The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-04-17
AN APRIL HOAX.

LOOKING at 1T from without. it does
not appear very unlike its fellows, thi.
little suburban cottage of the Rows
with its unpretending hooded porch
over which the ivy trails its dark greer
foliage, its two parlor windows front
and its bay-window at the side; bu
within there is nothing commonplace
Every room, every corner, reflects the
refined taste of Janet Roy, and tn,
quaint fancies of her brother Dick.
Dick, the handsome, the talented
the gentlemanly-he is all this and
more in his sister Janet's eyes-is sit.
ting on the window seat, the sun bath.
ing his shapely figure in its impartial
rays. Heis reading the morning paper
with more interest probably than mos,
men are wont to have, for he recognizes
the mannerism of each writer on the
editorial page-he is on the editorial
staff himself. He has not written s
stroke for over week himself. HI
has been quite i'll; heavy cold threat
ening pneumonia has kept him pris
oner at the cottage for seven mornings
Only yesterday he stepped across thu
threshold into manhood; il was hi.
twenty-first birthday; to-day he is s
citizen of the Republic.
The clock on the mantel-shelf tinkles
forth eight silvery notes. Dick looks
up from his paper with some show OF
impotence. Where can Janet be? As
if in answer to his thought, the door
opens, and Miss Roy, tall and graceful,
comes softly in.
"Have you been waiting long, Dick?''
she asks, in pleasant, kindly voice.
II must have oversight MYSELF
NO." replies Dick, throwing down
his paper and yawning languidly, "no,
very long; but I'm glad you've come,
for I'm deucedly hungry. Rather a
good sign, isn't it. Jean?''
''To be hungry? Yes, very GOOD
sitting down at the table and tapping
the call-bell. "But it won't last very
long. III venture to say that in fifteen
minutes from now your appetite will
be considerably diminished
every likely" said Dick, rs Sarah
enters from the kitchen, bearing the
cotfee-u urn in one hand and a dish OF
beefsteak in the other. cat any rate,
l will see how far steak, coffee and hot
biscuits will 60 toward diminishing it. :"
Presently there is violent ring at
the door-bell.
"Who can that be?" exclaims Dick,
inquisitively. Il wonder if any of the
boys could have come out to see what
has become of me?''
IS 1t sounds very like the postman, -
adds his sister; and the postman it is.
Two letters are his contribution to the
Roys this morning, both of which Sarah
hands to Miss Janet, who hurriedly
reads the addresses. One is for herself,
the other is for her brother.
The letter that has come for her is
edged with black, and she is nervously
tearing open the envelope in her haste
to see what ill news it has brought,
whose DEATH il has come to announce.
Dick notices her agitation as she
draws out the inclosed sheet, and won
ders, even as she is wondering, what
can be its message.
"Uncle Arther is dead" she says,
the next moment, giving 4 sigh of re.
lief. 81 saw it was in Harry's hand.
writing, and so feared it was Cousin
Margaret"
"Uncle Arthur" repeats Dick
"Uncle Arthur! He's one of my re.
spected great-uncles, whom l have
never had the pleasure of seeing: a
California millionaire. l wonder did
it ever strike him that little of his
wealth would be acceptable to his
great-niece and great-nephew, who are
battling with the world far away over
here in the East?''
"Oh, Dickr' exclaims Miss Roy,
greatly shocked, how can you talk OF
the poor mans money when he is just
Poor manr' says Dick, laughing.
Il always thought he was rich one.'
IL suppose he was; but then you need
have no thought of any legacy. 1 ex
pect he has left everything to his
daught-r Margaret and her son Harry
"Oh, of course" concludes Dick, re-
signedly, as he turn his attention to his
own letter: " there is no such good luck
for me as getting money that haven,
worked for.''
MAY l inquire" asks Miss Roy,
meeklJ, when her brother has twice
read the epistle he holds in his hand
and is about to begin again, "what
Nell has to say that is SO very interest
ing?"
A slight flush mounts to Dicks fact
as he hurriedly crumples the missivt
into his pocket.
"Nell?' he repeats. "How did YOU
know it was from Nell?''
Il know her handwriting"
But it's just like hundreds of 9th.
ers,' continues Dick, buttering a no,
roll in continuance of his breakfast
All ladies write in the same stvle
nowadays. The letters are all yerv tai
and all very thin.'
zach lady's hand has popularity
nevertheless"
Which nobody can deny" quotes
Richard "Some hands are pink ant
some are white, some are fat and som,
are lean, some wear diamonds an,
some wear none"
"HOw you trip one up!' exclaime,
Janet, smiling. "You know very vel
what l mean. Would you have m,
stumble over the whole length of schiro
~fHy SNVAy
BY no means. 1t would only be .
waste OF breath, and would seem a,
though you were Intentionally airins
your knowledge of Webster's Una
bridged."
Dick is beginning to congratulate.
himself on The mastery way in which
he has turned the subject, and ESCAPED
rudely telling his sister that the con
tents of Miss Nellie Taylor's letter ar,
not for her ears, when she again refer
to his remarks.
"By-the-by," she says, as she draw
from the urn her brothers second Gu,
OF coffee, speaking of some hand
with diamonds and some without, Mel
doesn't wear one, does she? When d,
you propose presenting her with one O
the gems?'
al was not aware with mock orav
ity) "that young men are generally ex