Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-04-06

you know | do. I'm a poor man
but can make my wife comfortable
and I'm certain can make her hap
Ply. Lottie was sure you cared fol-
me this morning; if you say you
don't, ] never shall be happy again.
Say US or no.
What Lottie meant to answer il
hard to TELL Mr.. Davenport came
into view suddenly, aad her mothers
voice sounded from the kitchen.
Lottiel Lottie where are those
pease p
She tore her hands away, and
sprang down the steps, saying, hast
lily and ,ntradiotorily,
No, no; certainly. Yes 10 min
ute
Without word more Harry picked
up the pease for her--the work OF
full five minutes-set the basket on
the porch, and walked away. Ten
minutes later the pease were finally
shelled and put on the kitchen table
but Lottie was nowhere to be found.
She was locked in her chamber
The seal ring had been tossed indig-
nantly on the floor, and it's new
owner was crying as if her heart
would break.
Half that long summer afternoon
she staid shut up, to miserable to
face any comment, too hopeless to
see any way out of the trouble she
had brought upon herself; for if she
had said mo- to Mr.. Davenport and
yes to Harry Willard, she would
have been happy girl. What was
there to do but face the consequence
She might unsay the yes, but never
the no; and yet if she were to
write to Harry-if she were to tell
him she never meant it! There was
still little of his holiday left-if, in
decd, he did let his anger hurry him
away.
The sunshine of mid-afternoon
was slanting in on the faded carpet
and yellow wash-stand as Lottie
hastily bathed her eyes and pulled a
writing desk toward her. It sIanted
more and more from the west as she
sat considering, perplexedly biting
the end of her pen, writing and re-
writing and tossing aside tiny cream
tinted sheets of paper, until the
table was Uttered with beginnings
and only one sheet left in the box.
This she finally took up despairingly
and wrote the date and the com.
mencement:
"MY DEAR HARRY,--T don't know how to
write this to you and am very much asham-
ed to take back what l said, but l never
meant to say it. l had to, because Mr. Daven-
port was coming. and that was his ring | had
on nv finger, and he had just asked me to
| marry him, and had said yes heeanse you
know, he is 50 rich, and thought il would be
nice to be lady. | don't know what made
me say yes, for don't love him, and | 10 love
you. | am SO sorry said what did. You'll
forgive me, won't you, now you know that
really don't care for any body but you /?
Please LoTTIE."
AS she sat looking at this rather
crude production of hers difficulty
occurred to her. How should she
send IL? Garry it to the post-oifice,
and let the post-mistress, who had
known her from a baby, discover
that she had written TO Harry Will
lard Never. Drop it into the post
box &? No, for the handwriting would
betray her, and the whole town
would hear of 1t. Gould she give it
to Harry herself? No, not thatl Or
give it to Susan to give him :?
Worse yet. Thoroughly perplexed
and disheartened, Lottie fell prey
to her own fears. If Harry had the
letter, he might be disgusted by her
| forwardness, or else to much dis
pleased to forgive her at all. Per-
haps it was unlady-lke to think of
sending the letter, and yet, if she did
not send it, Harry would go away.
A miserable half hour of indecision
folio wed, at the end of which she
tossed all the scattered sheets IN 8
heap into her writing-nesk. locked it,
aud then cried with renewed aban-
don. A series of sharp raps on the
door and a voice by 20 means gentle
reused he.
'Lottie | say, Lottie For good.
ness sake, what are you about ?
Here it's after toar, and no cake for
supper. and Mr.. Willard going in the
six train Come right down stars,
and don't let us have any more
daw wiling Come there's no time
TO spare.
How Lottie ever got into the
kitchen, and in what manner she
contrived to begin her cake making
she never knew. Harry going at
SIX She was such child that his
going away seemed 10 her 10 end
! everything finally between them.
She should never see him again
, Over and over she said it to herseli
} as she mechanically weighed the
-four and the sugar for sponge-cake,
beat her eggs, and commenced to
: mix the ingredients. A great many
tears fell into that cake, and they sc
blinded her that she did not see hel
mother as her elbow, as che was
dropping it into the pans, until a
J sharp voice startled her:
AIbgAUY nav HAS SOinO OfCT YOU
You haven't put bit of paper in the
t bottom of those dams Il would have
burned for certain, and here il is al.
( most five. Hurry run and gel
some paper, quick I
Lottie. still mechanically, searched
the drawers of the dresser in vain
then, spurred to action by the SHARP
voice and by the sound of the clock
J striking Eve, she rushed up stairs L
e her own room, tore off two hal
! sheets of paper from the pile she haC
thrust into her desk, ran down agair
and had the cake 10 the oven in suct
I a miraculously short time that ever
Q her mother was astonished.
There, now, PICK over these Der
ries, and set table. Susan hasn't fin
ished ironing. And fetch up LII
r butter, and
The voice buzzed in Loltie's ear
? | as she hurriad fram one thino IN q n,