Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-01-28

gretted her inability to go; but, after all,
MIR. SpOoney should not have his trouble
for nothing-mamma and Angelina would
go. She had rather be alone, she was 60
cross and nervous. They really must 20.
And, knowing very well why, the ladies
acquicsced; and what could Spooney do
AS gentleman, clearly nothing but re-
gret Miss Belinda's illness and be delight
ed with the society of the mamma of fifty
and the sister of fifteen. .uft a.'
Yet wrctched man was Mr.. Spooney
that night; and both his companions on
their return pronounced him 4" stupid. -
Ten minutes after the departure of the
trio Miss Belinda, arrayed in blue silk
with flowers in her hair, was playing al
such rate on the piano that il seemed
quite certain that the demon neuralgia
must have vanished She did not even
hear MIR. Softheart'E knock, and started in
! sweet confusion on his appearance I'D.
"pm all alune,i she said Mamma
and Lima won't be home until eleven
o'clock. Fm oiraid you'll find it verJ
stupid"
| But Mr.. Softheart was not afraid of that
and the two talked together in very low
voices, sitting very close to each other on
| twin chairs. MIR. SOftheart looked and
sighed and uttered romantic sentiments,
but he did not pop the question. Miss
Belinda did all that modest young lady
could to further this object, but in vain
She did not know-how could she?-
that at the door Mr. Softheart had said to
Biddy, the housemaid, "Look here. girl.
put this in Miss Belinda's room, where
she will be sure TO see it," and that he had
presented her with the billet containing
his proposal, crowned by a five-shilling
piecei
How should she guess that even at that
moment the offer Mr. Softheart could not
make in words was in her work basket?
AT all events she did not.
If the man did not avail himself of such
a chance, after six months courtship,
plain even to the servants in the kitchen,
why, he meant nothing. And the unhappy,
uAlucky Mr.. Softheart did not utter the
expected words, and left at quarter to
eleven, with quotation from Byron and
sigh. r
Hes contemplate fiirtl' said Miss
Belinda. What did he mean by squeez-
ing my hand and by signing so, and by
saying such pretty things, and by looking
in my eyes so? Gentlemen friends never
do such things. I'll show him my heart
is not broken. I'll marry Spooney."
And Belinda wept, for she was bitterly
mortified, and Mr.. Spooney did not own a
large mansion. ~
Belinda wept, as we have said, and went
to bed in the dark. Of course she did
not see the letter in her work k-basket, and
no one else saw il until the first of April
dawned.
Now, in their normal condition, with
no love affair on the tdpis, the Bellows
were merry people, who indulged in prac-
teal jokes, and April FOOLS Day was al
ways regularly kept in the family. A
new trick was always Matching the year
through, and bundles of rubbish were
sent by express, and cotton cakes made
and door-bells rung, and alarms of fire
given, and people sent post-haste to re-
mote regions to find April fool awaiting
them in one shape or other.
But this year the three particular Bel
lows with whom we have 10 deal were not
prepared with any particular joke, though
each suspected the other. And when
Angelina, sitting up in bed beside her
sister, saw the glittering white note in the
work basket, she Immediately made up
her mind that it was "a trick"
She crcpt softly toward it and read the
inscription-"M Miss Belinda Bellows
and retired to her pillow again.
"What a flat trick !" she said to herself.
Why, Bell will guess at once, unless
she fOrgcts that it is the 1st of April.
Mas tricks are always so smart, it's queer
she should do such foolish thing"
Then a thought struck her. She crept
tiptoe out of the room and downstairs 10
the parlOr, where Bridget was making the
fire, taking the letter with her.
"Biddy," she said, in whisper,
"come upstairs and awaken my sister
and tell her Mr.. Softheart brought this
this morning. Tell it as if it was the
truth, remember, and there's shilling for
you"
And Angelina tiptoed with barefoot soft
ness back to bed. But Belinda was awake
this time. -" H''
"She's going to try to fool me, know" ;"
said she to herself, with her eyes shut and
in very cross mood, and awaited the de-
nouement with anything but her usual
good nature.
Biddy, meanwhile, had recognized the
letter.
Its lucky one for me-" she said to
herself. A crown over night and a
shilling in the morning. And upstairs
she stumped and knocked at Belinda's
door.
Misthcr Softheart babe me give you
this, miss, she said.
I'm teach you to tell stOries," said
Belinda. You know Miss Angelina
gave it TO you" ~.
Biddy was confounded.
- He gave it to me last night, miss, as
true as hope TO go TO heaven" she said
last night" said Angelina, with a
warning glance suppOsing Biddy to have
forgotten her lesson.
4" name this morning." said Biddy,
taking the hint.
g Give me the letter." said Belinda /;
then, snatching it, she tore it deliberately
into 6ur pieces aud threw them on the
floor "DO you suppose / mean to be
called an April fOol?'' she sobbed. "You
might have more cOn-sid-eration-
my-feelings, when he's trifled So" Aud
went off into mysteries. .... .-A
Mamma rushed in. Biddy screamed
"murther." Sal volatile was applied,
and, in the confusion, no explanation was
made. Biddy swept the room and put the
letter in the dust-pan. And Mr.. Softheart
watched all day for the postman, and
watched in vain. I.'
That afternoon Mr. Spooney called to
inquire after Miss Belinda's health, and
found her well enough to walk out with
him; and Angelina and her mamma be-
gan TO compare notes. Then, and not un-
til then, the letter began to be mystery,
and Biddy being sent for explained that,
TO the best of her belief, Mr.. Softheart
gave it to her to put in Miss Belinda's
room the night before. Then, in DISNEY,
the ladies rummaged the dust-bin, and,
after an hours search, reappeared in the
parlor with dusty tresses and soiled hands
and nine little pieces Of paper. These,
delly pieced together, made whole
note, which, being perused, revealed
proposition.
Belinda returned rather late with very
conscious look upon her face, and stared
in astonishment at the dusty objects, who
met her with excitement ON their counte-
nances. II was a good while before the
truth could be extracted from the inter.
jections and CALCULATIONS with which she
was greeted but when, at last, it was
made manifest, Belinda listened like one
in trance. She had indeed been made
an April fool Of MIR. SOftheart had
really nronOsed The mansion had been