The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-09-16
THE LOST WAGER.

THE LOST WAGER.
The trunks were all packed and corded,
and the carpet-bags were piled up in the
corner of the capacious, old-fashioned
hall.
How melancholy they looked, those
emblems of parting and adieux. Not
even the merry laughter of the two or
three young girls, who were gathered
around a stalwart, handsome fellow of
about twenty-five, could entirely Danish
an impalpable something of sadness
from the scene. Cousin Jack was going
away, the general mischief-maker, tor
ment and tease of the whole family, and
MI. Chester, sitting by the distant win
dow, wiped his spectacles every five
minutes, and declared, pettishly, that the
type of the evening paper wa a terrible
trial to old eyes.
"Aye, you may laugh, girls" said
Jack, applying himself vigorously to the
refractory lock of a portmanteau. "Per-
haps you may one day discover that it
isn't such a laughing matter. Think of
the loss the family is going to sustain in
my ex~cellency."
"But you'll come back soon, Jack,
DEAR" coaxed Minnie Chester, the pref
test and most roguish of all cousins, and
the n who kept up a perfect fire of
practical jokes and girlish tricks at his
expense.
There she sat, on the biggest trunk of
the collection, her brown curls hanging
about her round face, andher eyes spark
ling with a curious mixture of fun and
tears.
"Im not at all certain of that, Miss
Minnie" said Jack, decisively. eff I
succeed in finding a location to suit me,
/ shall probably decide to settle perma-
nently at Thornville and turn landed
proprietor on my own account"
"Only imagine our Jack a gentleman
of property !" laughed Minnie, appealing
to her sisters.
81 don't see anything SO veryridicu-
lous in the idea," remarked the young
man, rather piqued at the amusement Of
his relatives. cat all events, there's n
incalculable advantage that will result
from my departure"
"And what is that, Mr.. Oracle9"
"The fact that you've played your
last freak on me, you tormenting little
minx!"
"Don't be so certain OF that, Cousin
Jack" said Minnie, shaking her long
curis. "What will you venture 1 don't
bestow a parting trick on you yet9 All
L haven't settled with you for several
little pieces of impertinence (; but pray
don't imagine they are forgotten, sir !"
"My diamond sleeve buttons to your
coral necklace that you don't impose on
me within the next three months, Min
ME-" said Jack gaily.
"Donel" said Minnie. "Girls, O all
hear the wager, don't you? 1 always COW
eted Jacks diamonds"
"But you won't have them, madem-
oisellel How dark it is getting in this
cayernous old hall. Shall I ring for
lights, Uncle Chester? and, by the way,
have you written that letter of introduce
ton to Mr.. Thorne?"
"Al in good time, my boy-all in
good time" said the old gentleman, de-
posting his his huge, silver-bound spec
tacles in their case. "You young men
are all in such a desperate hurry. Tell
Betsy to carry a lamp into the library,
girls. And Minnie, where is my gold
penl 1 won't be very long about it,
and then we will have a nice long even
ing to gossip over Jacks prospects,"
While Mr.. Chester sat in his cosy, red
curtained library, revising the letter
which he had been writing to his old
friend Jabez Thorne, of Thornville, to
the effect that his nephew, John Lacy,
was i search of an eligible piece of
land, and wished to settle down in that
vicinity, and requested Mr. Thorne's aid
and cooperation in the selection of the
same, Minnie opened the door.
Papa, there Is some one down stairs
who wishes to see you Immediately for a
minute"
every annoying!" said the old gen
tleman, "just as 1 was finishing this let
ter of Jacks. However, / can seal it
afterward. Minnie, suppose you glance
over it and dot the is and cross the is
I'm not so much of a penman as 1 used
to be-"
And old Mr. Chester pushed back his
chair and rose from the antique table to
attend the claims of his urgent guest.
Olive Chester was brushing out the
heavy braids of her luxuriant hair be-
fore the dressing-mirror of her own
apartment, two hours later, when Minnie
ran IN, with a countenance comically di-
vided between dismay and delight.
"My dear Minnie, what has happen
ed?" exclaimed the elder sister, drop
ping her hair brush and letting all the
raven tresses ripple down UNDECIDED over
her shoulders.
Give won the diamond sleeve-buttons.
Olive !! but oh ! l didn't mean to-. What
would papa say if he only knew it-and
Cousin Jack, too?"
"Sit down, you wild little elf" said
Olive, gently forcing her sister into a
chair, "and explain this mysterious
riddle"
well, you know papa left me to look
over his letter to Mr.. Thorne-and he
was detained longer than he expected
almost an hour in fact, and L couldn't
help amusing myself bywriting a parody
on the letter"
GA parody?"
"1es-you remember somebody was
telling us what a beautiful daughter Mr..
Thorne had-so Iwrote that Jack was in
scarce of a wife, and had heard of Miss
Thorne, and wanted to settle in life, and
all that sort of thing. In short, wher.
ever papa had written land, or estate, l
wrote wife! Wasn't it fun ?" CALCULATED
the little maiden, her eyes dancing with
diGbterie. But you know I never once
thought OF sending the letter; I only