Richland beacon., 1877-04-14

ject, 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 Belin1a's room,
where she will be sure to see it :" and
that he had presented her with the bill
let containing his proposal crowned by
five shilling piece.
How should she guess that even at
that moment the offer Mr.. Softheart
could not make in words was in her
work iasket? At all events she did not.
If the man did not avail himself OF
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 quotation
from Byron and sigh.
"He's a contemplate Airt. 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? Gentlemen
friends never do such things. I'll show
him my heart is not broken. I'll marry
Spoonev."
And Belinda wept, for size was Bit
:esly mortified and Mr.. SpoOney did not
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 tqpis the Bellows
were merry people. who INDUCED in
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, md people sent pos. haste to re-
mote regions to find April fool awaiting
them in one shape or another.
Eut this year, the three particular
Bellows with whom we have to deal
were no. 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 liz The work basket. she i'm
mediately made up her mind that it VAS
ga trick
She crept softly towards it and read
the inscription" Miss Belinda Bel
lows'--and retired to her pillow again.
"What fat trick !" she said to her
SELF "Why, Bell will guess at once,
unless abe forgets that it is the arst OF
April. Mas tricks are always 80 smart,
it's queer she should de such a foolish
thing"
Then a thought struck her. She
crept tiptoe out Of the room and down
stairs to the parlor, where Bridget was
making the fire, taking the letter with
her.
"Biddy," she said, in 8 whisper,
leone 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 shilling
for you"
And Angelica tiptoed with barefoot
softness back to bed. But Belinda was
awake this time.
"She's going to try to fool me, l
know" she said, to herself, with her
eyes shut and in very cross mood, and
awaited the denouement with anything
bu. her usual good nature.
Biddy, meanwhile, has recognized the
letter.
cts lucky one for me-" she said, to
herself. ga crown over night and a
shilling in the morning" And up stairs
she jumped, and knocked at Belinda's
door.
Misther Softheart babe me give you
this" she said.
"Pll teach you to tell stories," said
Belinda. "You know Miss Angelina
gave it to you"
Biddy was COMPOUNDED.
"He gave it to me last night, miss, as
true as hope to 60 to heaven" she
said.
"Last night" said Angelina, with
warning glance, suppo-ing Biddy to