Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-07-13

ara g ana SteWardesS fees were included;
a fiction, gentlemen, pleasant fiction,
which you will find out when you go
down to the sea in ships.
"Take this card to her." said the pale
and trembling gentleman. "I1l wait
her coming up in that far corner of this
saloon"
Balancing ut the pasteboard the
woman disappeared; and presently there
assembled, step by step, from the regions
below, first a neat straw hat, trimmed
with bright ribbons, beneath that hat a
face somewhat worn with years and cares,
but still fresh and comely enough; then
q slight compact figure, draped in we'll
fitting garments, shawled, and ready for
soma, stood before her hand-seeker,
the shore. Miss Efie, In 1oropri0 per-
blushing celestial rosy red
He advanced from his coign of want
age to greet her; but as he drew higher,
instead of the warm affectionate welcome
he looked for, there WAS fixed stare, a
shudder, hasty retreat, and q loud
scream which resounded from stern to
stem of the big ship, and brought
everyone from decks and cabins in the
saloon.
"Miss Needum-Efie, my dear girl,
what on earth is the matter?' hurriedly
stammered out the astounded Sandy.
"'Shiver my timbers, what ails the
lassie ? put in the captain. Look out
for squalls, if you've annoyed her 7 And
all the bystanders echoed the words in
more or less threatening terms. She was
evidently favorite on board.
"Oh, take him away cried the lady
piteously-' take him away from me
some one I don't know him I've been
misled, deceived I can't marry him
indeed, indeed can't. He is not Mr..
Mcpherson who wrote to me, to whom
came out to be mar. He is 80 ugly!
Oh, such q dreadful fright! I'll return
him his money I'll work my way back
to my poor mother !! I'll do anything,
but I can't be his wife I'd rather die
first !!
Miss Medium, I don't indeed under
stand this said the taken-aback and
completely habbergasted one. What
does it all mean? Are we not engaged !?
Have you not come out of your own free
will to accept the home and the love
offer you? Did I not send you my like
ness?'
"'No, mop
"'Surely T did. It was taken by
Collodion, our best photographer; and
when he gave it to me he said, MIR.
Mcpherson, sir, there is no flattery ERE;
your worst henemies would admit that. ,
Why, I myself put it inside the letter to
your mother.
"I repeat, no-decidedly no, and
emphatically no! Look at this and
drawing from her bosom q little iocket.
she opened it, and displayed the head
and face of a younger, much handsomer,
and in every outward respect more
lovable man than the SCARED one now
before her. 1t was the counterfeit pre-
sentiment of Mr.. Jack lie Geste, and I
leave you to imagine what Mcpherson
thought when he saw it there.
How could it get into the locket, you
ask? Why, in the simplest way in the
world. That good for nothing fellow le
Geste, when Sandy's letter came into his
possession, thought to 'sell' him, and 80
had surreptitiously removed his carte
dc visite, substituting one of his own,
and Efie had worn it ever since.
The poor dell of disappointed bride
groom pleaded hard, and tried every
argument to induce the girl to let mat
tiers progress, but she was obstinate and
determined.
She would esteem and respect him
always but nothing more. TO let the
cat out Of the bag, Miss Effie had fallen
most desperately in love with the pic
ture OF her supposed Alexander, and in
vulgar language had spooned over it
awfully during the tedious and lone hours
OF a long voyage. Of course, she i'm
agined it was her intended husband she
was approving, or she would not have
done it-certainly not.
$50, quite chopfallen and in the mad
dest of RACES, Mcpherson returned to
his estate.
"Arrived there, he cut from one of
his coffee bushes the thickest and knot
test of sticks, and proceeded with it in
search of lie Geste; but fortunately for
the jester he had made tracks and was
gone.
"Then he reverted to his old customs
and habits, sold his not now neces-
sary goods and chattels, and thought as
little as he could of the false Effie."
"a tickle and capricious creature,
woman. Listen gentlemen to another
e1emplitication of old Virgil's dictum.
" In the same ship in which, shortly
after the breaking Of her intended e.
pousal, Miss Medium sailed for England,
there came on board, almost at the last
minute, a slim, dark-haired, cookbook
ing man, going home, some said, for
health; others, in fear and trembling of
an irate Gael with a huge stick in his
hands. Be this rs it may, the health
seeker or the fugitive-take which you
please-was no other than lie Geste; and
to close my story, when the vessel
touched st. Helena for water and pro-
visions, he and Fife went OH shore and
returned Man and wife,