The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-04-12

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met each other on three several occa.
sions."
off that idiotic woman were not
dead" began Waverly.
~ have letter from the young lady, /"
said Mrs. Wickerly. "I wrote to her.
] o, these young people. She replies
well-much as you do; but l have
gained her permission that you shall see
her. Only, says she, let the gentle
man know that there may be an end to
all this nonsense, and that by his formal
refusal of my hand, which 1 shall con-
slider a great favor, I may not be left
penniless.' She impertinently adds,
that as her poor mamma was too old to
be childish when she made the compact,
and too young to be 80 when she died,
she cannot account for this absurdity.'
Doubtless she is like her father-a true
Squills. But it may be merely girlish
afec.ation. Of course, she must pre-
tend to De averse to your offer; it would
not be maidenly if she were not. You'll
60 and see her, WaverlyT'
"She appears to be girl of good
strong common sense" said Waverly (;
81 will save her fortune for her, by de.
clining her hand, after seeing her three
times"
"But if you see her, you may admire
her." said Mrs. Wickerly. "Don't be
prejudiced, Waverly. If my Aramin-
ta's daughter could be mine, l should be
happy. That is, if she resembles her
mamma"
(Which she evidently does not" said
Waverly nevertheless, l will 60 at
nn,a fo fraa fha apoh al mi oaooO
He left the room as he spoke, and Mrs.
Wickerly drew her chair before the fire,
and remarked to herself:
Rash youth but / feel that it is
fated that Araminta's child shall be my
daughter"
The next day Waverly started for B.,
ina very peculiar state of mind. He
was angry and mortified, but there was
dash of adventure in the affair, after
all, and he felt little curious to see the
young lady who had been chosen for his
wife.
He hurried along one of the best
thoroughfares of B. on the evening Of
his arrival.
"Ah, here it is, and here is the name
DR.. Squills. She must have brother.
/ wonder whether he knows of this
ludicrous affair.""
He rang the bell. A woman servant
answered it.
els Miss Squills at homer politely
inquired Waverly.
"Name, please, sir" said the servant.
Waverly offered his card. The woman
showed him into small parlor, and
went up stairs. In a few minutes she
returned.
"Tbe doctor will be down in a
moment" she said, with a courtesy.
"But it was for Miss Squills in
quired," said Waverly.
y" Yes" said the woman. "Miss Squills
is the doctor. She'll be down in a
moment" and she vanished.
In little while there was clatter on
the stairs as of heavy boots, and some
one said aloud in the hall:
"By the way, Jane, if the students
bring that subject here tonight, have it
put in the parlor, and tell them I'll be
back at nine precisely"
And then the door opened, and
Waverly turned his eyes towardsit, and
saw young woman with case Of
surgical instruments under her arm.
She had pretty face and fine braid of
hair, braided in one long plait down her
back, and she advanced with a polite
bow.
"Glad to see you," said she. "Mr.
Waverly Wickerly, presume, by the
card you sent up. | have just five min
utes to spare. Have only returned from
case of amputation. Swallowed my
dinner, and am off to the dissecting-
room at once. Professional people have
no time for society; but since our
mothers have placed us in this most
absurd plight, all we can dc is to get out
of it as quickly as possible. You are to
see me three times. This is the first
time. Shall we appoint tomorrow and
the day after at this hour? Good the
day after tomorrow you will kindly
decline to offer me your heart
and hand, 1 know"
"My dear Miss Squills," said Waverly,
choking down his merriment, 81 should
greatly prefer that you should re-
fuse me"
"Can't do it," said Miss Squills. "By
the way, / like to be called doctor, if
you don't mind. Poor mammals re-
markable will requires that you shall
decline the honor. My property goes
to the Society for the Resuscitation of
Drowned Kittens, if do"
She glanced at her watch.
"Sorry to hurry you," she said, "but
dissection, like time and tide, waits for
no man."
With which words she bowed Waverly
Wickerly to the dooor.
Waverly kept his appointment the
next evening, and found this extraordi-
nary young fan Gee more extraordinary
still. She came to him in an apron and
sleeves, with large knife in her hand,
and invited him to be present at an
operation of very dangerous character,
in which the patient was likely to die
under the knife. He declining, she
requested him to take drink, and set
the decanter before him, expressing her
sorrow that the necessity for steady
hand forbade her to join him, and
hurrying him away with a flourish OF
the knife that was quite alarming.
One more visit remained, and on the
evening appointed for this there fell a
storm of hail which emptied the streets
OF passengers, and made them as slip
perry as though paved with glass. How
ever, Waverly was too anxious to COM
plete his little affair to be kept at home
by any amount of bad weather. He
presented himself to Miss Squills at the
hour appointed, and found her graver
than usual, with paper and pens upon
the table before her.
"Sir," she said in quiet tone, "I am
obliged to you for coming. You will
kindly write your refusal to complete
that absurd compact, stating that you
met me three times. Then we will shake
hands, and part forever"
The young man looked at her. =.
"I do it at your request, madame"
he said, "and because l could not hope
to please you"
But you will not say So" said she.
Waverly bowed; dipped the pen into
the ink, wrote few words expressing
the uncivil act as civilly as man might,
and taking his hat, arose.