The Portland daily press., 1880-02-23

with Randolph Henderson the debonair.
No wonder that Prissy Macarthur felt her
life burden, and, had not the fear of add
ing to the anxieties of her already distressed
mother constrained her, our friend would
have gladly made haste to insinuate hand
full of thorns into the pillow on which her
stern prosecutor nightly slumbered with as
much apparent peace as the proverbial
'just;" for Prissy was not one Of those rare
souls who
'Know how sublime a thing it is
20 suffer and be"---still
AS it was, she spoke her mind with both
freedom and force. but her words had about
as much effect on her aunt's unbendlng will
as did the patter of the rain-drops on the
graoite ledge outside; and just how much
they wore away the stone could be easily es-
timated, for it I'd been pouring steadily for
several days.
On the afternoon to which our story brings
US, Prissy. with her knitting-work, was
kneeling on the low window seat, trying to
catch the last rays of the drowned daylight,
when the heavy thud of horses hoof was
heard, and, splashing through mud and
mire, a nag came galloping along, guided by
a small boy, who drew rein at Miss Wiggles-
wright's gate.
Perceiving Prissy at the window, he broke
into broad grin, and beckoned to her.
Something for Miss Wiggleswrisht," he
shouted, as Prissy opened the front door;
and across the narrow yard came Swimming
an official looking document, sealed with red
wax, which bore the impress of a foreign
crest.
| This Prissy saw, as she involuntarily put
out her hands to catch the packet.
"Where did it come from?' demanded
| she.
''Don' know. Reckon it come with heap
| o. others to the college Profs."
| Before Prissy could question farther, with
| a whoop and much cracking of his whip the
| urchin was off and away.
! An epistle being arare thing in those ante
| railway days Prissy turned the missive over
and over in her wondering hands, then made
! her way to the ''living room.'
"a letter for you, Aunt Silerce.h
'Eh? For me? Who's writing to me I'd
| be pleased to know? It's to be hoped no.
| body's- dead. I'm about tired of attending
six weeks. The Wiggleswrights always did
make point of going of in punches. Who
is the letter from, say? That's what I'd
| like to find out"
| "Open it," said Prissy.
| She watched her aunt as she stepped to
| the window and broke the seal.
| Whether or no she had shared the expec-
| tations of Miss Diadema Downs and her
| compeers may be doubtful, but as Miss ST.
lence bent her head to catch the wri ten
| words sudden sparkle came into her keen
| eyes. She turned pale, then red. At last
! she Strengthened her shoulders and spake.
| ''This epistle," said she solemnly, "this
| epistle, sister Maria and niece Priscilla,
comes from no less an individual than our
expected guest, the Marquis de Lafayette
himself. In this sheet he alludes to his for
mer connection with my grandfather, and,
| after well-deserved eulogy on his multitu-
dnous virtues (which you may take pleasure
| in perusing at your leisure). he requests me,
| as the representative of his revered friend,
| to do him the grdce'-such is his somewhat
| peculiar expression-to attend the reception
| the ball. as people persist in calling ito
| be given in his behalf ON the evening of
Thursday next
| "And you will go?" gasped Prissy.
| Two crimson spots stained Miss Wiggles-
| wright's thin cheeks.
"7Let every soul be subject unto the high
| er powers" quoted she with lofty humility.
| l shall consider it a duty to submit myself
to the expressed desires of one whom Provi-
| dence has seen fit to place in the exalted
| position occupied by the Marquis de La
fayette."
"And II" questioned Prissy, breathless
with eagerness.
'You too. There is mention made of a
| young relative and word concerning her
| presence being acceptable. The Marquis
has evidently full information concerning my
| grandfather's descendants, for you also are
alluded 10, Maria. Fetch me my spectacles,
| Prissy, that may see more clearly.
| An extra candle was added to the two
emaciated dips q ich Miss Silence's econo-
| my deemed sufficient fer ordinary occasions,
and the three women pored over the excit-
ing document, Miss Wiggleswright having
first brought from a mahogany desk two
brief notes signed by the Marquis de Lafa-
| cite. These were relics of the year ITS,
and the plain prose of Miss Downs's poetical
''stack of letters" The handwriting was
| exactly that of this fresh paper, allowing for
| the slight unevenness for which the increased
age of the writer would naturally account.
| There could be no doubt that the epistle was
| genuine.
Prissy, alive with delight, found speedy
means to acquaint Randolph Henderson
with the unforeseen good fortune which had
! come to her. But woe to him who dares
| count on the perfection of human blissl
Henderson met her news with a troubled
| face. The same bag which held the well
come letter from Lafayette had brought to
Randolpha summons to start Immediately
| for Portland, on account of the sudden ill
ness of his father. He could only earnestly
hope that he might find the dear old gentle
| man in less serious condition that he
feared. Prissy could be very sure that if
| there were change for the better he would
| do all in his power to return to Sandyville
before Thursday. That was the only COM
fort he could give her. The two shook
hands sadly and went their different ways,
as many another two had done before, and
would do after them to the end of time.
Prissy dared not speak to her aunt of the
bitter drop which favored her cup. Miss
Silence was now as determined that she
should 60 to the ball as she had before
been to keep her from it, And, after all,
though Prissy chided herself sternly for her
heartlessness, her spirits would rise in spite
of her, and she could but confess that 10 20
| to ball without Randolph Henderson was
! really preferable to staying quietly at home
without him, and that it did seem foolish to
| refuse all pleasure because she could not
have it unaloyed. So it ended by Prissy's
looking eagerly forward to Thursday, for all
her sympathy with Henderson's trouble and
| her own sharp disappointment. Let us re-
member that Prissy was but eighteen, and
forgive her that she preferred her rose-col-
| ored gauze to the sackcloth in which senti-
ment would fain have arrayed her.
The day of days dawned at last Many of
the villagers marched with the college lads
to meet and escort ''the Gen'l," who had
been brought in the old Knox chariot along
! the portland road" Most of the women
reserved their forces for evening, many of
them spending the morning of this and of
preceding days in their kitchens, to superin-
tend the concoction of sundry mysterious
pies and buildings which were to garnish
the public feast Miss Wiggles fright, i'm
| pressed with the increased dignity of her
| position and fully aware that all Sandyville
had heard of her distinction, had made
ready huge loaf of her famous ''election
cake,' which, stuffed with raisins and COW
cred with frosting an inch deep, was placed
as the center ornament of the ''festive
board"
There were those who were ready to COM
ment somewhat severely on the sudden
change in Miss Wiggleswright's religious