The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-12-21
proved to be some one she did not care to

room, ana announced that MIR. BrOWne
wanted to see Cora. Cora thinking only
of one Mr.. Brown, entered the parlol
with quite beating heart; to her dismay
there sat Mr.. Browne. He arose and
limped forward to greet her with his lank
outstretched hand he at once began q
profusion Of thanks for superb gift, in.
termixed with apologies for his long de.
lay in expressing his thanks, while all the
time he waved in his other hand the iden
teal scarf that Cora had spent SO much
time over. When he had finished his
grafton, he sat down, spreading the scarf
on his knee and stroked it Lovingly.
Poor Cora did not know what to say,
and stammered out: va %,
II think there is some mistake. I never
sent you that scarf"
"Ahv' exclaimed Mr.. Browne, open.
ing his eyes very wide.
"There is certainly q mistake" re.
peated Cora.
81 don't understand" said Mr.
Browne, II received this scarf and a
note from you, asking me to accept it, "
and he closed his hand over the scarf. as
if he expected some one to take it from
him.
~ intended that scarf should be sent
to Mr.. Julius Brown" said Cora, desper
ately.
MIR. Brownies face grew rather rosy
81 can't understand he muttered, iii
the scarf was intended for another, why
it should be sent to me-"
"It was sent to you by mistake cried
Cora, sharply.
Possibly! Possibly" CALCULATED Mr.
Browne. Sill he sat and held the scarf
and there was silence for a few mo-
ments. Mr.. Browne seemed to be lost in
thought; at last he said will leave the
scarf; have no wish to wear what belongs
to or was intended as gift for more
favored one. But l must protect my
throat before go; my throat was always
TENDER" and he coughed pathetically,
while he took from his pocket a large
handkerchief, wound it carefully around
his throat, and tied it in a hard knot
Cora could hardly help smiling, he looked
SO ridiculous as he hobbled to the door,
and mournfully bowed himself out.
This is absurd,' said Cora, taking up
the unfortunate scarf.
When Cora related to her mother and
Fred the fate of the scarf, they advised
her to go the next day to her cousins and
see if the mutf had been more fortunate
in reaching its destination. To her dis.
may, she was informed that no muff had
been seen by any member of the family.
She then repaired to Bowen's, and found
that the mutf had not been sent there.
Maggie has made grand mistake -
she said, when she went home, Though
I don't see how she could, for I cautioned
her several times. can't imagine where
the muff could have gone TO. I ought to
have known better than to trust such a
careless person as Maggie with anything
of the kind" she added, for she had be.
gun to feel pretty hard toward Maggie.
This exasperated Fred considerably.
"What object could Maggie have for
so doing ?' he demanded.
"Well, l don't know myself" replied
Cora, what motive she could have.'
'You had better write to Maggie and
ask her something about it, and not ac-
cuse her of such wrong until you have
some proof that a wrong was intended"
Cora wrote, and soon after received the
following reply:
DEAR FRIEND Cora: I can't mag
inc how the mistake you speak of could
have happened; not through my careless
ness, l hope. But l remember now,
though it had escaped my mind until |
received your letter, that left the note
about the muff unfinished in the box; but
l can't understand how that would prevent
the furrier from receiving the mutf. If
he did not understand the note, he would
surely have kept the muff until called
for. don't think addressed the notes
wrong. am sorry to have caused you
any annoyance"
Pm as wise now as I was before
read this letter." said Cora "That's
just the way with Maggie. She overlooks
the most i'm portant part of anything; she
writes about the mutf, and never men
tions the scarf, and that's the worst. I'd
rather lose dozen muffs than to have
had this scarf around Jim Brownies ugly
neck"
So Cora went on, from day to day,
magnifying the evil to such an extent,
that Fred became affected by it, and his
letters to Maggie grew beautifully less, and
finally ceased altogether. Maggie did not
know what to think, and worried and
wondered, and grew thin over this unex-
planned silence. Her mother decided to
take her to the seaside the following sum-
mer, to see if a change of scene and new
faces would make her forget her faithless
lover
One morning Maggie was sitting in her
favorite nook among the rocks, where she
often went to read her favorite authors.
She had started with volume of Ten
nyson, that Cora had given her. After
looking at the view stretched out so ma
jestically before her, she put out her
hand for the book, which she thought she
had laid on the ground by her side, but it
was '"u". :" e'u''e. Maggie rose to go in
search of 1t, when at that moment a
little breeze sprang up, and slip of pa
per came flying toward her and lit at
her feet. She stopped and picked it up.
Her eyes were riveted to the paper, for on
it were these words: "Mr Brown: Take
this, you old mutt" A flash of bewil-
dered recollection came over her. She
recognized her own handwriting.
"Where in the world did this come
from ~ she exclaimed; and. looking up,
she encountered the gaze of gentleman
who stood before her with book extend
ed in his hand. ~ rsa,
"My bookw exclaimed Maggie,
=" thank you; l was just going in search
~ am glad to save you the trouble, :"
said the gentleman; and it has been quite
pleasure to find it, for see written Oh
the fly-leaf the name of an old friend of
mine, Miss Cora Irving"
"Are you acquainted with Miss Irv-
ing?' asked Maggie; "then this book
might serve as an Introduction. believe
my name is also written on the page"
Miss Gaylord? All! l have often
heard Miss Irving speak of you as her
dearest friend. And it is possible you
may have heard my name mentioned by
our mutual FRIEND if l may so express
myself-Julius Brown" and he gallantly
raised his hat.
"Yes, indeed" said Maggie cordially.
And she really felt delighted to see Mr..
Brown, for with this slip Of paper in her
hand, she fancied that she had found a
little clue to the mystery which had for
the whole summer perplexed her, and
which Mr.. Julius Brown might be able to
explain. So she politely invited him to
be seated by her side. A long converse
ton ensued, during which Maggie fully
comprehended her vast blunders in send
ing notes, NUTS aad Iscarfs shout in SO
reckless manner. Wv
They separated, each with a laugh at
their own, folly, ana the next day, Mr..