American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-18

granted, my fortune as good as made. !
Day after tomorrow l must go away"
! A sob from below.
care you sorry to have me go? Dear
est Hllda, are you sorryP If you are,
even the least tiny bit, let me have the
comfort of hearing you say so. Don't
you know that l love you, my darlingp
l loved you from the first moment, l
think-from the very day that you all
came to this old house. Could you care
for me, dearestP Will you be my wifep"
Perhaps-1 could care,' faltered
Hilda. "But-my father DOESN'T
"Now why should we talk of your
fathers'' broke in the impetuous lover
from overhead. eff l love you, and
you-like me, all the fathers in the
world sha'nt stand between us. My
way is all clear now, dear Hilda. / can
make you comfortable, and OIL won't |
try to make you happy just say YES
and the rest is easy. Only one word,
dear Lowell"
1T might be easy to say yes per-
haps"-began Hilda. But an austere
voice interrupted her:
"My daughter, what are you doing
here at this hour, and with whom are
you conversingP'' asked Pastor Lubke.
There he stood behind her, a dim and
appalling shape. Hilda shivered-her
voice failed. Erasmus, his courage ris-
ing with the occasion, answered in her
stead:
"She was speaking to me, sir-or
rather it was who was speaking to her.
1 was telling Miss Hilda what l should
have come this very evening to tell you,
sir, if this opportunity had not arisen
that have news which makes it need
full for me to go away, and that L can
not go without saying that l love her,
and want her to be my wife, if she will. :"
His voice faltered and broke.
"And pray, sir, who are your" asked
the pastor grimly.
"My name is Erasmus Stockton. My
father was Judge Stockton, of Dan
bury-all my connections are respecta-
ble," replied Erasmus, suceinctly. "I
can refer you to people whom you know
} for my character and prospects. l have
little money now, and Smith & Petrie,
of New York, have offered 200 for
an air-brake of my invention, which is
just patented. l can afford to keep a
} wife, Mr.. Lubke.''
"And pray where have you learned
to take SO great an interest in my
daughter HildaP"
, "Over this fence" answered Eras-
mus stoutly. Pastor Lubke gave 8
grim little laugh.
"Such things are not to be settled in
a minute, my young friend,' he said
"Youth is always in hurry. Hilda
e you had better go in. If you will fol
= low me to my study, Mr.-ahem!-
Stockton, we will talk farther of thi.
l NATTER
, "Follow =" by way of the gate, wa
Il what the good pastor meant; and h
y was by no means prepared for wha
t happened, namely, his young friend
h vaulting the fence like an acrobat, ant
/. gaining the garden at a single bound.
Hurrah, darling!" he whispered t.
: Hilda as the pastor led the way through
: the garden. 1.-THE fence is climbed.
d always vowed that would get owe
o some day or other, and have"
d And so it proved. There were som
/! bitches, some delays. Erasmus was no
= allowed to marry Hilda next week, a
was his first wild proposition, or eve
e next month. "Sister's :" wheel buzze
v like a great bumble-bee all summe
Y long, and busy fingers toiled over tn
b wedding outfit through winter days ant
spring days, before Hilda was pro
e nounced by her family " ready ITO be
e gin her new life. A years engagement
~ even seemed disgracefully short on
l. to s'Sister." Had not their own mothe
: been betrothed for seven before sh
e married papaP But at last, spite of de
> lays and scruples, the long waitin
o ended, and Erasmus bore away hi
bride. He scandalized his sisters-in-la,
:, greatly by proposing to carry her owe
d the fence, as the road by which he him
e self had come in, but this was over
/. ruled, and they departed prosaically i
: a hack, like other brides and grooms
d And so we leave our little pair, as like
:, ly, for all can see, to live happy eve
. after" as any prince and princess G
fairy tale. For fairy tales, howeve
|. fanciful, must strike their roots Away
l. in a solid basis of every day content
ment, and, given the contentment, on
it can easily dispense with the fairies
o Hdrper'S BazGr.