River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-09-28

We went out together and bought
the requisite null that day, but wheI
we came to put it beside the even
Grated relic" of Mrs. Captain Ludkins
it was evident that time had SO enrich
the color of the latter that the two were
most unfortunately unlike.
"We can only lay it out on the grass,
| said; .'these June dews are just the
thing for it, and as it will be evening
nobody will in the least notice."
Again Miss Liddy smiled gratefully
and declared that my suggestion should
be carried out in the most faithful
manner.
The Rev. Nehemiah Applebloom-
"a lovely name, don't you think SOP
said Miss Liddy, and she blushed and
smiled like schoolgirl in her teens
had but short furlough, and the mar.
rage was to transpire the next week
so the relic was put out to bleach forth.
with. 1t had already been put upon the
grass three days and nights and had
been religieusly watered by Miss Liddy
at morn and noon and dewy eve, and
the next day it was to be taken up
early and put into the dressmak er's
hands for the necessary alterations,
when the dreadful event occurred with
which this narrative opens.
"Glory," l said, edo you keep watch
for Miss Liddy 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 l 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 she could be trusted. As for me,
l swiftly donned my bonnet and set
out to find Major Hawthorne. 1t was
bright June evening, and my walk
through the meadow and the grove
that skirted Hawthorndean would have
been delightful one if 1 had borne d
mind more at ease. The major was a
gentleman by birth, but he had lived
out his fifty bachelor years in gay
and careless way that had seemed to
set the gentler part of creation at de-
6ance. In the lifetime of his parents
HawthOrndean had been a beautiful
estate. 1t still retained many marks
of wealth and cultivated ownership,
but it was sadly run down, as the home
of bachelor is apt to be. The grove,
which had once been the pride Of the
place, was grown up to brush now, and
the sere leaves of many summers
growth rustled under my feet as /
walked through it. At one point,
coming suddenly around thick clump
of underground, | heard a chorus of
tiny snorts and the scampe-ing of
numberless hoofs, and knew that | had
invaded a haunt of the Majors 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,
and each, with curl in his tail that
the product of nature and to justify
the village rumor that the majors own
hands put those tails in curl-papers
every night. They had the air ofspoiled
children, every one, and were evident
ly the Majors pets. But that didn't
matter, they had ruined Miss Liddy's
wedding gown, to say nothing of their
aggravating exploits which do not be-
long to this story, and | was deter
mined to have satisfaction out of their
owner.
found the Major sitting on the piaz
"a, with an after-dinner look upon his
handsome, good-humored face. He
rose to greet me with an air of old
school politeness, dashed with faint
wonder that [, woman, should have
the hardihood to approach place so
little frequented by women.
Good evening, Miss Grace. I am
happy to see you. In what can have
the honor to serve your"
He had read my face and knew that
I came on a mission.
Major Hawthorne" said, paying
no attention to his offer of a chair, 81
have come on very painful errand."
"Sit down, madam" said the Major,
polite II. ii cannot possibly permit
lady to stand on my piazza. l ought,
perhaps, to ask you to walk in, but it is
rather stuffy inside this evening"
, No. 1 said. 81 will sit here il you
please" To tell the truth, indoors as
seen through the windows, had not
the most inviting look, and | was glad
to compromise,
"You have no doubt heard"-plung-
ing in medids res, that Miss Lydia
Ludkins is about to be married."
married ! Miss Lydia No Hadn't
heard word of it," said the Major in
genuine amazement. "Who is the
fortunate man, pray?"
"The Rev. Nehemiah Applebloom,
a missionary to the Micronesian islands,
who has come home to recruit his
health and find wife,
"I know him." said the Major. "Saw
him down at the station-a long, lean,
lank individual-just fit for his voca-
ton no temptation whatever to cam
nibals But what the duce is he going
to do with Miss Lydia? What will
Baiaam's Corners do without her ?"
"Balaam's Corners must do the best
il cam" ] said fear little sharply
for my mind was still in a most ag-
gressive state towards the Major.
"They are to be married next week
and"
"What will become of the 'ancestors?'
interpolated the Major, in whom sur
prise had got the better of habitual po-
likeness.
"Oh, she has made arrangements
with Mr.. Crow about that"
"Just like her. Dear faithful girl"
The Major had all his life loved all
the sex-not one-and | was not be-
guiled by this show of feeling.
''She had set her heart on being mar
ried in her grandmother's wedding
gown"
"Old Mrs. Captain Simon? Iremem-
Der her well. A mighty fine wo men.
She would have gone to the ends of the
earth with missionary. It's the Graz
lest scheme 1 ever heard Of"
l began to fear that | should never
get at my errand.
at was put on the grass to bleach,
being little yellow with age. 1t was
a lovely embroidered India muslin that
the old captain brought home from In
dia himself"
"How we'll remember him in my
boyhood! A jolly old soul! A grand
daughter of his to go off to the Canni-
BILE Islands to DE eaten up by savagesl
| won't have it.
"Her heart is set upon going" con-
tinued. "The wedding gown was put
out to bleach, and this very afternoon
those little Berkshire pigs of yours
they are nuisance to the whole neigh
borhood, Major-trampled and root