The Van Buren press., 1878-06-11

Aud Ellen told Inc not to say a word
about it, either, so don't you let it out
to Mr.. Devcns, ma, just to tease him. !
wonder If she met Jack? Her father
doesn't approve OF him, and so she
meets him on the sly pursued Prue,
weaving her romance from the meagre
material in hand. Il wish you would
forbid somebody coming to see me
and then" But then Mr. Devens en-
tered
His Laura suspected of meeting an
other man on the sly! 1t gave him a
cold chill, He had fondly believed that
she had only waited his beck and call ii
had never occurred to him as possible
that she could console herself with an
other lover. And who was this Jack
about whom Miss Prue discoursed so
voluby? Should he go to Laura and
beg for reconcilation--hc had fully
made up his mind to this step befofe
entering the house-or should he give her
lesson?
"Did Miss Laura match your fringe to.
day ~ he asked, nonehalantly.
didn't like to ask her, said Prue,
81 reckon she had other fish to fry"
When young lady goes to the city
to meet a sweetheart, she can't attend to
matches of another kind said Mrs Ben.
der, facetiously.
"Did Miss Laura go to meet q sweat
beart, eh p he asked, with an air us if it
didn't signify in the least.
"She went by appointment, Mr..
Devens, TO meet young man, too.
don't see why it should be kept from
you"
"Indeed Did Miss Vaughn tell you
SO ?"
mot she. It's dead secret, but it
leaked out"
$50 it seems"
"Laura's something of flirt, like the
rest OF us. There was young Sample
tue clergyman-n fact, it's her nature to
be on with the new love before she's Off
with the old
"Mrs. Bender, Miss Vaughn is friend
of mine," said Devens, reprovingly, while
he thought bitter things of her himself,
aud made desperate resolves.
And I'm sure Laura and I've always
got on well together. But it strikes me
that we must be tolerably familiar with
a young fellow when he signs himself
Jack and nothing more. Shouldn't
you say SO, Mr. Deyens2 | shouldn't like
| Prue to be on such terms with any but q
| declared lover myself
" Does Miss Vaughn show you her
love letters n he asked, already caught in
the snare.
mot muchly, Mr. Devens. But muir
dcr wifi out, you Euow. I ueife~o myself
that it is IA dangerous innovation. to teach
servants reading and vriting,as Vaughns
do. No good comes of ii"
Mr.. Devens experienced strange dis
trust straightway. Not being versed in
the wiles of women OF the Bender type,
he m'stook her airy insinuatons for law
and gospel. Laura had played false, had
taken advantage of their little quarrel to
encourage q rival. Should he not re.
turn the compliment by bestowng his
attentions upon some other damsel I
Naturally Miss Prue became the recip-
ent Of his temporary favor. 1t was Prue
who drove with him through the lanes
that led to Laura's school-house, where
they were pretty sure to meet her going
or coming, and see the quick color deepen
in her check and forsake her lip; it was
Prue who played backgammon with him
in the lighted paror, with the curtain OF
the window looking out upon the
Vaughn's premises raised and the inter
ior visible; and it was poor Laura, in
TIE darkness of her own room, who
watched the game, with tightness at her
heart and tears in her eyes.
What blessing postal cards are, to be
surep reflected Mrs. Bender, as she look
ed at the pair. NOW if that one hadn t
been thrown in my teeth, SO to SPEAK, he
would have been spooning over at the
Vaughns' this very minute
Mr.. Devens, blinded by his feelings,
failed to perceive the situation looked
peculiar; he never guessed what topic
he afforded at the sewing society and the
Bethel meetings, nor how much occupa-
ton he provided for the neighbors eyes
and ears. He never once staid to ques-
ton his behavior affected any one but
Laura. Prue was used to flirting with
Tom, Dick and Harry, and she had never
received a wound.
It's kinder natural and handy, living
under the same roof said old Mrs. Good
hue, looking over her spectacles at the
spectacle. 81 s'pose Prudence and her ma
cosset him within an inch of his life; the
way to mans heart is through his sto
mach buty GU must painper his appetite
or hatter his vanity, and the Blenders are
equal to the occasion, | reckon"
ats propnquity, remarked Miss
Blue, who read mental philosophy and
novels, and represented feminine culture
in Chester. When Laura left her school
again and again to the tender mercies of
Ellen Dow, and repeated her excursions
to Boston, Mr.. Devens never failed of
being made aware of it. On the third
occasion, indeed, he condescended to
follow in the smoking car, persnading
himself that he really ought to hnnt up
college chm He was rewarded by
seeing Laura meet handsome young
man upon fremont street, who turned
about and disappeared with her inside
the studio Building. Mr.. Devcns did
not hunt up his chum that day. Through
Mrs. Bender's application to her neigh
bors affairs it came to his ears whenever
Miss Laura received bouquet by express,
and he once discovered bunch Of vIo'
lets blooming in glass in her window,