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

,
not utter the expected words, and lei
at quarter to eleven, with quotation
from Byron and sigh.
:" Hes a contemplate firtl" sal
Miss Belinda. What did he mean b,
squeezing my hand and by signing SC
and by saying such pretty things, ant
cooking at my eyes so? Gentlemen
friends never do such things. I'll shoy
him my heart is not broken. I'll MARI,
Spooney :"
And Belinda wept, for she was bit
terry mortified and Mr.. Spooney did ne
own slarge mansion.
Belinda wept, as we have said, anC
went TO bed in the dark OF course sh,
did not see the letter in her work basket
and no one else saw it, until the first o
April dawned.
! = ssn their normal condition, Will
no Love affair, on the tapis the Bellows
were merry people, who INDUCED il
practical jokes, and April FOOLS day wa
always regularly kept in the family. a
new trick was always Matching the yeal
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.
But this year, the three particular
Bellows with whom we have 10 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 iDscription-"M Miss Belinda Bel
low" land retired to her pillow again.
What fat 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 so 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 to the parlor, where Bridget was
making the fire, taking the letter with
her
"Biddy," she said, in 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, l
know" she said, to herself, with her
eyes shut and in Il very cross mood, and
awaited the denouement with anything
beEizsr usual good nature
Biddy, meanwhile, has recognized the
letter.
cts lucky one for me-" she said, 10
herself a crown over night and
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 confounded.
He gave it to me last night, miss, as
true as 1 hope to go to heaven" she
said.
Last night !" said Angelina, with
warning glance, supposing Biddy to
have forgotten her lesson.
" 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-
ton 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-
lindas room the night before Then, in
dismay, and, after an hours search, re-
in the parlor with dusty tresses
aud soiled hands and nine little pieces of
paper. These, deity pieced together,
made whole note, which, being perused,
revealed a proposition.
Belinda returned rather Tate with
very conscious look upon her face, and
stared in establishment at the dusty OBJ
ects, who met her with excitement on
heir countenances. 1t was good while
before the truth could be extracted
rom the interjections and CALCULATIONS
With which she was greeted; but when,
It last, it was made manifest, Belinda,
listened like one in a trance She had
indeed been made an April fool of. Mr..
had really proposed. The
mansion had been offered to her, the
,ank stock and all that made the bache-
or an eligible match and she that very
.vening had accepted Spoony, flor whom
he cared very little, and who had only
ESQ year to live upon.
II was not complimentary to her be-
rothed, but .he went into her second fit
/ mysteries at once.
Az for Mr.. Softheart, he never pro
osed to any one again. He received the
,ews of Belinda's betrothal with c0mpar-
tive calmness, but made his will next
ay in view of suicide, and left all his
property to a hospital. Changing his
mind. however, he lives still, and so does
Belinda, on a second floor, where she
uarrels a good deal with her husband,
Tho has ceased to be at all attentive, and
ronders vaguely what he meant by it
neaning his courtship and marriage.
ri . -