Litchfield enquirer., 1877-10-11

ened into Squeeze and a younger lady who did the mralner chores, and was thanks Co her prodlgious stature but scraggy form. famiiiarly accosted as May pole Moll.
 ] T fly back, on Loves own wings, to my Grace. a9
 Oar formal betrothment. I would here record, took place at the theatre, during 6 ssene in which Mr. Irving (for whom, though don't know hlm, I have evel since cherished warm personal attach menfl in a brisk conversation with one Lady ARne, dwelt strongly on the ex. psdiency of sudden and definite engage. nent. We felt the justice of his argu. mbnts, we gazed in each others eyes. we returned to our respective homes affianc- ed
 Nov arose the question of means. Al a cabnet council, held in the beautiful gardens of the Star and Garter, Rich mpnd the budget was exhaustively dis cussef Grace and I agreed upon that fusios of our joint possessions known among iamvasa. as izotchpUt. The ex pression is happy. It has cheerful, do, mest,e. simmering sonnd, as if in happy augury that, come what may, we should nsver want dinner. Our spirits rose ir poportion.. Strong in our genial notch. rot. we should bid defiance to poverty, hunger, and all the lesser ills of the un. provided flesh. Into this dainty little aish each was to dip at pleasure, and tc repeat the process until all was gone. ex. .ept twenty pounds, reserved for our mar riage trip.
 There was sweet and trustful disre. gard of business in the arrangement, quite in keeping with our frame of mind, and it brought its own reward. If you could have seen my little blushing Gracie's halfaTch, half-mournful appeals to the money box! It was sacred shrine, which nothing would have induced her to appr iach in my absence. Could tills be opened m such bewitching fashion. and fyeand -sixpence be extracted by such iairy fingers, I doubt much if any injured proprietor could find it in his heart to in- yoke the outraged laws. When I discov cred that all was gone save the twenty pounds agreed on, cou,d hardly regret that the preparation of Gracie's trousseaa had left nothing at all for mine.
 f'Only twenty sovereigns P sighed Grace, placing those coins on the table, g long way apart, and then weighing each on her rosy finger trip, as il in aithe vague hope that one or other, prov ing to be above weight, might be persuad. Cd to go further.
 s.True. That will hardly sufice," I re- marked. studying Bradshaw. By the way, love, have you determined whithel ws are to fly from the worlds gaze D.
 4'Oh, Dolly. not too far. The money, lcVe-you see p
 'It's the money. love, don't see that psrplexes me, " Ireplied gloomily. ''Some quiet little haunt, not, as you say. too far, yet far enough to enable ns to forget that there is any world but that we carry with us. Have you any idea, Miss Fairlocks ?'
 Oracle hesitated.
 II thought of CD"
 'Lornwail ?''
 Oracle uttered little scream. :, Cornwall you silly boy! Nonsense.
 scamberwell." I repeated, "by all means; unless. indeed, your ladyship would prefer the solitudes of Mapping No, love; you have unintentionally decid- d 1Ba 1BBar, D5ngs Ws go t.eo to Cornwall nv r,,
 its it's only fault, saian and5 sp55l6aknstical andt y. s'The shores are lovely; the living ex- cellent. It only rains four days a week. The Botallack Mine is worth the journey. and 50 is little white turnip. which re- fuses, am told, to grow anywhere but at Narration. As for the money" I added. recklessly; ''pshaw, you'll see r
 Experience had taughG me that these ast two words, pronounced with author ty. exercised an almost magical influence over my fair companion
 Don't you think, Adolphus. asked Grace presently, '.that it would be only xind to inform your uncle, Mir. Lewcraft, ,f your little plan ?''
 elf, by little plan you allude, Miss Fairlocks, to the trifling incident of my intended marriage, I see no particular ob- ection, save that ink is expensive. and, 1aving now to consider"
 ''Now. be serious; how often, in the ,ourse of your life, have you written to his gentleman-your sole relation, Sir ?'
 Repeatedly, was my bold reply.
 "How often p persisted my cross. .exa- miner.
 What did he answer to the first let er?"
 Nothing" .-
 "To the second ?"
 My sole relation continued mute"
 To the last ?''
 "Mr. Lewcraft forebore replv."
 ''Adolphus." said Grace, after a little pause, 'sto oblige me. try him once more. l"
 1t won't come, responded, gloom ly. ns sst e1 2 $ azesss..s
 What won't come ?"
 The check, love-"
 As if had been thinking of that I" aid Gracie. tossing back her glistenine ocks-ringlets. bless them. were in fash on then. But write."
 We did write-we-fori it was a joint eff. ort of authorship, Oracle suggesting the natter and 1.-the stops; result. a pretty md catching composition, finished off sith an ingenious interlacine of those lames about to become one.
 Grace felt confident that Mir. Lewcraft vould lncontinently reply, perhaps vel ome us to Fountain Violet, and embrace he earliestiy opportunity. when alone glth me-most likely over bottle of fine i'd port as crusty as the owner-to say. My dear boy, here's to you and yonr weet little wife. Dolly. we have been too ong estraRged Hencefortil, be this our home. and. my dear felloG, regard 'o0r self as my heir P
 Without being quite 80 sanguine, was srtalnly consclous of a faint hope that 'te step we had announced to him might 'tfke some long silent chord in the heart ofthe solitary old man which might tend 'ounite us more closely for the future.
 An answer did arrive. On the fourth nlrning found on my breakfast table a eter sealed with family arms, and large 9mugh to have contained marriage settle nnts. or, at least. drafts of the same. ynid my uncle have been SO generous :? tNerable relative-much misunderstood 1! rle impost demanded by the postal au. 'hrlsies had been two pence, an excess no which Mir. Lewcraft must have been oGrayed on no slight grounds, Impa- iiNt as I was determined that Oracle sipuld be the first recipient of the news. an1 hurried of, breakfastless, to her hone. Ny dariing's eyes sparkled like sa,phires. as they lit on his imposing seal. With q glance of timid triumph she tore it ppm. Ont dropped 2. neatly folded sheet Di thick cartridge paper. such as it occa- slalaliy nsed for folding mp tobacco. tLnk2 Not qnite. In the centre of a pase appeared in my uncle's crabbed char acers, his nnptial blessing: