The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-05-17
\ FORTUNATE MISTAKE,

\ FORTUNATE MISTAKE.
"For value received, promise to pay
to Robert Simms the sum Of" S.
Alice Birds lip carried and her face
flushed-a miserable flush that would
have touched any one that loved ller;
but her younger sister, Susie, who lolletl
III an easy chair, only said, languidly: .
What dispIeases you, Alice:" III
'''For value received" began Alice
again, angrily, as she threw the pron1is-
sorry note upon the old-fashioned wri-
ting table-"yes, that has been mammals
ruling principle through life; and must
say that she has discovered in many
most ingenious, if not always creditab;e
ways the fine art Of getting the wor til of
her money. Am l worth the money? !
wonder will Robert Simms think | am
worth these notes that mamma has CIV
IN f1uH ttine to ttuer wonder how
they came here, anyway? Wren I sns
Robert simms' dear wife, would it not
ne well to put OH my new barouche I'M
der Roberts crest, the motto: 'ror
value received?' Oh, Sue," she cried,
suddenly, III an appealing voice, "how
could mother borrow money from that
snan: How l hate the few Injuries that
we have had lately, now that l.sve dis
covered their source! We, who are so
poor, ought to he ashamed to dress
above our means" Big tears fell Slow
'ly. upon the offending notes. ooh, what
u blind feci have been not to have sas-
pected this!"
4vitc true, my dear Alice; you are q
200. .no' to take trifie SO Seriously said
1fe lazy voice Of Miss Su<an. ''If Cols.
IN Robert chooses to lend a little of his
surplus money to three charming ladies'
whose circumstances are somewhat
straightforward
']For shame, SUSIE" cried Alice, in
salgnantly. ''1iow are we to pay L.
should like to know?"
You 90 Know, my very dear Alice !:
a!ut doot be so emplsatic-you are, in
TACT. almost violent. That last most nm
1adylike STANG of the foot quite suggest
ed an earthquake"
"Oh, il there could only be an earth
quake that would swallow us all up to-
syether"
Now you are childish, Alice. An
earthquake Nc, l thank you; leave
me out OF ~ p!ease-tor | have not vet
worn nay rev plush costume. Any way,
Postpop>; it till after the next PRONE.
made, COncert''
If the costume were mine, slould
send it with my compliments to Cousin
Robert, as you call HIM, although I
could never make out why; his money
of course paid for it." :. Al
"Give back my brown plush, costume!
Alice, you are certainly in"uue. There
IS the tea-bell! Let us so down my
much troubled elder sister: and try to
smile upon your future husband for his
generosity a
Alice moved away, followed leisurely
by Susan; and in the pleasantly lighted
papaor a dainiy-spread little tea table
WAS awaiting them. Mrs. Bird sat al
ready at its head, and "Cousin Robert,ns
laying down the evening paper, looked
alp approvlngly at Alice':; flushed cheeks
sls she entered. $%5
"Malemoiselle, you are brilliant to-.
night" he said: with ratheran awkward
attempt at a courtly bow.
Alice could not force polite smile,
butgrimly took her seat; and her thoughts
were none too alniabe. i
Robert Simms has an air of prop
rietorship." she thought. "Ilowever;5
he is not quite master of the stuation
footed. What n red face he has! And
s,lch teeth! He probably chewed to-
bacco before he was rich enough to buy
such good cigars. as well as a wife. Oh,
how hard feel towards everybody"
cousin Robert" ate his mullins and
and admired Alice: Susan discoursed
placidly about various topics Of the day;
Mrs. Bird, with an occasional anxious
yIance at her eldest daughter, endeav-
ored to make herself agreeable to her
guest. Her flattery was most delicate
and subtle, and her watcilful tact made
even the commonplace remarks OF Rob
ert Simms seem almost brilliant. Alice,
in spite Of the tempest oftroublea, could
not but admire her mothers CLEVER
ness. 81
YES" she thought, "mamma ekes
out the nj MS ideas as she does Il scanty
old silk dress, and makes them nearly
bearable."
When, after a most wearisome even
ing for one, ut least, of the qyartette
that looked so cosy as they sat around
the fire, Robert Silnns had gone to his
club and the two girls to their rooms,
Mrs. Bird sat thinking till the embers
faded to stlen glow; her reflections
we're far from agreeable. G1
IF | have overrated my influence
with Alice,.' she thought, "If she shonldI
refuse Robert-sIle certainly had de-.
liant air to-night-what will become OF
lis? The neighbors say that he is a lard
man; but that may be from jealousy of
his attention to MS. l have striven all,
these years to give the girls chance to-
make good marriage; and now, when;
the hope seems near tultilment, to have
that chit dare to defeat my plan! Oh, it
wretched as II" she ended, YEARLY, as
she went slowly to her room.
Susan was sleeping the sleep of an
elastic conscience and an easy, luxury
loving nature; while Alice, with her
head between her hot hands, was matu-
ring plans which she soon set about car-
rylng into execution. y
She wrote tear-blistered letter to her.
mother, telling her how she had found
notes Of Robert Simms' by mistake as
she was searching for bill-for indeed
mamma must know she had not meant
to be dishonorable; how she vas
wretched in her present life, will, its'
shame and attempts to keep up latys'
pie richer than themselves; how she
could not marry Robert Simms if he
asked her, as she knew was expected Of
him; so she would go to a school friend
on whose help she could rely, and try to
get some employment. She would save
every farthing she earned, and send Il
to Robert Simms to pay the disgracefuf
debt. So
"And please, dear mamma" was the.
beseeching end of this midnight :epistle,
"do not, by the love you bear your chill
dren-which know has :urged you o.
this false step-please DO not borrox'
any more money! am very sorry for
some hard thonphts have had of Won.