or
would never have been permitted the many
happy years have enjoyed with you. And
Mr. Simpson looked fondly at his wife, upon
whose age-wrinklcd brow all the noble quail
t es seemed enthroned lie continued:
''This young man says so many sensible
things with his pen, that feel there must be
good deal of the right sort of stuff in his
compositions and if the inquiry shall make
should confirm this opinion, we will all do
ourselves the pleasure of better acqnan-
tancc with him.
''Do you mean that you will invite him to
the house, mcle:" asked Jennie quickly.
"Ccrtainy, darling; wouldn't it be agree
able to you:'
''But perhaps he will think that purposely
failed to invite him to call myself, and decline
your invitation.
"Now, puss, what DO you suppose that
young man was doing there within dozen or
so steps of our house? Do you imagine you
had no part in it: I'm long ways from my
boyhood, but havn't forgotten the ways OF
young men yet. He'll jump at the chance OF
meeting you again.
':Thank you, uncle was the only reply OF
the blushing girl, who knew that her uncle's
prorosal was prompted mainly by desire to
oblige her. Jennie was too honest and art
less to have wished or been able to conceal
from her uncle and aunt that her feelings had
been unusually stirred by her rencontre with
the young author; and they were not sur
prised that it should be so, when its spite of
romance and the bond of sympathy that al
ways exists between reader and favorite,
though it may be unknown, author combined
to give it zest. But besides the wish to graf
ify their charming niece, dear to them as q
daughter in their chiltllessness, their own in
terest was aroused. The Suaday Ledgfr was
always welcome guest in their house, and
none the less SO for the contributions of our
hero: and both were far from ayerse to cx-
tending the pleasant acquaintance they had
long enjoyed with his writings to the author
himself. SO it was decided that MIR. Simpson
should first take the prccaution to inquire into
the private character of our author, and if it
proved satisfactory, to invite him to visit
them at IN early day.
Scribblcton, meanwhile, ignorant OF the
good fortune thus impending, but pleased to
have SEN Miss Howard, and to have received
from her so gracious recognition. walked
with light heart and Il nimble step to the
post-olfice. Here he received several letters,
but none that seemed particularly to inter-
est him. Thence he directed his steps to the
Ledger Office, where letters addressed to his
,on.-de- plane from admiring readers were no
infrequent thing. Two or three of the usual
complimentary character were read with the
pleasure that deserved commentator always
imparts; when finally he came to one ad-
dressed in a peculiar, grabbed hand, with bad
spelling, that Immediately aroused his inter-
est. Opening it and reading as he walked
homeward, flush of surprise mingled with
pleasure swept over his face, followed by an
expression of doubt that finally disappeared
in a permanent glow of delight, deepened
more and more as he read further.
"Now, by the jumping Jupiter" he ex-
claimed when hc reached the end of the let
ter, "this comes something near my idea of
good fortune and my deserts begin to be-
lieye that after all it isn't such bad thing to
be q poor devil of an author without money
enough to keep myself in shirts. First, it
gives me an excellent base for suit to the
lovely Miss Howard, and now it gives me-by
George! it's almost too much to be!ieve!.'
And ScribD:aton went home almost at a
run, with face sparkling with such anilna-
ton that he appeared almost good-looking to
Mrs. Simpson, to say nothing of her niece,
whom he passed without seeing, so great was
his absorption in this new matter.
Reader, he had reason to be absorbed and
animated. Such luck would absorb and ami
mate almost anybody.
fro BE CONTINUED.
|,
A PARsEE writes to the Bombay Guardian
that the only hope of their race, numbering
'me0o, ,000, being ssyen from extinction il in
Christianity. That journal states that there