The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-11-29
NEARLY ESTRANGED.

''Why don't he come?'' said Lilia1
Bourne, peeping earnestly between tn,
boughs of the monster lilac-bush, who's,
purple plumes waved to and fro in tn,
evening breeze. ''Oh, why don't ht
come? l can't possibly be mistaken
He said on Tuesday evening at seven
and it's twenty minutes past by grand
pas big clock, and, oh dear!'' with {
sigh that stirred the bunch of pansies
pinned on her left shoulder, '.thert
isn't a soul in sight"
By all the signs and symptoms
Lilian's little pink ear should have
burned that evening, for they were al
talking about her at Miss Lorinda
Larkins' tea party in Dover street.
''Oh, she's born coquette," said
Miss Lorinda. ''Two humps of sugar
did you say, or one, Betsey Young!
She can't help it. It's in her nature
| Don't you remember, Mrs Pepper
| field, what fiirt her mother was be.
| fore herp But she'll never play fast
and lose with Gilbert Dawson again
that III 90 bail!''
''Oh, do tell us all about it, Mis-
Larkins!' said the Widow Peabody,
| with her mouth full of chicken salad.
''Well, if you won't repeat it"
Repeat it! We! Never as long rs
we liver was the reply that went
around the tea-table in one accent.
''Of course" added Miss Lorinda,
cit S all quite private and confidential
between ourselves. But it was at the
Medbury's party. What business the
Medbury's have to give parties, with
bought ice-cream and two violins and a
harp, don't know
Everyone is perfectly aware that
there's a mortgage on the place, and
that her dressmaker's bill amt paid.
But that amt neither here nor there "
Il was there, in my dyed-green
gown, trimmed with Aunt Liddy's old
English lace, and l was a-lookin' at
the big orange tree in the conservatory
thet'o 0n0Jner OF Mrs hcuDury 8
sinful extravagances-whe 1 see Lily
Bourne in her white frock on the other
side of the bank of flowers, a-giglin'
and a-whisperin' with Squire Rufus
Darlin'n'
'.Myr' calculated the other ladies
with open mouths.
'And up came Mrs. Medbury, all in
a smile--she smiles twice as often as
before since she got them new false
teeth-and whispers in her ear. And
says Lily, out loud, says she, oh, l
can't! I'm engaged to Mr.. Darlin'!' :"
''No!'' cried Mrs. Pepperfield.
81 heard it with these very ears" ;"
solemnly answered Miss Lorinda.
':Engaged!" shrieked Miss Young,
whose own dimpled niece was even
then laying siege to Mr.. Darling's ada
mantine heart.
Engaged, repeated Miss Lorinda
Larkins
''And she keeping company with
Gilbert Dawson!' exclaimed the Widow
Peabody, .breathlessly.
s.But she won't never trifie with him
no more,". added Miss Lorinda, with
ill-disguised satisfaction. ''For l met
Gilbert yesterday afternoon, and I
asked him about his mothers rheuma-
tism, and what the doctor said about it;
and he never took no notice of my
questions. You know that absent way
young men have when they are in
love.
" Excuse me, Miss Larkins,' says he,
but I'm in little hurry a-lookin'
right over the top of my head, as
if l wasn't there at all. If you're
goin' to see Miss Bourne says 1,
there amt no such terrible hurry.
Says he. what do you meant?
"And he looked at me sharp enough
this time. 'Hain't you heerd? She
engaged to Squire Darling says l.
Aud says he, 1T can't be possiblen
Says L, 4 heerd it from her own lips;
and all Pekasset's talkin' about it,
says l.
'' The idea of young creeter like
that sellin' herself for money and a fine
house. For everybody knows, says l,
that that's all Rufe Darling's got to
recommend him; and he's old enough
to be her father into the bargain says
l. And he just turned around, and
without even having the politeness to
say goodbye, went off in the opposite
direction"
Young men amt accountable when
they're in love-" sighed Miss Polonia
johnson, who was suspected of bein
the poetess who wrote the love sonnets
in the Pekasset Weekly oracle.
Il amt one that NEEDLES with other
| folks affairs" said Miss Lorinda,
vicious1y. biting off a piece of soda
| biscuit and butter, ''but | shall never
encourage flirting with any man, while
YOU re engaged to another. It's clean
ag' in my principles.
And before the next days sun had
set, everybody in Pekasset knew al
about Miss Bourne's engagement tc
Squire Rufus Darling. .
Don't mind it, Gilbert" said old
Mrs. Dawson. s'DO not let n silly
girls caprices break your heart.
She lay on the sofa in the pretty little
keeping-room, where the floor was
carpeted with blue, because blue wa
Lillian Bourne's favorite color, and the
walls were papered with white-and-gol(
lilies, because the lily was her name
flower.
Fringes of pale mignonette hung OF
the window-boxes, and canary chirpet
gleefully in the sunshine; for Gilber
had made his home beautiful becaus
he wanted Lillian to like it.
Mother said the young man, wit
a tremble in his voice, 81 loved hern
ssBut YOU never were actually be
trothed," spoke the old lady, pitifully
mot in words, mother; but we un
derstood each other, and No mat
ter; it's over and past now," said Gil
bert, sadly.
Mrs. Dawson pressed his hand wit
true maternal sympathy.
''My poor boy!" she whispered
'|Try and forget her,"
II can't do that, mother. But, wit
a sudden resolve, s'Ill go away fror
here. I'll accept my Uncle Raven
burns invitation to 60 with him t
those old Mexican cities, where he is {
sketch and paint. I'm not much of a
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