Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-05-13

way, there is Miss Annie Lorraine il
front. Do you know her, Mr.. Maples?'
II have the pleasure-slghtly," re
piled Lynn, flush coming into hi
frank, blonde face. !
"Pretty, eh?i
every beautiful, I think. Do you
know where she resides, Mr.. Dudley 2
"What, don't you know? Oh, w
town somewhere! p answered the other
catching at sudden thought. $50 yor
don't know much about her circum
stances?"
"No. Do you?"
Something" carelessly. "She's al
orphan. Lives with an aunt. By the
way, my dear sir, she seems to know you
better than you do her,"
"She did me a favor last fall, on the
occasion of an accident.
! "Ah! Well, it seems that on that oc
casion you took the young lady's fancy.
In short, she fell in love with YOU"
"With me?" stammered Lynn, blush.
ing f,1riously. 81 am not worthy the
honor"
"There is no accounting for women'e
fancy" burst in Dudley, savagely.
Lynn was too bewildered to notice the
sneer.
"You are friend of hers?'' he asked.
"Oh, yes-an old and intimate one.
She's an odd girl-given to unaccounta-
BILE fancies, you know. Oh, yes, I know
her well! And my advice to you is to
strike while the iron is hot, and offer
yourself to Miss Loraine-that is, if so
Inclined yourself"
I'll admire her very much!" STAN
mered Lynn, trembling with agitation.
eyes, certainly; I understand. Well,
she's going south next week; but she'll
be at the Parker fraternity tomorrow
evening. You'd better see her there, and
make a sure thing of it. I'll give you
my word she'll accept you.'
"Thank you thank you p murmured
Lynn, the lights swimming before his
eyes, and the music fading on his ears.
He cared no longer for the latter. He
got away out of the hall, and spent a
restless night, full Of excitement and the
most exalted emotion. For the first time
he knew that he loved the ily-faced,
brown-eyed girl.
The next night found him at the mu-
steal entertainment Of the Parker Fra
ternity. He was foolish, perhaps, but
not more so than score of other young
fellows in love. But more honest, fer
vent fellow never trembled at the touch
of woman's hand.
You are as fond of music as am,
Mr.. Naples" she said, with sweet cor
dlality of manner which made her ire
sistible to all men who looked ut her.
"May escort you home, Miss To-
raine? II have something to say to
you.''
She gave assent. Her brown eyes
widened slightly with surprise, but she
chose to accept, and, for once, Percy
Dudley GRACEFUL y yielded his claims.
She came down into the moonlight,
her rich evening dress over her arm, her
face cool and sweet. Lynn had mis-
giving that he was mad, but he could
not help it. Before they had walked six
blocks and crossed the park he had offer
ed himself to Miss Lorraine.
She did not speak-her face was quite
white. He felt the little hand on his
arm tremble. But her voice was silvery
clear when she spoke at last.
mr.. Naples, you have known me
but a comparatively short space Of time.
What has caused you to address me. like
this?"
my fervent love would not have
given me courage to do so, Miss Lor-
aine; but an old friend of yours-one
who claimed to know you assured
me that you were not quite indifer-
emit"
His voice failed him.
"Who was this friend, Mr.. Naples? :"
"Mr. Dudley"
He saw her eyes fash. She stopped at
the foot of flight of marble steps.
81 am at home now. Will you come
here tomorrow and get your answer,
Mr.. Maples?"
Her face, gentle and downcast, did not
tell him enough to bid him hope, but he
could not forbear doing that in the sight
of her loneliness. He glanced mp at the
wide portals, bronze lions and arched
easements, thinking, after he had bowed
and left her, that Annie Loraine's aunt
must be rich.
Another night of palpitating hope and
fear, yet he came with manly face to
Annie Lorraine to learn her answer.
He was little surprised to find Dud-
ley in the room into which he was ush-
ere9. He sat lolling in an easy-chair,
smiling, complaisant, yet with flushed
face and covert sparkle in his eyes.
Miss Lorraine rose from the sofa, and
advanced cordially to her visitor, offer
ing her jeweled hand.
"You have come promptly for your
answer, Mr.. Naples she sail, "and I
will be prompt with you. accept your
offer Of marriage and give you, in the
very acceptance, my most sincere affec-
ton. Yesterday was the first of April,
and 1 think it is Mr.. Dudley who will tell
us who is the April fool"
With cry Of rage and furious oath,
he sprang to his feet; but Miss Lorraine
turned her back on him, and walked
with Lynn into an adjoining parlor, and
he made his exit from the house without
her adieux.
In scheming to make Lynn Naples
offend the heiress by all offer Of mar
rage, he had shot beyond his mark, and,
losing all hope of Annie Lorraine and her
fortune, bitterly repented his trick of the
first of April:
Sharp All Around.
TErorn the providoDco Jo,,rpo11