Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-11-28
have to thank you, Mrs. Reade, for Oh,

have to thank you, Mrs. Reade, for oht
more pleasant acquain tance.
When she went to her carriage Bra.
cey was standing by the open gate. He
gave her some green, pointed leaves,
which she accepted mech anically.
"I should like to see you again. !
know where you live. May I come and
see you?" he said with the simplicity
| of child.
Belle gave him permission to call
His direutness pleased her. =,c
| Bracey duly made his appearauce,a ne
/ Be.lla in turn went over to the university
and examined its points ofinterest will
the mature but sss::..fdious freshman, AMI
after that they saw each other often
She was beginning to like him very
much, and the teachings of her old
time worldly friend asserted their pow
ers, ond she was dscontented to per
ceive in him no signs that he was .becona
ing victim.
"Perhaps," she said to herself, she i
a man who can be woman's frienC
! without falling in love with her or con:
sidering it duty to play at being il
love with her. But how Indifferent,
complimentary to the woman towar:
whom such sang froid is possible!
! should like to make him writhe little
Patience! Ishall DO it yet" .-~
She tried gushing over him, and
knowing that it was not spontaneous
blushed guiltily when she met his calm
kindly eyes. One day, becoming des
peratc, she sent him some books. The
next day she received the following
note:
sDEAR Miss WooDBUBr-I am much gbligst
to you for the books. do not believe You have
heard that am engaged to young lady at the
east It is a hopeless affair enough, but she
has promised 70 wait for me- She is studying
as am. I am very happy in Knowing that she
loves me- I lovo her. I hope this will nc
give you pain 1 thought you ought to know
it. If had known you first, perhaps I nigh
like you, and very nsuch, too, but we can only
John Brscey"
Every man she had f1rted WITH every
woman she had gusbed over anA for
gotten WAS signally avenged irs the
storm of comic rage that for molnent
made Bellies face a STUDY after reaching
this note. If she had been a man she
would have sworn, being woman sase
talked. poor, weak BRAIN" she said
centem ptuousiy, II do hGm the honor ta
take the trouble to try togive him the
most educating ache he ever had in his
life, he who thirsts for cultivation; and
the serene stupid talks about giving me
-me-pain! If he had seem mo firt
Language fails!"
She appeared to answer the note at
once, and sat dipping the pen IN the ink
score Of times, while her hand shook,
when suddenly the unspeakable alb
surditv in the situation dawned upon
her. She threw her pen and! shouted
with laughter. Her sense Of Justice
told hey that it was solely her own
fault that she had received the note, and
her sense of humor found the note it.
self delicious. She leaned forward
again and hastily wrote:
DEAR MR.: BRACEY-Thank you for youi
confidence. You have given warning mar
is*1arely generous enough to give, because he
fears ridicule or mistake I see you have not
thought either possible. Thank you again. Al
ways your FRIEND; IsABEL WOODBURY..
She sealed this and went off into
another gale at laughter, and at inteE'
walls during the day lounged against
doorppsts and leaned upon tables and
musingly muttered:
cit served me, right"