The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-08-02

y
then Just what it needs"
Miss Lyddy proceeded to dsrobe her.
self and put on the spider-net gown.
As she did so, the changes in fashions
mandates became only too evident. 1t
had no waist to speak Of, and just lit
tie lace.trimmed puff for sleeves. Miss
Lyddy was evidently surprised. She
had not thought of this | knew well
what the troubled look upon her face
meant, and | pitied her maiden SENSIBLE
tiles. Could it be possible that her
grandmother Mrs. Captain Simon Lud-
klns had ever worn such gown as thisp
She said not word that could indicate
the depth Of her modification, bat her
face was a study for an artist.
There must be sleeves she muir
INJURED, after few moments Of silent
and embarra led contemplation
yes" ] replied, cheerfully as my
constrained gravity would allow. "And
you might have fichu and flounce on
the bottom
She looked down. She had not be-
fore realized that the skirt of the ven
Grated relic lacked a full quarter of
yard Of touching the floor.
However could they" she calculated
in an undertone. But she quickly re-
covered herself and looked up to me
cheertully over her spectacles.
How ingenious you are" she said,
with an air of sweet relief 81 knew
you would help me OUT
We went ont together and bought the
requisite null that day, but when we
came to put it beside the generated
relic" Of Mrs, Captain Ludkins it was
evident that time had so enriched the
color of the latter that the two were most
unfortunately unlike.
I'VE can lay it out on the grass" |
said; 'these June dews are Just the
thing for it, and as it will be evening
nobody viii in the least notice
Again Miss Lyddy smiled gratefully,
and declared that my suggestion should
be carried out in the most faithful man
ner
The Rev Nehemiah Applebloom---
"A lovely name, don't YOU think sop
said Lyddy, and she blushed and smiled
like schoolgirl in her teens-had but
a short furlough, and the marriage was
10 transpire the next week, so the relic
was put out to bleach forthwith. II had
already been on the grass three days
and nights and had been religiously
watered by Miss Lyddy at morn and
noon and dewy eve, and the next day it
was to be taken up early and put into
the drcs,maker's hands for the neces-
sary alterations, when the dreadful
event occurred with which this narrative
opens.
GLORY" | said, edo you keep watch
for Miss Lyddy when she returns. Say
nothing about what has happened un-
less she misses the gown from the grass.
In that case tell her that ! 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 could be trusted As for
me, swiftly donned my bonnet and set
out to find Major Hawthorne 1t was
a bright June evening. and my walk
through the meadow and the grove that
skirted Hawthorndeau would have been
delightful one if ! had borne a mind
more at ease. The Major was a gentle
man by birth, but he had lived out his
| fifty bachelor years in gay and care
less way that had seemed TO set the
| gentler part Of creation at defiance In
| the lifetime of his parents Hawthorndeau
| had been a beautiful estate. II still re-
| tanned many small marks Of wealthy
and cultivated ownership but it was
sadly run down, as the home Of a bach
| elor is apt TO be- The grove, which had
once been the pride of the place, was
| grown up 10 brush now, and the Sere
! leaves of many summers growth ruStled
under my feet as | walked through it.
At one point coming suddenly around
a thick clump of underground, | heard
a chorus of tiny snorts and the scamp
ering of numberless hoofs, and knew
thatI had invaded a haunt Of the Major
last agricultural freak, the very brood
OF Berkshire pigs that were the source
of all my borrowed woes. Away they
scampered, their shouts well raised in
the air. and each with curl in its tail
that seemed too ornamental to be Who'll
" the product of nature and to justify
the village rumor that the Majors man
put those tails in curl-papers every
night They had the air of spoiled
children, every one, and were evidently
the Majors pets, But that didn't mat
ter; they had ruined Miss Lyddy's we'd
ding gown, to say nothing of dozen
other aggravating exploits which do
not belong to this story, and | was de-
termined to have satisfaction out of their
owner
found the Major sitting on his piazza
with an after-dinner look upon his
handsome, good-humored face, He rose
to greet me with an air of old-school
politencss, dashed with a faint wonder
that l. woman, should have had the
hardihood to approach place so little
frequented by women.
Good evening Miss Grace. l am
happy to see YOU In what can have
the honor to serve you"
He had read my face and knew that
| had come on n mission.
"Major Hawthorne" | said, paying
no attention TO his offer of chair,
81 have come on a very painful err