The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-01-12
my Herman"

w
Engaged to Herman Stacyp
Miss Hanson sank down in the
garden seat beside which she had
been at work, and looked helplessly
up at her sister.
Miss Mabel Hanson was maiden
lady, as her name betokcns. She
was quite five and thirty, if the
family register on the tiy-leaf of the
great family Bible in the parlor was
to be believed; yet her eyes were as
blue, her color as bright, her figure
as trim and neat, and her chesnut
hair as soft and pretty as when
Herman Stacy, then poor young
lawyer, just on the point of leaving
their native village for the great
city, had wooed and won her, in
that very garden, fifteen years ago,
Beside her stood her orphan
niece, Patricia, "a girl of the period,
just seventeen in years, but, oh, how
much older in thought and feeling,
and il practical knowledge of life
than her little aunt.
Patricia was the only child of
Miss Hanson's only brother, who,
dying penniless artist in New
York, had given the baby, with his
last breath, 10 his sisters care.
For the child's sake Mabel Han
son had refused to marry the young
lawyer-to impose such a burden
upon him at the beginning of his
career. She had devoted herself
ever since to Patricia, had labored
for her, taught her, boarded up ner
scanty means to give her luxuries
and pleasures, loved her, idolized
her; and this was her reward!
Standing there in her fresh young
beauty, and her pretty, fashionable
summer attire, Patricia carelessly
told the story that seemed so little
to her, while it quenched the last
hope, that unknown to herself till
now, had shone over the lonely
spinster's path.
Five years before that day, Her.
man Stacy had returned to Camp
town, and returned as he had vowed
to do, (after her rejection of him)
it's wealthiest and most influential
man.
On the hill where his fathers
farm formerly stood, he built a
princely mansion, and filled it with
the pictures and statutes which he
had collected during a two years
tour in Europe.
Thither he came for four months
every summer, spending the rest of
his time between Washington and
New York, whittier double inter-
est, as politician and railroad
drew him with magnetic
force.
Mabel Hansen had heard marvel
GUS tales of the splendor of the
great house on the hill. But she
had never entered it, nor to her
knowledge had Patricia ever done
so. And now in her bewilderment,
her first question was:
But where did you ever see Her.
man Stacy, Patricia? Not in Camp
town, I am sure
'Oh, no, auntie, it was last winter
that is, the first time-when /
went to New York with Lucy Hale
and her parents, you know. Mr..
Hale knew Mr.. Stacy, and they had
something to do with each other
about business, 1 believe. And so
and SO, they went out with us to
places of amusement; and in fact,
that was the way it all came about,
auntje, DEAR
Last winter! And it is now late
autumn-very nearly winter again
and you have just told me'
1t is so awkward to own to any
such thing said Patricia, looking
very handsome as she blushed and
laughed. I'm not sure that /
should have made the confession
even now,' she added, 'only that
Herman is coming to night or to-
morrow, and of course he will call
on me here. And you must be
ready to see him and say YES like
a dear soul as you are. Won't il
be delightful, auntie, when we can
all live up in that magnificent house
together, and you won't have tc
worry your dear old brains any lon
ger to make both ends meet at tn.
end of the year? Love may be al
very well, auntie, bnt I'll own tba,
/ do love my Herman dearly, bu,
love with plenty Of money and .
palace TO live in is far better thar
love in q cottage with an empty
purse. whatever those geese of peo
pie may say. And now I'll go and
make myself lovely, on the chance
of Herman's coming out on th'
evening train, instead of the morn
Ing ono.
Patricia kissed her aunt on botl
cheeks and ran up the garden wall
toward the house singing as sh'
went. ~ la
Miss Hansen leaned back against
the grape harbor, among the vel
lowing leaves, and closed her eyes
THANK God, ] have not betrayed
myself in spite Of the surprise sh'
Thought. Poor child! she would b
lwretched if she knew all. And
have been idiotic enough to hop
that he might remember how / 10y
led him-that he might come an
ask me to share his last years.
who am thirty FIVE, and seTe A.
faded in his eyes, no doubt. S4