The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-03-26

holding the foot of the ladder, Louis peered
cautiously over into the thick greenery on
the other side
Not one thing could he see but leaves
| millions of them it seemed TO him--a PEI.
feet thicket of yerdure, impenetrable to his
eyes, at all events.
There must be limb somewhere" he
said to himself. " Here goes"
And letting himself down by his hands,
he felt Ground with his feet for landing.
and presently discovered one.
'.An right!p he whispered, for Bob to
hear and let GO.
The next instant there was q tremendous
crash. followed by the most dreadful sereama
that ever deafened mortal ears
Gone through that rotten old summer.
house, I'll bet my life on it !" said Bob,
grinning from ear to ear.
And that was precisely the fact; though
really, as Molly said afterwards, alluding to
/ Mr. Basic
g He looked much more as if the summer
house had gone through him; and grand
mother was worse
As soon as he could disentangle himself
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 bust
ness.
| A good deal dismayed, but not at oil dis
couraged, he followed her on into the house,
apologizing profusely all the way, and Of
last hurting out his errand-with what re-
suit, has been seen.
| To tell the truth, Molly was not quite SO
easy in her mind as she pretended to be.
For once, her grandmother was too en-
ragged to be appeased, or to be laughed out
of her wrath.
She vowed that Molly should be sent
away to q convent school which was the
one threat that had power to touch the
naughty child's hayward heart.
g won't goi" declared Molly, stoutly.
"We'll see about that" was her grand.
mothers angry response. IF you can out
wit 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 tantalzing sweetness out Of
his memory, the better.
Madam Hoogly lost no time.
You won't need any fine clothes where
you're going" she grimly assured her grand
daughter, when she urged her wardrobe as
an excuse for delay.
She telegraphed the Lady Superior TO
know if there was vacancy, and on receiv
ing a 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 a last expe
iient perhaps, for scftening 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 Moily's own apt illustra-
lion, 1t was raining pitch-forks, tines
downward"
Molly proposed that they should go to
the hotel near, and wait till morning.
But Madam Hoogly, suspicious of her
slippery and frolicsome charge, obstinately
refused.
In the crowd, as they were elbowing thei,
way, somebody spoke low in Molly's ear
My darling | cannot live without you!
Quick come with me. We can be married
in no time !"
1t was her lovers voice.
Molly /" called madam. "Where are
you? Come hurry up?"
Hope, which for an instant had entered
The poor girls heart, died at the sound of that
stern and implacable voice. The next in
slant it shot up an expiring fame.
A bright thought came to Mollie. The
darkness was thick enough to cut"
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 toward the
carriage:
:" II you can get in there, and keep her
from finding out it's not me for half an
hour, I'll marry you on sight any day after
date"
Louis heart jumped.
Without a word he yielded, and artfully
shrinking his tall dimensions to something
nearer Molly's diminutiveness, he slid 81.
lently into the seat opposite Madam Hoogly.
The darkness, the fact that madame
glasses were in her pocket instead of astride
her nose, and Molly's previous sulky refu.
sails 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 mo-
ment when Molly's soft breath was ON his
cheek, so forgotten himself as to give utter
ance to o most pronounced and unquestion-
ably masculine "Ahemln
"Molly ~ screamed madam. And getting
no answer, leaned forward to touch her,
and instead came in horrible contact with q
pair Of heavy whiskers.
We drop the curtain, and return to Mol
~, who, as the carriage whirled away intS
the night, drew deep sigh of relief.
1.-THE country Is safe ~ pronounced she
solemnly, md betook herself to the hotel
where her unblushing assertion that she was
to wait there till her grandmother came for
her was accepted without question.
She ordered room and a fire, to be sup
plemented in an hour by as good supper
for three as could be produced at such short
notice. She had calculated closely.
III exactly an hour the carriage came tear
ing back to the hotel, and Madam Hoogly
sailed in ON Louis Basle's exultant arm.
II wash my hands of you ~ she loftily
announced to Molly. Mr.. Louis Basic ia
welcome to you!"
And she pushed that radiant young gen.
tleman toward her.
All right" returned Molly, meekly
submitting to be kissed by the gentleman in
question. Supper is ready. You know,
grandmother" she added. {" that You gave
me leave to outwit you if / could