The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-12-03

fcring from spinal complaint. Had she
died while he was away? White rs :
. sheet he turned to Il friend standing near
saying:
"Why do you look at NE so? What i.
the matter at homer
My poor friend, have you heart
nothing:'
A choking sensation came over the
loving husband, but he struggled agains,
it, saying:
Quick, tell met. Is it Mary?"
NO. Mrs. Granger is as we'll rs usual
believe; but there is Il very sad story
to break to you regarding your daugh
ter"
Wrath took the place of terror.
My daughter" cried the little man,
furiously, WHO darcs carry stories
about my daughters"
"Wcll-you--Scc, stammercd his
friend, the women folks says she elopcd
this morning with Fred Seymour
Fred Seymour! Why, he's head over
ears in love with Susy Belknap. NV
Belle. Why, she's been engaged for
two years to Lieut.. Weston, of the
navy, though we did not publish the
fact for the benefit of the tattlcrs of
Nyrtlevillc."
IL am afraid" was the reply, "that it
was the fact of these engagements that
drove them to secrecy and clopcment.'
II tell you the whole story is false"
roarcd the excited father. I'll make
these Observation-Disclosures cat their own
words! Ny Belle, indeed. They must
be crazy"
But on his way home Mr. Granger met
the report in so many places, heard it in
such plausible versions. that he entered
his "ites room with very grave face,
from which all angry excitement had
vanished.
"Where is Belle, Nary" he asked.
"She went to New York this morning
to do some shopping. She will stay at
her Aunt Maria's tonight"
did young Seymour go up on the
same train
Il suppose so. He usually goes at
eight, and that was the train that Belle
took"
Mr.. Granger was on the point of tell
ing his wife the whole story, but on see
Ond thought he restrained the impulse.
| Sure in his own fatherly confidence in
| his gentle, modest child that there was
some mistake admitting explanation, he
said nothing After all, it was subject
o. conGratulation that none OF the busy
bodies of Myr,lcvillt had invaded the
sick.room, and he easily made some triv-
| ial excuse for going out again. He was
determined to sift the gossip thoroughly
before alarming the invalid, and his first
visit was to the telCgraph Office at the
railway station.
is Belle at your house," flashed over
the wires, ami was carried to a handsome
house in the city.
Yes. Will be down on the next train"
was the answer; forpoor Belle imagined
that there was death or frightful illness,
to cause her fathers message, when Il
visit to her aunts WAS such common
occurrence.
Satisfied on this point, Mr.. Granger
quietly waited until the train came in.
walked up Main street with his daughter
out to defy all Myrlleviile
From house to house he travelled with
exemplary patience, and followed the
snakclike coils of the story till he faced
Mrs. Sawyer, who earnestly. assured
him:
Mrs. Seymour and Mrs kitely were in
the sitting room as came in the back
way through the kitchen. They were
talking, and just as | got to the door
Mrs. Seymour told Mrs. kitely that her
son and Belle Granger had elorcd. They
saw me then, and Mrs. Seymour said,
very carclcs>ly:
- Here are the morning papers, Mrs.
kitely,' just to change the conversations
And YOU rushed off to carry the news
all over NyrtleviIIe," said Mr.. Granger.
"Well, thought it must he true, from
such an authority.'
" PsiIaw. You misunderstood W hat was
said"
Il tell you heard her as plain as I
hear you now
TELLING Mrs. Kitcly her son and my
daughter had eloped:'
Yes, Id swear it on my OATH SAID |
Mrs. Sawyer, as il there We're several
other ways of swearing ii She chose to |
take her choice.
suppose you step over to Mrs. Kite
ly's with me
"Wc1l, WILL
But to Mrs. Sawyers discomfort Mrs
kitely denied the story entirely. Mrs
Seymour had never given her any such
crwi~c. Mrs Sawyer tearfully persisted
in her story, and finally the trio went to
Mrs. Seymours.
The hero of our story was at home by
this time, and eating his supper when
the visitors entered.
1t was an awkward story to tell, but it
was told, and Mrs. Seynour's face was
the picture ofindignant surprise.
IT. she cried; :" | say my Fred had
clipped with Belle Granger: Why, Mrs.
Sawyer, you surely must be drcaming!''
You said sol heard you," sobbed
the widow.
"lou said distinctly Belle Granger
ran away with my son this mornings
AT this moment Mrs. Seymour burst
into a fit of uncomfortable laughter, to
the great CONSERVATION of her audience.
She laughed till she was obliged to wipe |
the tears from her eyes: when, catching
sight of Mr. Granger disturbed face, she
said, with sudden gravity:
Pardon me, Mr.. Granger, see I have
most innocently caused you Il serious
annoyance. The truth OF the story is
this: Fred, as you know, has all the
morning papers sent to him on the early |
train, and many of the nci-hbors come
in to borrow them. Mrs. kitcly always |
likes to see the SIN, and l save it for
her; but this morning your daughter
stopped on her way to the depot for a
paper to read as she rode to the city, and
took the Sun. When Mrs. Kitely came
for the papers | said to her, Belle has
run away Will my .onH tiliS morning..
And all Myrtlevile has been busy
with the scandal Mrs. Sawyer manufac-
tured out of your remark cried Mr.. |
Granger. II can only hope she will be
as active in contradicting as she was in
circulating it,"
But to this day Mrs. Sawyer persists
in declaring that she can't see where she
was to blame, after all. Anybody, she
is quite sure, might have made such a
mistake on the same grounds.
Pretty Susy was not long in doubt, for
Fred, having drawn from Mrs. Sawyer
the confession that she thought it duty
to tell the Bclknaps the first thing, has
tened over to the betrothed wife to vent
his indignation against all tattlers and
mischieimakers, and very soon Mr.. and
Mrs Frederick Seymour's wedding cards
put the final contradiction to the Myrtle
al