The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-11-15


your own dear little hands this morn
ing and then. whatever you may reply,
/ shall bless you for the consideration
thus shown one who hopes one day to
sign himself
"Your devoted husband,
erred HUNTER.
With no suspicion of the cruel joke
which had been played, lonely, loving
little Anna Grigg, with no home but
tlnny, six-by-nne room In noisy
boarding house, let the letter slip to her
feet, and covered her burning face with
her slender hands, in Il sudden burst of
thankful happiness
For, close hidden as 1t had been, Lucy
had guessed right there was sweet lit
tie secret about the handsome cashier
nestled down in the very depths of her
innocent girls heart which made this
cruel letter very welcome and very
precious.
Only minute did she yield, the letter
was quickly picked up and concealed in
her pocket, and second glance given
into her trimming box. Another tiny
sheet and envelope, fresh and unused,
lay there and Annals sweet face flushed
anew at this little proof of her lovers
thoughtfulness for her.
The other girls were coming in now,
and clipping the little sheet under her
velvets, Anna began with her deft, sweet
fingers to finish her work, happy light
beaning in her soft, brown eyes.
1t did not occupy great while to
complete her task. Then Anna took
her box to the farther end of her counter,
drew her pencil from her pocket, and
hastily wrote these words:
"APRIL 1, 49,.
'MR. HUNTER IT did not, indeed,
guess before at what your kind letter has
Just told me, but / have been so lonely 1t
makes me very happy to know that any
one loves me ; and If you are really in
earnest-but l know you are too noble
to trihe with any ones heart-since you
are in earnest, in saying that / can
make your home happy, / am willing to
try, and do not fear to give my happi-
ness into your hands. AS you request
in your letter, 1 will hand you this
answer at your own desk with my own
hands. l don't think / am worthy, u
plain girl like me, to be your wife, Mr..
Hunter, but since you choose me, am
very glad. Yours, earnestly,
ANNA"
She folded her note, slipped it into an
envelope and addressed it just as Lucy
Clark came up stairs, under pretense of
matching some lace. Anna hastily hid
her note under some velvets, but Lucy
had managed to see it first.
The lace, of course, was not to be
matched, and Lucy hurried down stairs
to report to Hetty, in great glee.
"She's got it, and she's just written
the answer; knew the envelope in a
minute, and besides, saw the address
Fred Hunter'-as plain as could be-"
Neither Hetty nor Lucy noticed that
at that minute Fred Hunter himself
passed close to where they stood, or
knew that he caught Miss Lucy's last
words. He did not understand them
then, but after while cew was placed
in his hands.
The two plotters kept as near the cash
iers desk as they could, and before very
long, as was often the case, Anna Grigg
came down to bring some bills to Mr..
Hunter
They could scarcely conceal their mer-
riment as they plainly saw her, watch
ing as closely as they did, lay little
white envelope on the desk with the
bills. Fred saw it, too, and his eye
glanced up in surprise and followed
Annals trim figure, in her neat black
alpaca dress, snowy collar and neat lit
tie scarlet necktie, as she tripped so hasti-
| ly back up stairs.
AS Fred's keen eye wandered back 10
his desk he caught sight of the two
girls, who were evidently watching him.
Taking up the little note Anna had laid
down, he read it through, turned 1t
over, glanced at the envelope, and read
it again.
"Why, what does this mean ?" he
asked himself. "Some one has proposed
to the girl and she has made mistake.
No, here is my name, ontside and in
Heaven, don't understand. What can
it mean 7"
He looked carefully at the note again
and caught the date, April l.
" Does she mean to play joke on
me?" he thought. mo, that pretty
modest little girl could not do go bold
and unlady like thing besides, this i:
an answer to some other letter. By Jove
see it now Some one has played 9
| nrnoI inlra o,, har md unnt hnr q IoAhn,