The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-09-28

Clapper. 1t vas from q man in South
America, named Robert Gray, who had
gone there to introduce ice. He was
doing q fine business, but being very
lonely, had resolved to marry on his
return to the United States in the fall,
elf a Miss Clapper, whom he used to
meet at the Cherry Hill parsonage, was
still SINGLE" And to ascertain this, he
had ventured to inquire of the post.
master--'in confidence" mind.
OF coarse this was q great surprise to
a lady of fifty years, who had long ago
given up all thoughts of marrying.
Her first thought was to keep the thing
secret, lest it might make sport for the
young folks. Then she tried to recall
to her mind any Mr.. Gray she had cvcr
met at the parsonage.
"GrayP Grayp Let me see. Yes,
there was a Deacon Gray there once, in
Convention time, and, IL l remember
right, he did have q weed on his hat.
He was a great anti-tobacco man, and
has sons in business in some out-of-thc-
way kind of place. What on the earth
could have tempted q man Of his years
to start up to make money in foreign
partsP What can any body want to live
so far of for, any way" she thought.
Miss Clapper rose suddenly in the
Colonel's esteem, and, with u desire to
rid himself of competition, he favored
the plan, and urged her to settle the
question at once. She, however, charg-
cd him to remember that il was Il secret,
to be kept till the gentleman came to
sue for himself, which was to be in
about three months. But il was not
three days before every urchin in town
knew, in his w homcly language, that
"Betsy Clapper had got II beau"
Betsy was not o silly M She
did not lay of her plain garments and
put on girlish ones But she did feel
that n little respect was due to Deacon
Gray; and so, without any stir, she
bought n new black silk, a chip bonnet,
and some good laces. Wins could blame
her for thatP
Neither did she put up her shutters
and take down her sign. She said to
herself-she had no other conlidant-
There's many a slip
Between cup and lip,
and this may be the last of il. I'll stick
to my home and my present employ
ments, till Providence provides me 9TH
or work."
But this was not the last Of it. AS soon
as the Colonel's letter reached L., Mr..
Robert Gray wrote to Miss Elizabeth
Clapper-that was the way she wrote her
thanksgiving a good many fine things,
that you a all guess at, and asking
her to address her reply to him in New
York, where he should soon be. She
wrote that she should be very glad tc
see Mr.. Gray and talk with him; and
some more proper things, that the sill.
est girl could not have laughed at.
Not long after this, the cxpressmar
bought Miss Clapper Il fine cage with
four South American birds of gorgcou,
plumage, and the mail brought her q
letter, in which the writer said he die
not bring the birds to keep her in New
England, but to show her what birds
she would see on the branches near hel
home-if she would only accept hi.
home.
Probably the Cherry Hill people wcr,
all c~lairvoyants, and read the letter
through the envelope, for, although
Miss Clapper never told it, they knew
all that Mr.. Gray had written us wei
rs she did. The gum on envelopes /.
often treacherous, and the Colonel hat
been a postmaster 50 long that he was
very skillful in guessing at the content!
of letters.
The day before Mr.. Robert Gray was
expected, Miss Betsy was behind the
counter, doing the duty of the hour
when the railroad carriage drove up t.
the house door, and Il hale, sunbrownet
man, with q good-sized carpet bag
sprang out and rang the bell. Old Pol
ly, who had /" lived with Miss Clapper'.
mother always" and who was now Mis-
Clapper's sole companion, opened tn,
door and ushered "thc drummer ~
as she thought HMM, wondering Ii,
didn't 60 directly to the shop. Mis-
Clapper was summoned, and appeared
with the words, "Too late TO lay in an,
more stock this season." on her lips
But she saw before taking u seat tina
she had mistaken her man. The gen
tleman, for such he was
seemed not a little constrained ant
ill at case. Finally no said
81 believe I have met you beforeP'
"Perhsps so, but l can't recall you
countenance," said Miss Betsy, looking
up sharply at him.
"Oh, you were not expecting ME
thenP"
"No, sir"
swell, twelve years makes som,
change in a young fellow, 1 met yov
once, if not oftener, when | was pass
ing a vacation with the Spencer boys
Robert Gray" .5 -.
Poor Miss Clapper felt the blood lcav,
her heart. She was no silly girl, witt
II picture Of fairy-land life before her
but she was a lonely woman, who ha,
half-decidcd to accepts companion an,
protector for the down-hill journey o
life. Now, she thought, the Deacon
has met with some mishap, and thi
kind fellow has come to tell me of it..
"Your father"-she began.
"Oh, he's been dead several years
and my mother too" was the reply.
Miss Clapper was more puzzled tha'
ever, and a dead silence ensued, durin'
which both parties seemed intent on tn
mathematical figure Of the ingram car
pet. In a moment, however, the ride
ulousness of his position struck tn
-..A 49,. L. ~ -.