The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-05-20

Win n ;ff"' - M my" 'no matter
"0h. don't you seeP'' she said, start
ing up. This side ID all punched /:
and the lace ~ torn; the feather /,
broken. too. No lady would ever thinI
q wearing II And i cost fifteen dol
The big tears welIed Up into the blue
eyes. II Is pitifnl thing 10 see d look
Of despair ina child's face. So thought
Hugh Merrick. and again said, hastily,
Don't cry. Perhaps ! can fix Il. II
we only knew the lady's name.
Couldn't you 60 back to the store and
They'd know then what | had done:
and then I'D lose my place. Besides,
the lady wouldn't pay for It. know
she'd be awful mad. You see it's an
Easter bonnet"
"Oh, an Easter bonnetr' said Mr..
Merrick, slowly. s'And it's worth ill.,
teen dollars? Well. as long As il Is
bought, II doesn't matter who the pur-
chaser Is, 1 suppose. III take the bon
net"
" Your and the child's face was
radiant with joyful relief. Then she
added; doubt.ully; But you cant wear
IL, sir"
mo. ] suppose not, even at Easter.
But my sister may be able TO fix it up
and make II quite respectable"
q hypocrite! You know you never
mean TO let your sister know what 4
fool you have made OF yourself. Throw
ing away fifteen dollars 70 CRAFTY
whim' To own . bonnet that might
have adorned the head Of woman YOU
DO not intend 70 marry! The chiId's
eager eyes seemed to confront him with
his folly. He hastily put the money in
70 an envelope, sealed it. and handed
i TO the little errand girl. There, tell
your mistress the truth, and don't try
70 conceal anything; because. lust think
q the agony Of the unknown lady. II
her bonnet doesn't arrive in time for
Easter. Goodbye
lie did not ask her name, nor give
her his in answer % her grateful peti-
lion. He felt as II she must be laugh
ing at him inwardly. and he wished 10
get rid Of her and never TO see her again
The one witness Of his lunacy. The
little girl. Mollic Burke. fastened back
Q the milliner: but her heart failed her
y she came in sight of the forewoman's I
harp countenance, very Miss Kwag's (
or acidity. She handed up the en- /
'elope, without word.
Where's the bill, childP"
"She didn't send any" faltered Mol
10.
The forewoman uttered an impatient
reclamation. "Somc people are the
arelessestV' Then. turning TO the
'ook-keeer: Miss Green, You'll have
o make out new bill and send IL. re-
eipted, TO Miss Darcy.n
Mollie heard the name. and wished
he could have told her bencfactor.
rho, perhaps. might know the lady.
Ieanwhile. Mr.. Merrick had locked his
brary door. placed the bonnet upon
is table. and established himself in his
asy-chair directly in front Of il. His
YES were fixed on his purchase, but bis
thoughts were mile away. Yes, it
'as just about mile from his house to
he home Of Agnes; and IL was two
'eeks since he had assembled that long
ight q steps or seen Agnes face 1t
~ window. Two weeks! Two wears,
lther, II seemed to him. Why. three |
lonths ago he had thought himself the
appiest man that ever walked the
reefs Of New York. The most beau ,
full woman in the world, the only per- !
ct one, belonged to him. And now 4
w hasty. angry words had parted
lem forever What had they quar- !
lied about? He could scarcely re-
ember
But be had been jealous. and she had /
scented u. She had said she would
'ver see him again. and he must abide b
I her word. With his steady gray i
'es fixed sternly on the coqueftish b
'nnet, he remained for nearly an hour \
81 in reverie, until his sister called
m 10 supper. Then he came out Or
g library, locking the door behind u
m. II
/" What have you got locked ND in
ercg' demanded the gay little lady Il
10 presided over his bachelor estab- 81
hmrnt d
Oh! my papers are lying all about,
q +. don't want things disturbed" re- >,
cJ Mr.. Mesrick. I.
The next day Mr.. Merrick locked up Il
J purchase before going to business; 81
! The following morning he was called
my suddenly, and went out leaving
. bonnet in full view on the table.
} had been in his Office two hours be- d
9 he remembered that the key Of the
ravy was IN the door. and not in his
cxet. About an hour after his de- a,
rtrre, his sister Ethel. entering the
pm, with gay song on her lips. ID
pped short in establishment. and the III
e died abruptly.
I A lady's bonnet! Hugh Merrick! il,
mes Darcy was quite right ID break
the engagement. Where did the &C
cfch get itP's ps
the table, she lifted the 10
mayed article and scrutinized il care
~. ~
! Well. / neyerr Can II be her hon IN