The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-09-27

JuSu NIlilt lJ lltcllS.
Miss Liddy proceeded to disrobe her
self and put on the spidcrnct gown.
As she did SO the changes in fashions
mandates became only too evident. II
had no waist to speak Of, and just q
little lace-trimmed puff for sleeves.
Miss Lildy was evidently surprised.
She had not thought Of this. ! knew
well what the troubled look upon her
face meant, and | pitied her maiden
sensibil'ios. Could it be possible that
her grandmother, Mrs. Capt. Simon
Ludkins, had ever worn such gown rs
this? She said not word that could
Indicate the depth OF her modification,
but her face was II study for an artist.
There must be sleeves she mnr-
INJURED, after a few moments of silent
and embarrassed contemplation.
"Yes,' l replied, checrfully as my
constrained gravity would allow. And
you might have tichu and llounce on
the bottom"
She looked down. She had not be-
fore realized that the skirt of the VEN
Grated relic lacked full quarter Of q
yard of touching the floor.
However could .hey!' she calculated
in an undertone. But she quickly re-
covered herself, and looked up to me
checrfully over her spectaclcs.
How ingenious you arc!' she said,
with an air Of sweet relief. Il knew
YOU would help me out"
| We went out together and bought
the requisite null that day, but when
We came to put it beside the "venerated
relic" OF Ms. Captain Iuakins i was
color OF the latter that the two were
most unfortunately unlike.
"We can lay it out on the grass" /
said; 'thesa June days are just the
thing for it, and as it will be evening,
nobody will in the least notice
! Again Miss Lydl. smiled gratefully,
and declared that my suggestion should
he carried out.
The Rev. Nehemiah Applebloom-"A
Miss I.yddv, and she blnshed aud
smiled Ike schoolgirl in her teens
had bat short fur.oush, and the mar
riage was to transpi,e next week. SC
the relic was put out to bleach forth
with. 1t had already been put upon
the grass three days and nights, and
had been religiouslv watered hy Miss
Lyddy ut morn and noon and dewy
exc, ard the next day it was to be taken
up early and put into the drcssmaker's
hands for the necessary alterations,
wien the dreadful event oc oc:urrcd with
which this narrative opens.
GLORY" said, do you keep watcl
for Miss Lydly when she returns
Say nothing about what has happened
unless she misses tho gown from thu
grass. In that case tell her that
thought it was bleachel enough ant
took it up to dry, and you don't know
where | have put it. l am going on
now, but If she asks where, tell her yor
don't know"
Glory was faithful, and had hesid,
the natural craft of her race, and
knew that she could he trusted. A.
for me, | swiftly donned my bonne
and set out to find Maj. Hawthorne
1t was bright June evening, and m,
wax through the meadow and tht
grove tha. skirtcd Hawthornedeal
would have been more delightful ON,
if l had borne mind more ut ease
The MAJOR was gentleman 10y birth
but he lived out his fifty bachelor years
in gay and careless way that ha
seemed tn set the gentler part of hi
creation ut defiance in the lifetime o
his parents. Hawthorneiean had beer
many muks of wealthy and cultivate,
ownership, but it was sadly run down
rs the home of bachelor is apt to he
The grove. which had once been tn
] pride of the place, was grown up wit
} brush now, and the sere leaves of man
summers growth rustled under my fee
as l walked through it. At one point
J coming suddenly around a thick clnmI
OF underground, heard 4 chorns q
: tiny snorts and the scampcring Q
number.ess hoofs, and l knew that
had invaded haunt of the Majors las
agricultural freak, the very brood G
Berkshire pigs that We're the source 9
} nil my Borrowed woes. Away the
, scampered. their snouis we'll raised i
} the air, aud each with curl in his tai
) that seemed too ornamental to b
/ wholly the product of nature and I
Justify the village rumor that tn
Majors own man put those tails i'll cur
, papers every night. They had the nj
OF spoiled children, every one, an
r were evidently the Majors pets. Blu
that didn't matter: they had RUNE
/ Miss Lyady's wedaing-gown, to 81
nothing of other aggravating exploit
| which do not belong to this story, an
I n Il ,..%s
: ont OF their owner.
!. 1 found the Major sitting on h
Y piazza, with an after-,lianer look upo
his hand ONE, good-humorcl face. Ii
Q rose tn greet me with an air of oil,
$ school politeness, dashed with Il fair
wonder that /, Il woman, should ha,
G had the hardihood to approach a plaS
I so little frequented by women.
g Good evening, Miss Grace. / a
t happy to Sc you. In what can ha,
the honor to serve you?"
l lie had read my face, and knew th'
l had come on n mission.
h "Mai. Hawthorne" | said, payir
e no attention to his offer of chair,
Q have come on very painful erranl. :
It "Sit down, madam, said the Malol
| politely. Il cannot possibly permit
" lady to stand on my piazza. / ongll
& perhaps, to ask You to walk in, but it
: rather stuify inside this evening""
a No" / said, Il will sit here, if W
I, please" To tell the truth, indoors,
y seen through the windows, had not Il
/ most inviting look, and l was glad
l compromise.
|. You have, no doubt. heard
y plunging in medias res-"that Mi
Lydia Ludkins is about to he ma
d ried?"
It Married! Miss Lydia! No, Hadr
h heard word of it, said the Major,
genuine amazement Who is the for
IS unate man, pray?'
&c The Rev. Nehemiah Applebleom,
q missionary to the Mieronesian Island
q who has come home to recruit Il
II health and find wife,"
E. Il know him." said the Major. ia
A 4