The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-04-13

II lIlC man uiu liOt avail HlUlselI O
such a chance, after six months court.
ship, plain even to the servant in the
kitchen, why he meant nothing. And
the unhappy, unlucky Mr.. Softheart DID
not utter the expected words, and left
at quarter to eleven, with a quotation
from Byron and sigh.
He's a contemplate hirtl" said
Miss Belinda What did he mean by
squeezing my hand and by signing so,
and by saying such pretty things, and
ooking at my eyes so? Gentlemenl
friends never do such things I'll show
him my heart is not broken I'll marry
SpOoney."
And Belinda wept, for she was bit
terly mortified and Mr.. Spooney did net
own 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 basket,
and no one else saw it, until the first of
April dawned.
Now, in their normal condition, with
no love affair, on the tdpis the Bellows
z go s-z-ss- - I.ss .~f-S IndulgeG. IA
practical jokes, and April FOOLS day was
always 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, end people sent post haste to re-
mote regions to find April fool awaiting
them in one shape or another.
Pet this year, the three particular
Bellows with whom we have to 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 i'm
mediately made up her mind that it was
"a trick"
She crept softly towards it and read
the inscription-''M Miss Belinda Bel
lows"--and retired to her pillow again.
What fiat trick !" she said to her
SELF Why, Bell will guess at once,
unless she forgets that it is the first of
April Mas tricks are always 50 smart,
it's queer she should do such a foolish
thing"
Then a thought struck her She
crept tiptOe out of the room and down
stairs 10 the parlor, where Bridget was
making the fire, taking the letter with
her.
"Biddy," she said, in a whisper,
come up stairs and awaken my sister,
and tell her Mr. Softhead brought this
this morning. Tell it as if it were the
truth, remember, and there's a shilling
for you"
And Angelina tiptoed with barefoot
softness back to bed. But Belinda was
awake this time.
"She's going to try to fool me,
know" she said, TO herself, with her
eyes shut and in very cross mood, and
awaited the denouement with anything
but her usual good nature.
piddy, 1,,eaI,vvIile, has recognized the
letter
It's lucky one for me, she said, to
herself \ crown over night and a
shilling in the morning" And up stairs
she jumped, and knocked at Belinda's
door.
Misther Sohheart bade me give you
this" she said.
"PH 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 l hope to go to heaven" she
said.
Last mght!" said Angelina, with
warning glance, supporting Biddy to
have forgotten her lesson.
q name this morning" said Biddy,
taking the hint
Give me the letter." said Belinda
then snatching it. she tore it deliberately
into four pieces and threw them on the
floor. Do you suppose / mean to be
called an April fool?" she sobbed.
You might have more con-sid-era-
tion = for my = feelings, when he's
trifed so" And went off into hys-
terics
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 dustpan. And Mr..
Softheart watched all day for the watch
man-in vain.
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
began to compare notes. Then, and not
until then, the letter began to be mys-
terry, and Biddy being sent for, explained
that, 10 the best of her belief, Mr.. Soft
heart gave it to her to put in Miss Be-
linda's room the night before. Then, in
dismay, and, after an hours search, re-
appeared in the parlor with dusty tresses
and soiled hands and nine little pieces of
paper. These, deftly pieced together,
made a 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 OBJ.
iecfS who met her with excitement on
their countenances. 1t was a good while |
before the truth could be extracted
from the interjections and calculations
with which she was greeted but when,
at last, it was made manifest, Belinda, |
listened like one in a trance. She had |
indeed been made an April fool Of Mr. |
Softheart had really proposed. The |
mansion had been offered to her, the
bank stock and all that made the bache- |
lor an eligible match and she that very
evening had accepted Spoony flor whom
she cared very little. and who had only |
s150 year to live upon.
1t was not complimentary to her be- |
trothed, but .he went into her second fit !
of Mysteries at once.
As for Mr.. Softheart, he never pro
posed to any one again. He received the |
news OF Belinda's betrothal with compar-
ative calmness, but made his will next |
day in view OF suicide and left all his /
,,ropartv to a haSDital ChanOinU his !