Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-12-01

"Smitten, eh?" said the edi! or, as the
bandbpx containing the treasure between
them.
swell. yes. 1 am, and no mis:ake!" re-
turned Knowlton. THAT g the gill have
been looking for-I wonder how I can ev-
er become acquainted with herr"
"Fhat is easy enough said BsU s"ay.
"You keepa fancy store. don't YOU? Well,
open an artifc., fog .r d4p,rtm mt, AMI
buy your goods at this establishment; ask
the proprietor TO let this beauty wait on
you; improve the acquaintance and trust
to luck y
Capital" said Knowlton. "1lldo it,
And he did,
The bonnet reached Freetown in due
course, and many blessings ere invoked
upon Bachelor Knowlton's head by the d.
itor's delighted wife, who had been in
formed of the incidents of the purchase,
and who wore the hush .nd's appreciated
gift 80 daintlly ard with an air of such
supreme elegance as o win at once the ap-
plause AID envy of the whole village
3 ,wshay himself had more solid comfort
| for his five dollars than any fifty dollars he
ever spent.
/ And while this 'love of bonnet" was
creating such sensation in Freetown, it
was exciting powerful influence still in
/ New York. Following his literary friend 8
| advice, Knowlton became a customer at
the store where the now famous example
of the milliner's skill had been purchased.
According to programme and arrangement
with the owner, the bio ming young girl
who had facinated his senses at first sight
waited upon him.
! She was not as dif1ident as he expected.
She served him with exquisite grace, an
swered his questions, listened to his diffu-
sive and effusive remarks with an enchant-
ing air, seemed to like the young fellow
immensely; and after a few weeks the pro-
prietor thought he had not done very
good thing in allowing Jenny to wait ON
.ha new customer, as he took up too much
O., her time over very small purchases, and
81 emed to be waiting on her, rather than
sh e On him.
At last he demonstrated. The next day
he dropped in to buy he found the charn-
ing young lady more cordial and merry
than ever before. and his lntoxic ted SEN
ses reeied will delight; so that he d not
know-as his grand mother used to say =
whether he was standing on his head or
his heels All at once the fair girls
sweet voice startled him beyond measure.
In silver tones of dulcet softness, with a
world of insinuation in them, she asked.
as she leaned over the counter, beaming
upon him with melting smile
you are becoming very fond of me-
aren's You?'' -.-- L
Like Clark Russell's ''Grosvenor" in a
cross sea, his mind was taken ''all aback''
sinking wrong end first.
Because, continued the lovely girl, 81
don't want to create false impression. l
am married. My husband is an invalid at
present, but will not always be so, and 1
expect to leave this stu alton soon. I took
it to keep the wolf from the door, but l
haven't found it necessary to grow pale
and thin over it, and as always believe
in looking at the bright side, l am, my
friends tell me younger looking than am :"
Knowlton was dazed, but he heard every
word as she went on
Now like you very much-I liked you
the first time 1 saw you. 1t seemed so
good of you to urge your friend so earn
estly to buy bonnet for his wife. You
continued conversation about it, you re-
member, that had evidently begun in the
street. Mr.. Know lton, my married life
has been very happy, and although my
hus band is sick, he is in condition to get
we'll again. and the future is bright with
hope. have thought all along that you
only wanted good wife to complete YOU
and have picked out one for you, who, if
you take to and are fortunate enough to
win. will make your life happy. have a
sister who is just like me in everything-a
counterpart in fact. She is employed in
store something like this, farther up the
street. ! will give you a letter of intro
daction, if you like. 1 sell flowers, she
sells feathers. You can make her ac-
qnafntance-buy feathers, etc., and, in
time, you may be intimate enough to ask
if you may call upon her. shall say moth
ing so her meanwhile, unless you desire
it; but if you make slow pro ress, 1 will
arrange so that you can meet her at nv
CHI
I. you like me. you ousht to like her. How
does the proposition strike you?"
At last the merry little woman ended
her speech. and waited until her would De
admirer had recovered sufficiently to make
answer. The novelty of the whole affair.
from the buying Of the bonnet to the pro-
posed introduction 10 second fair one,
caused the "dumbfoundedly perplexed"
bachelor to exclam:
swell. this is the oldest experience 1
have ever had have always said that
my state should be one of single blessed
ness, and hereI am in the matrimonial
net. caught fast. Yes, I'll see your sist-
r." said Knowlton, decidedly, jumping to
his feet and giving the stool whirl-"I'll
see your sister. And if she is half as jol-
" and good as yourself, Ill do my best to
wed her,
Feathers proved az excellent a pretext
AZ d ,wers. Knowton made extraordna-
ry progress in few brief weeks, and ''Sis-
ter Hattie" who was, if anything, more
lovely than Jennie. was captured complete
~ Their first meeting was and example
IF the Simultaneous. strong mutual liking,
md as the days sped on it deepened.
Knowlton prospered in his business and
prnspered in his love. .Jennie's husband