The Portland daily press., 1880-02-24

the cost of every brilliant in the portraits
setting, she could not deny herself. Then
she rose to the occasion. She unclasped the
silver chain from Prissy's throat, and laid
the miniature in the marguis's paltn. With
murpurea gratitude he pressed her withered
hand to his lips, and drawing from his finger
a curiously wrought ring on which sap
phire shone he held it out to the bewildered
Prissy.
taking the pretty head between his hands,
he kissed the fair white forehead and the
red lips. So gently, even reverently, was it
done, that, though Prissy stood flushing like
a carnation pink, she could make no protest
Miss Silence stood by and looked on APPROX
ing.
A covert kiss under an apple tree might
be most reprehensibe; but kiss from the
Marquis de Lafayette, though given before
hundred pairs OF gazing eyes-for ''the
general had drawn Prissy forward, and
they were standing, the observed of all OBJ
servers, at the entrance Of the ballroom
that was quite different affair; Miss Wig
gleswright held her head high and left it to
Mrs. Macarthur to be doubtful of it's strict
propriety.
The evening flew by. Prissy was now
quite consoled for Randolph Henderson,
absence by the warm hopes nesting in her
heart, of which he should be sharer on his
| return. That kiss had signed and sealed
her the belle of the ball. Partners thronged
around her. Learned professors drew near
to converse with her. Once more the mar
quis danced with her. Miss Wigglesw fright
accepted the congratulations of dgnified
dOwagers and beamed benignly on her niece.
The future lay glorious before her.
The golden streaks which already tinged
the eastern sky heraldcd the dawn of one
long, blissful day of life to Priscilla Mac
Arthur.
81 wonder that Randolph Henderson does
| not come to learn his fate,n remarked Miss
Silence, when, the marquis having de-
| parted amid cheers and benedictions Sandy
vile was once more settling into its wonted
quiet.
!"He will come am sure" answered
| Prissy, gazing eXpe ctantly down the street
| She knew he had returned TO town. She
had met Henry Reynolds in her morning
walk and he had told her that
Come he did, but not before first a vague
| rumor, then terrible suspicion, at last an
| awful certainty had taken possession of San
| dyville. In the beginning the story was
deemed too stupendous to be true but il
gradually gained ground. Finally all doubt
vanished when positive information came
| that the Marquis de Lafayette had found
| impossible to travel further east than Port.
lana, and that, after brief sojourn in that
| city, he had returned to Boston.
What then2 Could it be possible? The
| whole town of Sandyville had been hoaxed!
And if so, by whom? The excitement of g
week ago was nothing to that which fol
| lowed.
Miss Silence Wiggleswright, when at last
| she realized her position was filled with dis
may and fury. She, more than any one
| had been deceived, befooled. She had be-
come the laughing stock of the village. Il
| was when her wrath was at it's height thai
| Randolph Henderson entered her door,
| He bowed before her.
1.-THE Marquis de Lafayette, being mar
of honor, begs to return to you this testimo
| NAL of your urbanity"
| He held forth a small box. Miss Wig
! gleswright took off the cover. Under hel
| eyes flashed the briliants. She was face tC
face with her own image. She stood petri
fled.
"But although, as in duty bound, he sur
renders the portrait" proceeded Henderson
The by no means counts as null the solemn
promise which you pledged yourself never tc
| gainSay nor retract, on the evening of the
late public gathering"
| Stepping to Prissy McArthur's side, Ran.
dolph took firm possession of the hand on
which shone the great Henderson sapphire
Then Miss Wiggleswright's ire blazed
forth.
"Imposter! Trickster! Liarv' cried she.
Once more Henderson bowed.
81 pardon the somewhat forcible English, %
he said calmly. 81 only beg that you will
not place yourself in the same category by a
useless endeavor to take back your plighted
faith, Miss Wiggleswright."
''Silence,' ventured Mrs. Macarthur, ris-
| inc tn the surface with trnidlu pba nj
chuckle, remember he has kissed Prissy.
| You yourself declared that was the onla
| PREPARATION to outraged sOciety which sister
| Miriam could make under like circumstances.
'Maria, Priscilla Macarthur, you have
both aided and abetted this piece of outrage
GUS deception" exclaimed Miss Wigges-
wright, fercely.
Henderson interposed.
"You are mistaken, Miss Silence Mrs.
Macarthur was quite ignorant of my iniqui-
ty. AS for Prssy, she never suspected the
false marquis to be other than the gen'p
himself, which confess, SO astonished me
| that 1 have since declared that eth
| er she was also playing part. and that to
perfection or else that Garrick may as well
| rise from his niche in Westminster and ac-
knowledge that this particular live dog is a
smarter animal than himself the dead lion.'
begin to suspect that 1 was cut out for the
stage, for all my ancestor, Jonathan Ed
wards of blessed memory. And think of his
horror if he knew it, poor old boy! do not
ask your pardon now, Miss WiggIeswright.
You will bestow it upon me more graciously
by and by"
''Neverw said Miss Silence, and she
marched stiffly from the room.
| Randolph took Prissy in his arms
DO not fear, sweetheart 1t will be right
in time. Trust me. Your mother will give
us her blessing. We can dispense with all
others''
Whether or no Sandyville ever forgave
the trick which had been played upon it,
even when it was known that the President
of the college had connived at it, history
does not relate. Certain it is Miss Wiggles-
wright did not until, years after, Prissy
brought her. broken, peevish old woman,
to her own home, and nursed her tenderly.
Even then she would scarcely suffer Pris-
sy's husband to stand in her presence.
''The reason whereof was the following
l heard Randolph Henderson, now himself
a gray-haired man, say to couple of bright
eyed laddies who were perched on his
knees.
Then he went on to tell the story, which |
afterward wrote down from his own lips.
81 could not bear to see the villagers dis
appointed, when they had set their hearts
on seeing live MARQUIS he ended with a
twinkle in his eye. "Besides that, it was a
critical time in my own life. Miss Wiggles-
wright had drawn up her forces in battle ar
ray, and was obliged to resort to desperate
measures to win for you, my boys, the hand
soonest, the best and the dearest woman on
earth for grandmother"
The sweet little old lady in the opposite
corner glanced up at that, and with a blush
as vivid as any on the girlish cheek of Prissy
Macarthur.
"Hush! hush! Don't teach the children
nonsense, Randolph" said she.