Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-02-22

ways of paying fees, but not for the
world would / tell this blushing, shy,
bewitching girl before me the truth.
81 don't presume" | began.
"Oh, no, am sure you DON'T was
going to tell you about ii. Papa al
ways makes mis- confidential man,
Baker, put the same change every
morning into his pockets, and in the
evening, when Baker turns out the
pockets, he just puts down in book
what il missing, and makes up the
number of the coins the next morn
ing. He does it Just the same every
morning"
was getting rather puzzled myself
now, and could think of nothing more
original than
Indeed J"
eyes, it's quite true, or you see |
shouldn't have known about it." Here
the fair vision blushed still more.
Baker puts in sovereign, a half
crown piece-he finds these rather diff
cult to get sometimes-half a crown, a
shilling, sixpence, four-penny piece,
a threepenny piece, penny, half
penny and farthing.
"a very complicated way of keeping
ones money, isn'tit or, perhaps, com
plicated for Baker" / said, feeling it
perfectly impossible to repress smile,
though Miss Dillon's sweet, earnest
mouth kept so grave.
"No, 1t is quite simple when one I'M
derstapds, because Baker knows exact
y what sovereign, half.sovereign-
and all the rest comes to- forget
what it is--but, on, Mr.. Merrifeld I
baker knew yesterday, we had been to
consult q new physician, and in the
evening there was only threepenpy
bit and farthing missing, and so-and
80 | knew mean Baker knew-and
he told me that papa had given you
something by mistake. 1t was wasn't
the farthipg, | can account for that,
and-but was it the threepenny piece,
Or?
"Pray, dear Miss Dillon, don't distress
yourself about such little matter" l
said hastily. "Any time will"
"Oh, no, but papa thinks he paid you,
because he said to me he never gave 81
fee with so much pleasure, so now I
begin to think he must have-given
you" Miss Dillon quite gasped, so
fastened to fill in her pause, this time
feeling quite distressed at her trouble.
"Your father gave me very good
ginger lozenge, Miss Dillol; one OF
those little mistakes which will occur
now and then. Pray don't make your
self the least uneasy about it,"
"How very kind you are" she said,
again holding out her hand, which l
took, and forgot to let go till she had
done speaking. AZ felt sure it must be
that, and then l thought perhaps you
would think us imposters, and | knew
you would be too much of a gentleman
to mention it, and so-do you think
was wrong | came off with Mrs.
Brown this morning and made up my
mind | would explain the mistake, only
it was 80 dreadful. But / don't mind,
now that you look so kind about it..
And then, would you do me a great
favor, DR.. Mortified Would you
mind not appearing to know anything
about it, or that | came, or
anything, because papa doesn't know |
am out; he is not down yet; and he
would be so distressed, he might never
come again, and / should be so sorry,
as you suit him exactly"
pray, don't call this favor" said,
as gravely as | could. 81 think you
will believe Inc when | say that, with
out even knowing your wishes on the
subject, ] should never have mentioned
the-the lozenge."
~ don't know how to thank you
Now l must CO." And then Miss Dill
Jon put that small gloved hand into her
muf and drew it out again, holding it
out toward me once more, and this
time felt little square bit of paper in
my hand. Somehow our eyes met, and
in spite of the gravity of the occasion
we both laughed, feeling, | am sure, We
should never again be afraid OF each
other as he said
"Please, DIR. Merrifeld, don't laugh
at me. Is this the right way to give q
fee, because l must tell you this is the
first time in my life had to give a
fee. Isuppose some day | shall be i'll
and want DOCTOR but | never, never
have wanted to go to one before. And
it wasn't for myself this timG was it.?
will bear witness--I mean, hope you
won't mention it; good by. Now,
Brown am ready"
And Just as ray of sunshine some
time comes into ones room, gllimmers,
dance and Eliminates the place for a
time, and then suddenly disappears,
so Lucia Dillon had come and gone,
and that noisy four wheeler took of
my vision of fair hair, leaving me with
golden sovereign and a new half shil-
ling wrapped up in a small half s eet
of paper, on the top OF which was
stamped the address of their London
house. l folded the piece of paper
and put it away in a pocket book
among my tressurers, such as my dear
mother sfrst letter to me at school, and
the flower that little girl of seven
years old had dropped when l, nine
year-old urchin, mad fallen desperately
In love with her. There was nothing
there unworthy to lie next to the
paper which Lucia billions fingers had
| touched.
Later in the day l received note
| from Mr. Dillon. begging nae. if | were