The Red Cloud chief., 1879-05-15

But TO go back to the pretty poets
lovers. Captain Hottop vas the most
devoted Of them all He had never been
in love before, and love, like scarlet
fever, Ii q most serious complaint when
contracted late in life. He followed
Mrs. Montague around like . faithful,
loving slave, carrying q heavy shawl TO
spread on the grass when she chose 20
sit beneath the trees, and q large um-
brella to shield her from the sun when
it was her pleasure TO rsmble along the
road. He named his sail-boat Lillian
after her, bought q pony and phaeton
and placed them AZ her service, swung
her for hours in the hammock which
hung in the orchard, and listened with
patient, heartfelt sympathy 10 her long
ings for her blue-eyed boy.
Blessed il il amt too bad" said he
one day (they were sitting beneath the
catalpa-trees), as the little widow press
ed her lace handkerchief to her eyes 70
dry the tears that sprung TO them just
after she had remarked that the twitter-
ing of the dear little birds was so like a
baby's voice-"darned il il amt!
Couldn't you git him away from them
folks? Pears To me / couldn't refuse
you any thing when you clasp your
hands and look at me with tears in your
eyes"
"Oh, Captain" sobbed the sorrow
ing mother, ''there are very few people
in the world like yOu-rery few. You
are one in a thousand-yes, fUe thou.
sand. But I never bad a chance TO ap-
peal TO them personally. l was very i'll
w~ben-when they took my darling
away; and letters, with no matter how
much feeling we write them, are so
cold"
"Why don't lou try personally
then +" asked the Captain, swinging her
dainty parasol about, TO the imminent
danger of the delicately carved handle.
She blushed, cast down her yellow
brown eyes, raised them again, looked
him in the face like a child resolved to
tell the truth, however painful it may be,
and said, 81 have no money wherewith
to pay my passage to England. Under
stand me, l would willingly, most will
ingly, be a Storage passenger, a stew
ardess, any thing-any thing to bring
me nearer my child. But coming TO
them saw as beftted the wife Of their
son and brother, my husbands proud
family would certainly disown me, and
l should be alone in a strange land more
heart sick than ever"
swell, il the want Of moneys all,"
cried her honest lover, "that's easily
settled. I'll give you the money to 60
IN bang-up style. md"
But here he stopped in amazement,
for Mrs. Montgomery Montague had
risen from her seat and drawn her small
figure to its fullest height. "Sir, do
not insult me-" she said, with trembling
lips.
"Insult you!" cried the Captain,
springing to his feet" insult you, my
dear little woman! l never dreamed Of
such a thing"
"But you offered me-money," she
stammered.
"And l was about offering you my
hand and heart-that's the way they put
it in the love stories, don't they? Will
you marry me, Lilianp and then, If you
choose, we'll 60 together for the boy"
"Generous mani" said the widow, a
tear stealing down her pretty cheek.
"But don't you see"-and a smile sue
ceeded the tear-'that that would never
doP l could never plead for my child
IS the wife of Captain HOttop. 1t must
be as the widow of Montgomery Mon
taguc."
BLESSED if you amt right" ex-
claimed the Captain, looking at her adj
miringly. SWELL, promise to marry me
when you return. DO, Lillian. No one
could love you better than l."
"When l return?"
eyes, for surely my promised wife
can accept part of the fortune that will
be all hers when she is really my wife,
without any body Darn il! nobody
need know. Will you, Lilian?"
81 WILL" she said.
will what, my precious?" he asked,
smiling.
"Every thing" she answered; and
turned and fled like a bashful girl, after
he had clasped her in his arms and given
her a kiss in true sailor fashion.
And by the very ext steamer Mrs.
Montgomery Montague started for Eng
land, with a valuable solitaire diamond
engagement ring glittering on her pretty
hand, a check for five hundred dollars
in her silver pOrtemonnaie, and many
useful and ornamental farewell gifts
from the ladies of the Spooner house.
hold. The ladies felt all their old in.
terests in her revive, now that she had
gone away indeed, as Mrs. Dusenberry
informed the 80-year-old grandfather of
the youth who famed her on the after
noon of Mrs. Montague's arrival. "She
was much too lovely, and made me quite
jealous of you, you false man."
And Miss Isabella Spooner hung the
picture of young Montgomery "that
babelet fair" in the parlOr, and wreath
ed it with daisies. "Heaven grant that
we may see the darling himself soon!"
she said, with pious emphasis.
But they never did. For, q couple Of
weeks after the widows departure, Wei
lington Octoper burst in among them
all as they were playing croquet on the
lawn, scattering the balls in every di-
rectiOn.
"Sold, by gracious!" shouted he.
"What?" asked Miss Spooner, drop
ping her mallet.
ga million tierces of lard and twice
as many pigs, l suppose" murmured
Mrs. Dusenberry, leaning in an uncon-
scious manner against the shoulder OF
her partner.
"She's q fraud! Yes-s," continued
the pork-merchant.
"Who?" they all cried this time.
"The widow, Mrs. Montgomery
Montague, that is, Mrs. Maria j. Thomp-
son. Yes-s."
"Maria J.-Jane, 1 suppose. A
sreet name," said Mrs. Dusenberry.
ga fraud, sir! What do you mean.
sir-what do you mean? ' beloved Cap
tain Hottop, as though through a speak