The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1882-10-14
makers hands rCr tne necessary altera-
finnS when tho 1lraadfial ayant nccnrrad

SIe misses the gown from tue SIdSS. LII
that case tell her that l thought it was
bleached enough and took it UP to dry,
and YOU don't know where | have put
it. / am going out now, but if she asks
where, tell her you don't know"
Glory was faithful, and had, besides,
the natural craft of her race, and knew
that she was to be trusted. As for ME, l
swiftly donned my bonnet and set out to
find Maj. Hawthorne. 1t was bright
June evening, and my walk through the
meadow and grove that skirted Haw-
thornedean would have been delightful,
one if had borne mind more at ease.
The major was gentleman by birth, but
he had lived out his fifty bachelor years,
in Il gay and careless way that had seemed
to set the gentler part of creation at de-
fiance. In the lifetime of his parents
Hawthornedean had been a beautiful es
tate. 1t still retained many marks of
wealthy and cultivated ownership, but it
was sadly run down, as the home of a
bachelor is apt to be. The grove, which
had once been the pride of the place,
was grown up to bush now, and the sere
leaves of many summers growth rustled
under my feet as walked through it.
At one point, coming suddenly around n
thick clump of underground, l heard a
chorus of tiny snorts, and the scamper-
ing of numberless hoofs, and knew that
had invaded haunt of the majors last
agricultural freak, the very brood of
Berkshire pigs that were the source of
ali my borrowed woes. Away they
scampered, their shouts we'll raised i'll
air, and each, with curl In his tail that
seemed too ornamental to be wholly the
product of nature and to justify the vii
hot ~ We MI
those tails in curl papers every night.
They had the air Of spoiled children,
every one, and were evidently themajor's
pets But that didn't matter, they had
ruined Miss Leddy's weddinggown, to say
nothing OF other aggravatlng exploits
which do not belong to this story, and
was determined to have satisfaction ou
of their owner.
l found the major on his piazza. with
an after dinner look upon his handsome
good humored face He rose to gree
me with an air of old school polteness
dashed with faint wonder that l, a wo
man. should have the hardihood to APP
preach a place SO little frequented by wo
men.
GOOD evening, Miss Grace, am hap
py to see you. In what can have the
honor to serve YOU"
He had read in my face and knew tina
| had come on mission.
Maj. Hawthorne" I said, paying nc
attention to his offer OF a chair, Il have
come on very painful Grand"
''Sit down, madam" said the major
politely. Il can not possibly permit .
'ady to stand on my piazza. l ought
perhaps, to ask you to walk in, but it is
rather stutfy inside this evening"
NO, l will. sit here if you please
10 tell the truth, indoors, as seen through
the windows, had not the most iuvitins
look. and was glad to compromise.
"Iou have no doubt heard"-plungins
in medals res, THAT Lydia Ludkins is
about to be married"
Married. Miss Lydia! No! Hadn't
heard word of it." said the major, il
genuine amazement "Who is the for.
tunate man, pray?'
The Rev. Nehemiah Applebloom, s
miss :onary to the Micronesian Islands
who has come home to recruit his healtl
and find wife"
81 know him." said the major. "Saw
him down at the station-a long, lean
lank individuality fit for his vocation
no temptation whatever to cannibals,
But what the deuce is he going to dc
with Miss Lydia? What vii! Balaam's
Corners do without her?"
Baiaam's Corners must do the best IT
can" | said-I fear little sharply-fol
my mind was still in a most aggressive
state toward the major.
They are to be married next week
and"
"What will become of the ancestors"
irterpolated the ma jor, in whom sur
prise seemed to have gotten the better
of habitual politeness.
ooh, she has made arrangements with
Mr.. Crow about that"
Gust like her. Dear, faithful girl"
The major had all his life loved all the
sex-not one-and L was not to be be-
guled by this show of feeling.
She had set her heart upon 3eing
married in her grandmother's wedding
gown"
"Old Mrs. Capt. Simon? l remember
her well. A mighty fine woman. She
never would have gone to the ends OF
the earth with a missionary. Its the
craziest scheme [ ever heard Of"
began to fear l should neverg get to
my errand.
1T was put out on the grass to bleach
being little yellow with age. 1t was
lovely embroidered India muslin that
the Id captain brought home from In
dia himself"
How well l remember him in my
boyhood! A jolly old soul! A grand
daughter Of his 90 off to the Cannibal
Islands to be eaten up by savages! won't
have it"
''Her heart is set upon going,"I con-
tinued "The wedding gown was put out
to bleach, and this very afternoon those
Berkshire pigs of yours-they are nui-
sance to the whole neighborhood, major
-trampled and rooted it to pieces, so
that it is utterly ruined"
Little black rascalsw said the major,
with chuckle behind her nechcloth.
''And have come, without his knowl-
edge, to tell you Of it, because was sure
that, under the circumstances, gentle
man of your breeding would feel in
honor bound to make some PREPARATION
to Miss Lydia"
The mayor unused and looked at his
boot for moment in silence.
miss Grace" he said at length. II
thank you for the service you have rem
dered me in this matter Will you have
the goodness to say to Miss Ludkins,
with my compliments that / shall do
myself the honor to wait upon her tomor-
row at 10 o'clock, to adjust this unfortu-
nate matter? l beg in the meantime
that she wll herself as little solicitude as
possible, for though / can not restore
the ancient and venerated dry goods, 1
Will do the best that is possible under the
circumstances to make the loss good"
He bowed over my hand, and the aud
fence was evidently concluded. Was I
satisfied? No, indeed! What woman
would not have felt wronged to be left
at the end eff mission Of disinterested
benevolence in such state of doubt and
uncertainty as this? But l was obliged
to 90 home, nevertheless, and wait as
patiently as could for the stroke of ten
next morning.
Glory had been in hearing when the
message had been delivered to Miss Ly-
dia, and she, too, was on the watch. At
last she scudded in from the hedge, her
worries all aglisten, and her eyes wide
open and fnll of rather incomprehell-
sible mirth.
"He's comin'," she said; and such
sight!''
At that minute the gate clicked, and
up the walk strobe, indeed. most as
tonishing fguae. The major had gotter.