St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-04-06
VOLUME 46---NUMBER 1884.

was disgraceful. Had Lesbia thought
mt TO pour storm of reprOach upon
me, and order me to quit her presence,
she would have been fully justified.
However, she did nothing of the kind,
but sat in her favorite corner knitting,
and apparently paying no attention to
the Irritation, or something more seri-
Gus, which was proceeding under her
very eyes.
Soon matters reached a climax. |
could no longer deceive myself | was
hopelessly in love with Ethel Crofton,
and | felt bound in honor to inform
her aunt, and to throw myself on the
fair spinster's mercy before | made
the avowal of my love to Ethel.
| found Lesbia alone one day, so |
took the little key from my waistcoat
pocket and handed to her.
"And what is this for, Robert ?" she
asked, gravely.
In shameless manner, | said
Il can't marry you-l love Ethel.n
ooh, Robert-Robert !" said Miss
CrOfton, putting her handkerchief to
her eyes "what can | say to You
Only "a month ago | was indispensable
to your future happiness, and vet you
forsake me for the first young face You
see ;" and she appeared to sob bit
terly.
at was the china" expostulated.
81 see and now you think you can
have Ethel and the china, too. and
prefer a young bride and old china to
an old bride and old china. Faith
less man ~
lost my temper utterly, and | am
| tn f,ll -
"Hang the china ~ | cried ''give
me Ethel, and she can smash it ali if
she likes. | don't care"
Women, | believe, under such cir
cumstances rs these, like to hear IA
man swear. 1t shows he is in earnest.
Anyway, my depOsed bride leaned
back in her chair, and laughed so
heartily that | knew matters would
In great delight, caught her in my
arms, and for once gave her kiss of
real affection.
''Did you think | was going to let
you marry me for the sake of few
cups and saucers ?" she cried 81 am
not such a stupid old woman as that.
But, in truth, Robert, | have grown
very fond of you, so if Ethel will have
you, take her. But only on conditions"
"Name them, dear Miss CrOfton :"
exclaimed "anything- you
wish"
"YOu must prove the earnestness
of your love for my darling girl, and
the recovery from your insanity, by
sending me your Chelsea as present
| shall then give the whole set to the
South KensingtOn or Jermyn Street
Museum"
} | mustn't tell you all about our love
making, or Mrs. Headley would never
forgive me but Ethel and | arranged
matters very quickly, and upon my
return home that evening, | opened
my cabinet, and almost without a
pang packed my two cups and saucers,
teapot, and sugar-basin in cotton
wool, and the next morning forwarded
them to Miss Crofton. You have seen
Ethel, and dare say you think | did
not make a bad exchange.
81 should think not" | said. "But
how comes the set to he in your cabi-
net now ?'
The old lady kept me in great sus-
pense all the time Ethel and | were
engaged, and, although hid my feel
ings, began soon to think that it
would be very nice to have Ethel and
the china, but dared not hint such IL
thing to Miss Crofton, who, moreover,
teased me dreadfully by praising in
Ethefs presence my generosity in
making her so beautiful present.
While on our honeymoon / thought
no more of it-in fact, gave it up for
lost ; and you may guess my joy
when we returned to town to see in
my room a strange cabinet, with the
set as you see it now. SO l got "a
good wife and completed the service
as well.
Just then the door opened and a
voice said, with assumed petulance {:
care you gentlemen never coming ?
Aunt Lesbia is up stairs, Robert, and
wishes to see you before her carriage
fetches her"
LET us go up, Burke" said Headley,
as we finished the last of the claret {;
''and if you want any more particulars
of my Chelsea mania, Miss CroftOn
will give them to you."-[ All The Year
Round.