The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-18
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT, SUNDAY, NovEMB

t t say 70 each other, and I suppose they
looks at Ethel and laughs, and says,
BILE confession, my dearr'
.., ngGoafessionS. says Ethel, looking puzzled
"Oh, you humbugl' says Miss Bessie,
laughing harder than ever. "Do you really
think l haven't heard what Is in every
body's mouth about you and Frank Gresh-
ann Every body's letters but yours were
full OF it,, and you never said q word. you
little wretch. | could hardly believe 1t at
first, for when I went away Thought Roger
Grey was likely to come in winner. But on
the way here / met Roger himself, and l
asked him il he knew anything about IT, He
said, I believe it is 50, Miss Arinitage I had
It on very good authorlty-her own, In fact
Before l could say any more he had raised
his hat and was off like shot"
Ethel just sat and stared into Miss Bessie's
face, but she looked like she didn't see her at
all, and her face was as white as q sheet.
Roger Grey told you that?" she said, in
such queer voice, like somebody was drag
ging the words out of her.
Certainly he told me SO. Isn't 1t true2'
says Miss Bessie,
go, And Ethel says, IN the same queer way,
Not one word OF it,
You are not engaged to Frank Gresham?
and Roger Grey thinks you are2 and you are
just the shadow of the Ethel used to know?
y
sell, but begin to see now
What do you mean y says Ethel turning
red and locking mad enough to eat Miss
Bessie.
Just then Miss Bessie caught sight Of Nelly
and me. | wish she hadn't, for [ wanted to
know what was coming. awfully.
"Oh dear there are those children" says
she. why do you always have them round,
Ethel 7 Little pitchers are such nuisance.
our talk there"
turned and looked at Nelly when they
were gone, but Nelly hadn't minded word
they said. She was such baby, you know.
Nelly" said |, what did Ethel tell You to
tell Roger Grey that last time he came-the
time she was dressing to go to the opera, and
couldn't see him, you know 2'
had ever such time to make Nelly re-
member children are such stupid things
but got it all straight ct last. Ethel had
told her to tell Mr.. Grey that she had an
engagement, and was dressing for 1t: that
she hoped he would wait until she came down,
the next day. nd there the little goose had
gone and mixed it all up, and let him go off
supposing that Ethel was engaged to Frank
Gresham. No wonder he never came again,
and no wonder Ethel had been growing thin
and peaked ever sincei l could see the whole
thing plain enough now. Ethel may talk as
much as she likes about Cynthy's books. but
whered she be now If l hadn't read 'em 2
Much I'd have known about love and jealousy
without them!
story, sat and thought for while; then |
said, Now look here Nelly. You've done an
awful sight of mischief, and it's got to be I'M
done somehow. The only way can see is for
you to tell Mr.. Grey all about it,
Nelly looked at me with her face all puck
blue eyes. She had been getting more and
more scared ever since | began to ask her
questions, but she didn't burst out till got
to the part about telling Mr.; Grey. Then, Of
course, she began to roar. Nelly never fused
round and fretted like some girls do; that
was one good thing about her. If she wanted
to cry, she cried like a good fellow and had
done with 1t, and till she was done with it
SO just sat still and let her roar her pretti-
est. When she seemed to have got through,
/ said
TITS got to be done, Nelly, so there's no
use crying. DO you want to see our Ethel
broken hearth That s the way young women
always do when they're crossed In love. How'd
you like to see her pine and pine, and grow
thinner and thinner every day, till there
wasn't anything left of her at all, and to
know it was all your fault, you hard-hearted
little thingp
Nelly had her mouth open and her eyes
shut for another roar. but / put my hand
over her mouth so quick she couldn't get it
OUT, anu WenU OH.
"Now, Nelly, you see what you've got to
do is just this: You've got to find out Roger
Grey, and tell him of the awful blunder
you've made and get him to come back I'd
do it for you, only 1t would come better from
you"
Nelly's eyes had been getting bigger and
bigger, and here she broke in: 1'Tell Roger !?
Oh, Robby, | couldn'tl Wouldn't 1t do as
well to tell Ethel, and then she could tell
Toll Etho1 ;pJonJi
"Why, you, little goose" says /, ''don't
you see that for Ethel to tell him would be
just the same thing as for her to ask him to
come and make love to her, and what girl
would do that p
"Why, would" says Nelly, looking up at
me as innocent as innocence; .'Iw ouldnt mind
1t one bit. Besides, Robby, how could ever
find out Roger Grey to tell him ?"
chats So" saidI
had never thought of that before, but
after minute had bright idea.
Look here, Nelly" says L; "well write q
letter to Roger, and tell him about it. Nora
gets lots Of love- letters, and she'll show us
all about how to do 1t"
Nora was the waitress, and she was ready
enough to help us, after she had sat down to
laugh little first. tell you, it was job to
write that letter-took us two hours, with all
the help Nora could give us out of her head
screamer when it was done though. Here
it is:
"Honored Sir, and idol of my heart 1--WE
didn't know which to put, SO we thought we'd
better put both IT take my pen In hand
to say that these few lines leave me well,
and hope that they find you the same THAT
was out of one Of Nora's letters) "My sis
ter Nelly and me present our compliments,
and, are very sorry about a mistake we
made" lit was all Nelly's mistake, you
know, but 1 put myself in, because did not
want to hurt her feelings) eve told you
that our sister Ethel was engaged to Mr..
Frank Gresham. But she isn't. She was
only engaged for the opera. She's been
peaking and pining ever since you stopped
hope you'll come back and make love to her
again, If you don't mind, and your petition
ers will ever pray.
Our pen is poor, our ink is pale,
Our love for you will never fail
And so no more at present from
'Your obedient servants to command,
' R1bbT LAWRENCE.
rJvI-- II