The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-08-24
AN FAvESDROPPER.

20 ans Londoner who happens to have a
house of decent size. 1t therefore did
not leave friendless Mr.. and Mrs. Octavius
Fletcher, whom every body liked, who
would have been visited by troops of
well-wishcrs if they had lived in garnet,
and who actually lived in a very pretty
villa on one OF the northwestern fringeS
of London Mr.. and Mrs. Fletcher were
hardly vet in middle life, but they were
growing fatherlI and motherly pre-
maturelv to all their friends by reason of
their having no children. A childless
mother, when she does not turn tnfrivoaitY
or sourness, has for Young people many
Of the peculiar characteristics of kindly
old maiden aunt.
well, we can't make room for any
more at present. Mrs. Fletcher said to
her husband Its no use, dear. We
couldn't hear of the Idens going any
where else
"oh, certainly not. I'll telegraph to
them at once
And we have asked that boy"
THAT boy, dear!'
Ies-Reddy Poyntz. You hadn't
forgotten:'
NO; only didn't quite recognize Mr..
Reginald as that boy. He's more than
eiglt.an twenty, and rather tall for his
age"
"Oh, always think of him as only a
boy. suppose shall have to kiss him
when he comes
Certainly, by all means. Nothing
can be more proper. get into the same
puzziement myself about these ,youns
people. Now there's Alexandra Iden l
believe she has refused three offers
already, and yet can only regard her in
the light of an infant. l shall have to ask
hs, to kiss me when she comes z
Indeed, dear, | dare say she'll kiss
YOU without waiting to be asked, Mrs.
Fletcher said, smiling. If she doesn't,
I'll sc"ld her.
Not YOU: you wouldn't scold her if
She Bit my head Off. y Z
Well, do love her mother-I always
did-and now believe love Alexandra
herself almost as well. wonder if we
shall like Reddy Poyntz's bride:'
'Oh, YES. dear, youre sure to like her.
You Ike everybody"
"Now. And only yesterday, when l
said didn't think should like her, you
said never liked anybody.'
well, dare say l was right both
times. Women, you know, are so change
able
Come, what does Goethe say on that
subject:'
''PiH.patf What did Goethe know
about women
Mrs. Fletcher opened widely her hand
some, expressive eyes.
"Ay, lady, twas my word! He had
such an incessant middle of flirtatious
that he never gave himself time to
know anything about the general subject
of women. Might as we'll expect man
to have profound knowledge of English
20 In, lri1
CINE every day between London and Liv-
erpool and secs the villages as he rattles
along
Mrs. Fletcher laughed, but was too busy
just then to continue the discussion; and
that very evening Reginald Poyntz ar
rived lie was full of friendly talk and
descriptions of places he had lately been
seeing, and he put off pleasantly the ailu-
sions to his bride, only assuring Mrs.
Fletcher that She was the sweetest girl in
all the world, and Il great deal too good
for him. He seemed to Mrs. Fletcher to
avoid "reminiscences of any kind. There
was something about him which puzzled
her little. The boy can't have been
falling into bad habits-hescan't have been
getting dissipated ~ she asked of herself.
"That wouldn't be like him.: and yet is he
quite like himself now:'' Mr.. Fletcher,
however, assured her that she might ban
ish all fears of that kind. POyntz was not
bit changed in that way .,..
well have stroll along the road TO-
night, late, in the old way" he said (Mr.
Fletcher and Poyntz used to delight in
long walks late at night; land we'll
smoke cigar, and you may depend upon
it that if anything is wrong -busness or
thai sort of tling-he'll tell me- -.
None of the other guests were to arrive
until the next day; and Mr.. Fletcher and
Poyntz had their long stroll by night and
by moonlight through the pleasant lanes,
where the moonbeams were broken by
many trees and by plenteous ivy growing
on the walls of dainty suburban lodges
thing amiss with his guest Certainly all
business affairs were looking well, accord
ing to Poyntz's frankly volunteered ex-
plantations; and Poyntz must be looking
with longing to the prospect of a marriage
with his cousin, for he. said more than
once that he was sick Of the life he had
been leading-the bachelor life.
Rather surprised, weren't you and
Mrs. Fletcher, when you heard that my
cousin and were engaged?' Reginald
suddenly said, as they were in avery dark
some part of the road; and he kept His
eyes on the grouAd. i. Sa.s& II
We'll, l don't know that we were-at
least don't know why We should have
been. You do.appear To- haze Kept your
secret very web, and perhaps it was Just
IN nsod snepsiss 70 of y9gHE friends
good luck to know the, lady at that time.
When do you expect her in towny''e -
" Day after Tomorrow I should think.
You must like her, you and Mrs. Fletcher.
But you couldn't help liking hdfs She is
SO sweet a girl.''
You are lucky fellow, Reginald
"Yes, oh yes ), 80 / am, to be s,rS.M
Mr. Fletcher looked at him, q liatle sur!
prised, he could hardly tell why. To
change the subject, he said,
you'll see some old friends here to-
morrow, Reginald. The Idens-you re.
member?"
The 1dcns: Mrs. 1den, do you
And her daughter Alexandra.
Reginald was silent for several seconds;
and strained fercely at shis> a@H ehen
"Oh yes, of course. What's her name
Her namey'e @&1s .1s {
"Yes. What's her husbands name? ]
can't remember it, .
"Why, sditn,t you know. She's no,
married at all. She broke off that affair
somehow, threw him oyeri in facx spite
of all his money. I never knew why
My wife won't hear word said against
her, and I'm very fond of Alexandra my
self But I'm afraid she's flirt. ! doub,
II she has much Of q hsagt,n = n
So much the Se6ef eDA4f sees WA
people wantSf Hheaft women, Tsmean
No matter: Look here, FletcheS, I'm
s s1esp ' fii i sJ e $n !,
"All right, my boy. Don't fail te
dream of your BRIDE" %
II shall have no dreams-if can, ,
Reginald answered. And the friend.
parted for the night.