The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-30
cupants of the sleigh with bits Office and

cupants of the sleigh with bits Office and
snow dust. Mrs. Derwent nearly faint
ed, and then "came to- and Ned
Berton nearly swore, as the sleigh in
front exasperated him with its sill
houette of tender couple. and then re-
covered himself with consideration of
pity for his really suffering companion,
and with-faith in Dolly.
So they proceeded, having some in
tervals of smooth going and converse
ton between long spells of harassing
irregularity in the conduct of the horse,
and of singing jealousy to Ned, and of
unfeigned terror on the part of Mrs.
Derwent, until, after a distressing
sleigh-ride of two hours, they came to
the Is Blue Globe;" and Mrs. Derwent,
Immediately after alighting, rushed to
Dolly and said, "My dear, l cannot
possibly go back with him. My nerves
will be shattered. You will haUe to, for
you are not afraid of anything, my
darling. will go home with Eustace
Hurd; you must 90 with Ned. Only"
with sudden caution you must
promise that you will not speak word,
or let him speak word, beyond COM
monplace."
And Dolly, only too glad on any
terms to return with her dear lover,
promised faithfully; whereupon Mrs.
Derwent's terror subsidized. The young
people had dance in the rustic bali
room of the "Blue Globe" and then
lunch; and by four o'clock the sleighs
were ordered for home, and Mrs. Der
went went with Eustace Hurd. And
Dolly silent, blissful Dolly--was
tucked rapturously into the cutter with
Ned. Of and away again!
The afternoon was superb. Even
Ned, who had been blind all the morn
ing, appreciated the beauty now. The
sun shone as it never shone before; the
sky was like a sapphire; the icicles
melted and dropped in a million dia-
monds; the shadows of the fir-trees on
the FURNISHED snow were blue as the
blue of the Grotta Azzurro. The little
snow-birds hoped tamely by the road
side, and chirped unsteady. And the
horse-going home-was as gentle as u
lamb: Ned was able to drive him with
one hand. and so find place for the
other hand under the slei gh-robe close
to Dolly's.
Faithful to her promise to keep the
talk perfectly commonplace, whenever
Ned approached any topic deeply in
teresting, Dolly interposed with a light
remark or laughing jest, until at last
Ned became desperate, and cried, "Oh,
Dolly, will you not listen to a word that
is earnest? May l not speak to you one
moment of Lhdt?''
And then she answered, quite seri-
ously, even sadly: "Not for the world
of that, dear Ned. Not to-day. To-
morrow. perhaps; if there is such a
thing as tomorrow for me, when l
only wish that to-day-just as it is now,
l mean-could last forever! To-nor-
row, perhaps, you may speak of that;
not before, as you love me, Ned
Then you are not hopeful?'' sighed
Ned.
"Hopefula Oh no, no; so far from
hopeful! But, oh, Ned. hush" He
felt, under the sleigh-robe, her little
hands quick pressure of his. ''Let us
just be happy this beautiful day, that
seems to rub out everything that is
dark and gloomy with its white-gloved
hand. l love these blue and white
winter days. Everyone loves contrast,
you know; and, Ned, the colors of my
life are not these light, gentle colors
just now.''
That evening, when Dolly was dressed
pink gauze and her wreath of blush
roses, two notes were brought to her
almost simultane ously; one on a silver
salver by Jacques, who was dismissed
Immediately, and the other produced
with some perturbation from an apron
pocket by Patty, who devoutly lin
gered.
Dolly had just reached the landing
of the upper staircase, on her way
down to the drawing-room. when these
messages reached her, and she stood in
the arch of the stained-glass window
where Patty fastened to light the
bracket lamp-and read them both.
The first, on lavender-tinted paper, with
a monogram tricolored, was from Eus-
tace Hurd:
dear Miss DERwENT: At last have the per-
mission Of your mother to say to you a few words
that have long wished to say. and that have
IL
youth and inexperience, unit! this hour. Will
you grant me the indulgent favor t., come into
the library for d moment before the dance?
The other notion papa's business
paper-was from Ned Berton:
you told meat least in regard to your father.
thousand blessings on that inspiring little
card. which have worn upon my heart all day.
have Welded to desDair.
dress you. Meet me one moment, dearest, be-
say 'rord of that till tomorrow. Your own,
"Miss Dolly just turned white and
red like four.o'clock posy,'' said
Patty, describing the scene afterward.
"And then when she thought l didn't
see, she kissed Mr.. Ned's note, and
she said to herself like, But what can
he mean about the card-the spiral lit
tie card? l don't understand this. ,
And then I said, oh, Miss Dolly, do
send so-.:e answer quick to Mr.. Ned,
for he's walking up and down the piaz-
"a this freezing night without an over
coat And she says, Go tell him
mill And I ran mighty quick for
Mr.. Ned may thank me that he did not
catch his death of cold-and told him
what che said, and he cried out, Bless
you, Patty! you are a good girl, Patty
And he gave me-but didn't do it for
that. And my! amt he a hearty young
gentleman? and Just the one for Miss
Dollyr'
"What can he mean about the
card g. thought Dolly again, as, SO alb
sorbed in Ned's surprising note that
she quite forgot the other, she went
musingly down stairs.
For in fact the card was a simple
memorandum made year ago. But
not until months after the present preg-
nant February 10, to which it proved such
an exciting precipitator, did Ned Ber-