Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-10-04

i
| listened-she ushered me into a
! morning. room to see my patient.
sWe are quite anxious about dear
Hetty,' she said she's had bad
cough for some time past, and our
home remedies seem to be of no avail
Two girls rose as | entered and re-
turned ny very nervous bow. saw
that one was tall and graceful, with a
mass of black hair loosely drawn from
off her face, large, soft black eyes, a
clear complexion and regular features;
a grand beauty, thought. The
other was different, evidently two or
three years younger, with sunny,
chestnut hair, that tossed in loose
waves down her back, blue eyes, a
little pcuting mouth, most bewltch-
ing nee retrousse, and short, slight
figure. A more complete contrast
could hardly exist than between the
two sisters. The dark one looked
about twenty, the little one about
eighteen. As I said, bowed ner-
vously and coughed two or three
times, because / did not know quite
what to say.
| This is our dear invalid, saip Mrs.
Gordon, patting the youngest on the
shoulder.
ooh, we'll soon cure her, Mrs. Cor
don,' | said, with alarming cheerful
ness, and coughed again.
Physician, cure tbyself,'' / heard
the invalid remark, in mischievous
undertone.
ooh, I've no cough, thanks, only
little tickling l said, stupidity, as
though the whisper had been for me.
However, l plucked up courage and
proceeded to make my professional
inquiries, which were diversely an
swered; the mother making oat the
case to be VERY bad, quite serious
and suggesting the south of France;
the daughter quizzing everything and
turning it all into a joke. / WOUND up
my visit by again remarking as /
shook hands, you've got a nasty
cough, Miss Gordon, but we'll soon
cure you.
'Pert little thingr / mentally ejac-
ulated as left the house. the dark
one seems nice. How beautiful she
is!
After this paid many more profess
sional visits at the Gordon's, and soon
found myself on very pleasant, fa-
| miliar footing at their house. So, from
professional, | began to make friendly
visits, and often joined the girls, in
leisure half hours, at a game of cro-
quet or archery, or would take them
for a quiet row on the river on warm
summer days. Had / been a cheeky
fellow, very likely | might have be-
come far more intimate than | was
might have called them Alice and
Hetty, as everybody else in the house
did. But | was far too nervous and
too shy, and so to me they were al
ways the misses Gordon
When the autumn tints were begin
ming to appear in the woods of Dun
field, | discovered that | loved Alice,
the dark one, and that if she would
like TO live on three hundred a year,
IN snug little house of her own,
should like it too but | dared not
tell her. could laugh and joke with
Hetty, but with Alice l was always
shy and nervous.
Time went on. | perceived that
with Mr.. and Mrs. Gordon l was a
favorite. could see that Hetty, too,
liked ME, and hoped Alice did I; but
she was so quiet and matronly could
not judge so well.
When Christmas approached there
was a good deal of sickness about,
and could not 60 home, as / had in
tended; so Mrs. Gordon kindly
begged me to come and dine with
them.
60, go,my dear fellow said friend.
ly DIR. Thompson, when I demurred
at leaving them. Go and enjoy your
self, and look out for the mistletoe.'
SO I gladly accepted the invitation.
On Christmas eve met the girls
out walking, and they kindly said
they were glad l was coming.
sCousin Willie is coming, too, cried
Hetty, and she glanced shyly at Alice.
'Who is Cousin Willie p / asked,
wishing might mix pill for him.
ooh, he's our only cousin aud pa
pas ward was the reply. He al
WAYS comes at Christmas
'I'll come early | said, making
mighty effort, 'as / went to speak to
Mr.. Gordon
ooh do-come as early as you cam
said Hetty.
sOld Thompson wants me to look
out for the mstletoe,' said, foolishly,
by way of saying something.
'Oh we've got plenty of that ready
-eh, Alice p said Hetty.
sHow tiresome you are, Hetty 2
said Alice, warmly, and blushing
painful crimson.
Well it was silly of Hetty and be.
fore me, too! But was so glad to
see the blush that | did not notice
the little show of temper. Between
you and me, reader, she had once or
twice before shown that she had a
temper.
l went home bordering on the way
| what | should do. / could not dine
there with my heart bursting with my
secret and feeling it might explode at
any moment. Then there was Cousin
Willie, too. If he should pay my
beautiful Alice any attention, | might
not be able to control my feelings.
So / determined to write to her, ask
my fate, and go up before dinner for
my answer. If were accepted, have
merry Christmas; if rejected, 90
home. and-and--well, nearly die of
broken heart.
/ was delighted with the idea, and
almost ran home to put it into execu.
ton. But how easy to get out pen,
ink and paper !--how difficult to
write ! / tore up letter after letter;
again and again | tried, but the hope
lessness of expressing my feelings
was great. Should | leave it and 90
and say my say in person ? No, no,
| / could not do that NV tongue wonld