The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-05-01

!
''All right" he whispered, for Bob
to hear and let go.
The next instant there was a tremen-
dous crash, followed by the most dread
full screams that ever deafened mortal
ears.
''Gone through that rotten old sum-
mer house, I'll bet my life on itG' said
Bob, grinning from ear to ear.
And that was precisely the fact,
though really, as Molly said after
wards, alluding to Mr.. Basle:
''He looked much more as if the
summer-house had gone through him:
and grandmother was worse"
AS soon as he could disentangle him
self from the debris, and get his wits
| together, Louis offered to assist the old
lady, who was not, however, at all
hurt, only badly scared, and was told
to mind his own business.
A good deal dismayed, but not at all
discouraged, he followed her on into
the house, apologising profusely all the
way, and at last blurted out his errand
with what result has been seen.
To tell the truth, Molly was not
quite so easy in her mind as she pre-
tended to be.
For once her grandmother was too
enraged to be appeased, or to be laugh
ed out of her wrath.
She vowed that Molly should be sent
away to a convent-school, which was
the one threat that had power to touch
the naughty child's wayward heart.
81 won't go!' declared Molly stoutly.
''We'l see about that" was the
grandmother angry response. ''lf
you can outwit me this time, I'll give
you leave"
Molly was in despair.
To crown all, Louis did not come
near her. That faithful plastic soul
seemed to have at last attained the
conviction that she did not care pin
for him, and the sooner he blotted her
tantalising sweetness out of his men,
ory, the better.
Madame Hoogly lost no time.
''You won't need any fine clothes
where you're going" she grimly as
sured her granddaughter, when she
urged her wardrobe rs an excuse for
delay.
She telegraphed the Lady Superior
to know if there was q vacancy, and on
receiving favorable response, set off
at once.
Molly, with all her boasting, never
| thought of resisting, or even running
away. She just sulked, trying that as
last expedient, perhaps, for sOftening
her relatives obdurate heart.
The last ten miles of the way was to
be by carriage. When they got to the
little station where it was to meet them,
it was night, and. to use Molly's own
apt illustration, sit was raining pitch
forks, tines downward"
Molly proposed that they should go
to the hotel near, and wait till morn
ing.
But Madame Hoogly, suspicious of
her slippery and frolicsome charge,
obstinaLely refused.
In the crowd, as they were elbowing
their way. somebody spoke low in
MolIy's ear:
''My darling! l cannot live without
you! Quick! come with me. We can
be married in no timer
1t was her lovers voice.
.'Molly!" called madame. ''Where
are you? Come hurry upr'
Hope, which for an instant had en-
tered the poor girls heart, died at
sound of that stern and implaGablG
voice. The next instant it shot up an
expiring fame.
Slipping out of her big waterproof
cloak like lightning, she put it on
Louis before he had time to think of
objecting, and pulling the hood well up
over his cap, she just touched his face
with her pink lips, and whispered, as
she pushed him towards the carriage:
''If you can get in there, and keep
her frem finding out it's not me for
half an hour, I'll marry you on sight
any day after date"
Louis heart jumped.
Without word he yielded, and art
fully shrinking his tall dimensions to
something nearer Molly's diminutive-
ness, he slid silently into the seat op-
posite Madame Hoogly.
The darkness, the fact that M adame' s
glasses were in her pocket instead of
nstride her pose, and Molly's previous
sulky refusals to talk, all favored him.
He might even perhaps have kept up
the farce beyond the half-hour, had he
not, in ecstatic recollection of that
rapturous moment when Molly's soft
breath was on his cheek, so forgotten
himself as to give utterance to a most
pronounced and unquestionable mas
cuIire '.Ahem!"
'N[ol!ym screamed madame, and
getting no answer, leaned forward IL
touch her. and instead. came in hOr-
rible contact with Il pair of heavy
Whiskers.
We drop the curtain, and return tQ
Molly, who. as the carriage Whirled
away into the night, drew a deep sigh
of relief.
''The country is safer' pronounced
she so!emn!v, and betook herself to the
hotel, where her unblushing assertion
that she was to wait there till heI
grandmother came for her, was accept.
ed without question.
She ordered room and a fire, to be
supplemented in an hour by rs good 8
supper for three as could be produced
at such short notice. Sine had calcu.
lated closely.
In exactly an hour the carriage came
tearing back to the hotel, and Madame
Hoogly sailed in on Louis Basle's exult
ant arm.
Il wash my hands of your she
loftily announced to Molly. ''Mr
Louis Basle is welcome to your
And she pushed that radiant young
gentleman towards her.
= "All rightr' returned Molly, meekly
submitting to be kissed by the gentle
man in question. Supper is ready
You know, grandmother, she added
''that you gave me leave to outWit you
if could"
! Eyes, yes, l know" said madame
l beginning to laugh immoderately
''Pm fairly beaten. Glad of it, too
Your Mr. Basle is the son, | find, o
one of my dearest and oldest friends.
F.! 81 knew | should win if ! could only
bring my oratorical powers to bear, !
I contided Louis to his friend Bob, tht
morning of the wedding.
''Yes, you're all right now," laughed
4 Bob, alluding to the ceremony which
had just been performed.