Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-02-25
ly, "Those absurd letters, if you please,

And then the little women faltered out,
"I-that isl believe-yes, dear-I think
have them,'' and she gave him white
| pile of envelopes encircled with blue rib.
bon, with hand that trembled like an
aspen-leaf.
AS for Lucilla, she began to weep as
though the end of all things had come at
last, and to feel quite sure that if papa
proved himself cruel she should die.
sSix letters-six shameful pieces of de-
ception, Lucilla," said the indignant pa
rent. 81 am shocked that child of mine
could practice such duplicity. Hem! let
me see. Number one, believe. June,
and this is December. Half year you
have deceived us, Lucilla. Let me see!
! All! from the first moment he adored
you,' Ell? Nonsense! People don't fall in
love in that absurd manner. 1t takes
years of acquaintance and respect and at
tachment. What next? with your smile
for his goal, he would win both fame and
fortune, poor as he isl'' Fiddlesticks,
Lucilla! A man of common sense would
always wait until he had fair commence
ment before he proposed to any girl. Praise
of our beauty-the lovliest creaturehe ever
saw!'' Exaggeration, my dear. You are
not plain, but such flattery is absurd.
Must hear from you or dep Dear, dear,
dear, how absurd"
AND Mr.. Richmond dropped the first
letter, and took up another.
''The same stuff" he commented. II
hope lou don't believe word he says. A
plain , earnest, upright sort Of man would
never go into such rhapsodies. am sure.
All, now in number three this blessed fell
low calls you an angel! He is dramatic,
upon my word! And what is all this?
'Those who would forbid me to see you
can find no fault with me but my poverty.
I am honest-I am earnest in my efforts.
am by birth gentleman, and love you
fro m my soul. Do not let them sell you
for gold, Lucilla.' Great heavens, what
impertinence to your parents!"
II don't remember Fred's saying any
thing Of that sort,'' murmured poor little
Lucilla. ''He never knew you would OBJ
ject."
Mr.. Richmond shook his head, frowned,
and read on in silence until the last sheet
lay under his hand. Then, with an ejacu-
lation of rage, he started to his feet.
''Infamous!'' he cried, ''I'll 60 to the
rascal this instant-I'll horsewhip him! AS
for you, by Jove, Protestant or not, I'll
send you to convent! Pm ashamed to call
you daughter! Where's my hat? Here.
John, call cab! l."
But here Lucilla caught one arm and
Mss. Richmond the other.
sob, papa, have you gone crazy?" said
Lucilla. "Frederick never proposed such
thing. Let me see the letter. Oh, papa.
this is not Fred's-upon my word it is not!
Do look, please-it is dated twenty years
back-and Fred's name is not Charles!
Papa, these are your love letters to mamma,
written so long ago! Her name is Lucilla,
you know"
Mr.. Richmond sat down in his arm
chair, in silenc, very red in the face.
elbow did this oceur?" he sternly said
Mrs. Richmond, retreating into corner,
with her handkerchief to her eyes, sobbed
out, II did it on purposep' and paused as
though she expected a sudden judgment.
: But, hearing nothing, she dared at last
to rise and to creep timidly to her husband.
"You know, Charles" she said, s'it's so
long ago, we are both altered good deal,
and I thought you might not exactly re-
member how you fell in love with me at
first sight, and how papa and mamma OBJ
jected. and how at last we ran away to-
gether;' and it seemed to me that if we
could bring it all back plain as it was then,
we must let Lucilla marry the man she
likes-who is nice, if he is not rich. did
not need to brought back any palmer my
self-women have more time to remember,
you know, And we've been very happy,
have we not"
So, Lucilla, feeling that her inter-
ests might safely be left in her moth
er's keeping, slipped out of the room, and
heard the result Of the little stratagen next
morning. It was favorable to the young
music master, who had really only been
sentimental, and had not gone half so far
as to propose an elopement; and in due
course of time the two were married with
all the pomp and grandeur befitting the
nuptuals of wealthy merchants daugh-
ter, with the perfect appro baton Of Lu-
cilla's father, and to the great joy of Lu-
elias mamma, who justly believed that
her little stratagem had bro ught about all
her daughters happiness.
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