Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-10-13

this to Margaret:
"Since you cannot be with me it doe
not matter where I am-this stupid place
as we'll as any other. Address to tn
care of Deacon Hezekiah Glover.
shall board with him while stay"
1t was II pleasant summer, despite the
dullness of the place. How good tn,
quaint old deacon was when one reall,
knew him! How motherly was Mrs
Glover; as for lilly, she grew sweetel
every day. 1 often wondered what Mar
garet would have said could she have
seen me helping her to pick blackberries
to find the runaway COW, to carry home
the milk-pail, driving her over to the
country store and returning with E
freight of groceries-Margaret, who
knew nothing OF domestic details, and
whose monogrammed and perfumed let.
tiers were often brought over from the
office in company with the kerosene can.
L wrote my sermons at one end Of the
round table, while lilly sat at the other,
sewing. Between us was lamp with a
green paper shade. Now and then a
big bug would fly in through the win
dow and so flying about our heads. or a
moth would Try to SINCE it's wings over
the chimney, and I would stop and drive
it out.
The old people would go to bed after
a while, and then lilly and I would find
ourselves hungry, and she would 80 into
the kitchen to find IS something good. -
I always held the light for her. When
something good was found we ate it on
the back porch, sitting side by side Oh
the step like two children.
She was so like a child, that little Til
ly, that it seemed no harm to ask her to
kiss me goodnight or to hold her hand
i'll mine, as it rested on my ann, in our
long walks home from church on Sunday
evenings.
The summer passed. October came.
Margaret returned to the city and wrote
to me. It was while we were eating
peaches and cream Oh the back porch
that evening that I said to Tilly;
81 will tell you secret if you will
keep it for while, Tilly."
ooh, of course I will, Mr.. Cannot. :"
81 am going to be married this fall,
lilly" 1 said. "Those pretty letters
you always thought came from my sister
are from the lady who is to marry me.
She is very beautiful, very rich, very
stylish, butvery kind. You must come
and see us, lilly, when we are married.
l shall tell Margaret how good you have
been to me what sweet little sister T
found out here in New Valladolid. Why,
Tilly!-"
For as spoke I felt the little hand I
held grow cold and heavy in mine. I
say her sink backward. The big china
bowl Of peaches and cream slipped with
crash to the ground and shattered to
pieces.
l caught the poor child in my arms.
In moment she came to herself and
said that she had overtired herself, she
thought. They had been baking ali day
AMI it was warm. And now she babe me
good night. But [ lid not see her next
day, nor the next. She kept her room,
and was not well enough to bid me good
bye.
Poor little lilly! I left very misera-
bic. However, Margaret met me in New
York. She was more beautiful than
ever-more excellent in contrast to my
simple country friends-and very soon I
laughed at myself for the thoug ht that
had been i'll my heart. OF course, I
said it was the baking that overcome
Illly-lt was not my news. had only
been to her as a friend--as brother.
l had not made love to her; above all, I
had not tiirted with her. But thought
OF lilly a good deal, and I missed her
every hour exactly -oh, yes, cxactly -as
[ might a sister.
l wrote to Mrs. Glover, and her answer
was very brief.
" / haven't much time to write," she
said in her postscript. "Tilly is sick.
and besides being driven, I'm anxious
This letter was in my pocket on that
day when Margaret and 1 went together
to the great fair for the benefit of the
church of St. Sruplice. One of the
features Of that entertainment, if you re-
member, was the array Of little arbors in
which refreshments were served.
After we had roamed about the fair.
and bought all sorts Of nicl1nacks, es-
corted Margaret to one of these arbors,
and there sat down to wait, while one Of
the ladies', who, son this occasion ONLY"
was doing good, onerous hard work,
brought us a tray of refreshments.
AS we sat leaning back against the
evergreen and smilax which draped the
lattice, two women entered the next ar
Dor, and one Of them as she sat down,
said to the other: "I'm Just tired out.
Aren't you, Mrs: Tripp?" and the an
swered: eyes, I am tired. I hardly
know that it pays to come all the way
from Valladolid to New York sight
seeing"
1t was the voice Of the Glovers' near
est neighbor, of Tilly's grandmother,
and liked her and respected her, vet
did not feel quite sure how Margaret
would like an introduction, and 50 re-
Trained from looking around the corner
OF the bower and making myself known.
~ think we'd better take tea,'' said
the first voice. Oh; howis lilly to-day I?
Think of my never asking before p
lilly is poorly" said Mrs. Trip.
ION, Mrs. Birch, what pity it is that
that ttlrt1ng young minister came down
to Valladolid. don't know what Mrs.
Glover was about, to let him do as he
did. We all thought he was counting
lilly. She did, poor child. She Just
loved him dearly, and the day before he
went away he told her he was engaged
to some girl in New York. I'm afraid
it's broken her heart. She told me all
about it. 20, Arlnty Tripp," said she,
L know ought to be ashamed, but /
can't help it. He seemed to like me so.
| hope | shall die Of this fever, for life
is nothing to me- Ashamed! Why,
it's he ought to be ashamed. OF ali
things minister to be cold, cruel
airt! And that's what Alfred Gan
net is.
I listened, but I could not move or
speak; I felt as though my heart also
were breaking, and oh, the shame ] suf-
fered! The women drank their tea and
left the arbor, and then Margaret turned
to me with cold, sarcastic smile:
" L see by your face that that little
story is perfectly true, Mr.. Gannet, :"
she said:
" Margaret, faltered, "Ihave done
nothing that should give offense to
you"
LII