The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-02-19

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get Deacon ADKINS white horse and take
her 10 Red Hill after strawberries, ard he
wouldn't have time before tea II he had IN
90 To the village, and she did want Dolly
10 make strawberry shOrt-cake for tn
drcadiully. Ia lIiram's stern Yankee soul
owned one weakness in the wav
OF seli-indulgenee, II was for
strawberry short-csike--a Wand thar
while II successfully undertakes To
spoil both fruit and cake. in themselves
separate cxcellenceS, Is yet THE great luxu-
~ of New England; and well did our
guiicful heroine know this: II was but a
ioregone conclusion that Hiram should
accept her offer 10 take the letters herself
while he got the horse, and IN due TIM,
Mrs. Gray's carefully inditcd letter heinz
ed cook Hlram's short-cake. which Nelly
herself compounded with much dizziness
and success.
But the interview with Dr. Byles hal
Yet Ia come. Mrs. Gray sent for him, and
In private interview laid the whole mar
ter before him. Much a. the Young doc
tor loved Nelly, this escapa,lc on her part
shocked him deeply but nothing betrav
Ell his feelings te her mother except
tirmer set TO his lips and two or three lines
that Strengthened themselves across his
forehead. When Mrs. Gray had finished
her tale, he asked To see .'torneliaN alone.
and, nothing daunted, that small woman
went in and faced the enemy. We will not
quite yet repeat their conversation or re-
veal the substance of 1t il is enough to
say that Nelly appeased this lion in his
den, and he was even heard To give a SEEM
ingly unwilling laugh before they parted.
Not that Joe was fully satisfied with Nell
ly's explanations; a mans sense of honor
Is thing few women can understand.
which fewer still possess: bur. As Mr..
Howells says, with his dreadful acumen.
There is nothing has really so strong
"a digestion as love-"
And DIR. Joe's love was mighty and
genuine. When he left the parlor he
found Mrs. Gray In the sitting-room, and,
10 that lady's unbounded a,tonishment.
asked her consent 10 his engagement with
Nelly. Once sure that he Was thoroughly
in earnest, she was glad enough to con-
sent. only with the proviso that they
should not be married ill Christmas. 30
the summer went on, long season OF
bloom and perfume, Of pleasant drives
and rnoon-lit rambles for the lovers. of I'M
limited shaping and sewing for Mrs. GRAY
and her assistants, preparatory to "A we'd
ding, for do We not all know that no girl
ever has any clothes till she is married,
and then has 10 send list OF them 10 the
newspapers:
In September the Beacons came back.
and Nelly went 10 Boston in October for
the double purpose of getting her we'd
ding dresses made in the city. and otficiat-
ing As JOsephine's bridesmaid: for Miss
Beacon herself was going 10 marry Mr..
DIVER, now Greek Professor in Barnard
College.
As Mrs. Gray was asked TO the wedding,
and might produce some unpleasant com
plications In her acquaintance with Mr..
DIVER. Nelly shut her mamma into her
own room an hour after her arrival. and
explained how. hearing before ,Josey went
abroad, under bonds of privscy. that she
had accepted Mr.. Dyer. and indeed was
going 10 Paris chiefly 10 buy her trous.
seau. some small imp had suggested TO
Nelly herself TO write an unsigned letter
TO Mr.. DIVER ia the character of despair
ing damsel who couldn't marry the man
she would, and therefore wanted 70 enter
into a correspondence with him with a
view TO the future. as she phrased il.
This letter which she never would
have written unless previously sure Of
his engagement, she hal cnaNed jose
phine 10 give TO him for fun n the
needless creature express, herself,
having first exasperated her cousin BY
declaring that no man could resist flirting
with pretty girl who provoked him to il,
and offering TO test ii in this manner. Quite
SURF of her lover. Josephine gave him
Nelly's sealed letter az one She had rcScv-
ed from a little friend in the country. who
did not want her name known unless he
the letter, in which case jose
phine would direct the answer. and II
any further correspondence went on il was
TO be done with the real names. But we
know Mr.. DIVERS reply already, and
literal copy of il followed Josephine 10
Paris n soon "a Nelly received il herself
accompanied with an explanation by thar
Young lady of her own motive in the az
fair. IL cannot be said Miss Beacon quite
approved OF Nelly's wicked little plot. but
il was too late then to do more than laugh
AZ il. This was the resume which Nelly
offered now. with alternate tears and dim
Piles. 10 mamma. having explained il to
Joe that awful day when she was sent into
he parlor to confront him. and came ont
engaged to him. Mrs. GRAY listened with
indignant surprise 10 this unraveled skein
perhaps yarn would make the me
aphor less mixed; but, true to her ruling
passion. her first words were. But what
must Mr.. Dyver have thonght of my let
er ~
He never thought any thing. dear.
rot il from Hiram TO put IL in the office
myself. but-somehow-l happened TO
irop il in the kitchen stove ~
Nelly Grayl who would have thought
{ Of you. You are little wretch. |
hould like heartily To box your ears :"
Miss discerned the relenting voice under
his fearful threat. and her arms Were
'ound her mothers neck In a moment.
:. am a wretch. TESS IL. you darling
I'D mother: but, you see, did want "a
marry Joe so much. and | did hate 80
TO marry any body else! and
Tou know IL used to say in the copy-book,
,r Proverbs, or somewhere. All strata
,ems are fair In love and war. "-Harper's