The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-05-14
"Janct. what's that you'rc hiding o.

NhctnlnE, Miss Maggie, mem, re-
piled Janet, i'll great confusion, growing
very red and keeping her hand ncrvuusly
behind her.
Though Margaret Kennedy was not,
on the whole, II bad sort of girl, like
other girls she had her faults. the most
serious of which was I'M overwCcning
srnsc of her own "gentihty and i'm
portanrc, that sometimes showed itself
III her manner toward her social interiors.
Drawing up her stately figure, and men,
acing the trembling hand-maid with up
lifted finger, she said severely:
"Now, Janet, don't tell II falschnod
| SAW You hide somctling-somcthing
made OF silver, and You look quite
guilty. | insist on seeing what il is. "
There it's, then !" said Janet, show
ing strong symptoms of bursting into
tears. " rs jist Mr.. Smiths caird case
Nat lifted OF the floor, and was gaun
to gle hint, and you gied me sic n start.
There, that will do. shall give it
to Mr.. Smith myself. Don't cry. l
didn't mean Ia hurt Your feelings"
Upon this Janet retired, looking very
much injured, and Miss Kennedy seated
herself mt the piano. This WAS her hour
for practiciug," but the keys remained
untouched.
Dear little CASE" she murmured
raising il To her lips. How pretty il
is-almost us good looking rs It's owner"
After b"stowlug another chaste salute
on the unconscious case, size assumed
the privilege of betrothed, and
| opened Il.
"AEa. something beside cards !!
What this"
The bit 81 blue paper was unfoldcd,
and for the next few minutes she sat
staring hlankly nj it. She chad, naturally,
never seen q document Of the kind be-
fore, but its concise terms We're too plain
to admit of any mistake rs to its nature.
Its impossible" she ut last eX-
claimed. i've heard of such things,
but john would never -. Yet, it's
his own name, and i'll his own cnrd-case !!
oh, how dreadful! shall never speak
to HIM ngain-nevcr, never"
With that, it is hardly necessary to
say, Ihr vuung lady subsidized into pro-
longrd iii of weeping. Recovering, ana
wipmg her eyes. she thought
"liow shall receive him when he
calls to-day? Shall | tell him to quit
my sight forever; or shall | show him by
coliness and sarcasm Miss Margaret
considered that she had very pretty
turn lur sarcgsin-" that | know how he
h.D, deceived me? he whom thought So
good, - nirc. 500 gentle. At all
events. he shall not know that he has
mauc me- c-C-"lN.
And the outraged damsrl flew to her
"src."t bower to remove the traces of
tears. to array herself with unusual
spltndor. and to rehearee the coming in
t,ryicw. These operations naturally oc-
cupivj considerable time, and they
wcr,. barely completed when Janet tapped
at the door to announce the arrival OF
the luckless Smith. Margaret responded
viii. Every WE'LL" but she did not
hasten to obey the summons. On the
contrary. after giving some finishing
touches To her elaborate couture, she sat
down and opened Il novel. This delay
WAS intend, Il to serve two objects. In the
first place she wished to calm her still
u9ituted nerves, and. III the second, she
meant to give the deceive" foretaste
II What was in store for him 10y making
him undergo the novel process of cooling
la the meantime Mr. Smith had al
ready received such foretaste. He did
not observe the meaning glance with
which Janet greeted him on opening the
door. but AS she ushercd him into the
drawing room she touched him on the
arm and whispered Significantly:
''She's gotten I.
"Got what, my COOL girl?" inquired
the puzzled youth, who had come i'll
radiant with the anticipation OF surprising
his lady-love with a pretty little present.
"Yon," returned the Abigail, with
still more mysterious meaning, and
vanished.
lyon, yon." muttered Mr.. Smith, as
he seated himself. what on earth can
the girl mean 10y 'yon? She must be
Maggie, but what's 'yon?' Oh! tics note
/ sent last night, suppose. What Il
queer girl. | never noticed anything
odd about her before"
His thoughts did not long run on
Janct's Cccentricities, however, for he
presently began to wonder at the delay
of his sweetheart, who had always hither.
b flown tn meet him OF his approach.
He felt somewhat aggricved by her pro-
lOn@cl absence on this occasion; but,
attributing it TO some duty Of the house
hold or her toilet, possessed his soul i'll
such patience as was ut his command.
At length, after he had fidgeted, looked
out of the window and studied the well
known faces III the album for some
twenty minutes, the door opened, and
dignitied and stately.
a
Mag! cried the lover, embracing her.
"Havc II" was the cold response, NJ
she discngaged herself from his arms
and took a seat ut some distance.
"What's up tO-day?' thought Mr.
Smith. "Huiied at my not turning NJ
yesterday, L suppose. The ring vii
bring her round.
"By the way" resumed the young
lady, who saw an opening for the first
thrust, talking Of time, can yom tell mt
what o'clock it Is? That clock has stop
ped, and | don't think my watch is
right"
"Im in as bad prelicament," tho
other laughingly rejOined. "Ivc JUS
left my watch at Dials to be cleaned"
"Ohw said Margaret in an icy tone.
"Its about two, | suppose, Or.
But why bother ourselves, dearest, about
time? Time, You know, was made for
slavcs-for the vulgar pawns.
"Pawns! Margaret repeated under
her breath, shuddering ut the ugly
sounding word.
"The vulgar pawns, as l may say,
continued Smith, who was wont to way
rhapsodical at times. "The vulgar
pawns on this great chess board of life
but not for the kings and the queens
and you and |, dear, are king and /
queen, are we nOt?"
care we?"
"Wcll, / know that you are my queer
and that I'm us happy as IL king. But
you look put out about something, Mag
/ suppose you got my note explaining
why could not call yesterday. / had
business with my broker"
ellis broker!"
Hes my uncle, you know, and makes
my interest his own. BY jove, tha
slangly brother Of yours would grin if
told him had been to see my uncle. -
81 don't understand.
"Of course not. We'll, to MAKE
amends for not coming, I've brough
l you little present" Here he pro
duced small morocco case. cts jus
n simple ring, dearest, with the wor,
!, Mizpah OH it. It's Hebrew, you know
and mcms-I forget the exact meaning
but it's something about keeping
watch"
"Some people don't know how hoy
= to keep watch, it seems" was Marga
rct's cutting Interpolation. She was bu