Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-05-22
THE PROPOSAL.

There was Il great dinner party III
Brandon Hall, which was to be fol-
lowed by II ball the next night. Num-
crous guests had arrived TO share in
these festivities, and among these was
Il very pretty young girl named Flor
cnCe MolyncuX. She found herself
consigned to the care of very good
looking young man, whom Lady Bran
don had introduced to her us Capt.
Chichester. When they had taken
their places at the dinner table, which
glittercd with crystal and was taste
fully decorated with wrcathcs of flow
crs, she vcnturcd Il remark.
"lIow pretty all this is! never
saw anything like it before. The
flowers are laid in wreathcs upon the
tablc-cloth, and see some of my old
country friends, wild flowers and ferns.
| am afraid they must feel very awk-
ward
"Oh, no." said Capt. Chichester,
smiling, at is very pleasant to be adj
mircd and thought pretty. Do you
not find it so? | believe this is your
lllSl ulnlltl IilllN' II IL uul'
"How do you know?' inquired Flor
cncc, anxiously. "Am very awk-
ward? Have done anything wrong?"
Not at ALL" laughed Capt. Chi
chester, Lady Brandon told me, 50
| thought you would know how the
flowers felt"
"But that is quite different, Flow
crs cant do wrong, and besides they
will be all dead tomorrow, they will
pay for their pleasure.
II am afraid you will find pleasure
and pain 20 hand in hand" said Capt
Chichester, looking at her pretty,
blushing face.
What pain shall have to bcar?'
she asked, everything is delightful;
and the ball tomorrow! have never
been at ball" At this moment her
next ncighbor awkwardly upscta glass
of champagne into her lap. Florence
uttered an exclamation of dismay.
~ feel quite guilty said Capt.
Chichester; 81 am Il prophet of i'll.
Here is trouble come already; let me
help you. Is your dress quite spoilt?"
"Oh, thank you!' cried Florence;
lit is no matter. Yes it does matter
though, for this was the dress was to
wear tomorrow night
"But what will you do
"Well, / have an old black dress,
not nearly as nice as this, but ii must
do"
"But could you not put in picce?"
said Capt. Chichester. What is the
stuff called calico?'
"Oh, tarlatan,' said Florence,
laughing.
but if you spoke to Lady Brandon,
she would get you some. y
"Oh, nor bcsought Florence.
pray, say nothing about it.
~ must say you bear your pain
hcroically," said Capt, Chichester
land now have the pain of telling
you Lady Brandon is bOwing to you,
and you must go. ="
Florence ran upstairs and changed
her dress, making as little as she
could of her misfortune; but rs soon
as she had left the room she became
the subject of discussion among the
other ladies. Miss Jane Morris, Il
sour-faccd, plain, and not very young
lady leading the attack.
80 that is Miss Molyncux," shC
said, addressing Miss Brandon. "Ml
dear Ada, thought you said she wa,
prcttyP Why, she isnot good looking
and she is such Il llirt, and 80 very
forward she not, Jane? If you only
heard the way she went on with Capt
Chichester! she never let him say /
word to me. Once he tried, but sh,
instantly upset II glass of wine into hcl
lap, and such Il fuss as she made abou
it! heard her telling him she had NJ
other dress to wear ut the ball"
"Oh, | am 50 sorry said Ada. :"
must 90 and see what | can do fo
her"
you need not trouble yourself
Depend upon it, that young lady cal
take care of herself. She probabl,
has n piece of muslin in her box
"Oh, nonsense, Jane! You are tOt
kard," said Ada; "and | think she i
very pretty; she has such Il lovely com
plexion, and such pencillcd eye
brows.n
"Pcncillcd indeed said Miss Nor
ris, "black lead pencils | wonde
does she know Captain Chichester i
engaged to Lady Ida Leigh. If not
somebody ought to tell her there is NJ
use in her setting her cap at him"
Next day, on going to her room
Florence to her surprise found Ada
maid busily engaged in repairing he
damaged dress, On being asked whcr
she had got the muslin, she said tn
footman had found it on the hall table
and as it was addressed to Miss Molly
neux, he sent it up stairs.
, Florence flew to thank Lady Bran
don, but neither she nor Ada kneN
anything about it.
She tried to pursue her inquiries
; but the gentleman turned of the cor
versatien, Capt, Chichester having ar
parently forgotten the accident.
Mary and Jane Morris exchange
glances and smiles, and whispered:
S 81 told you so. just as if he care
about her dress! You will see he wi
not 60 near her tonight; prophec
that.
1 Miss Morri,'s prophecy was not flu
: filled, however; for Capt Chicheste
danced so often with Florence, an
D paid her so much attention that Mis-
Morris thought it her duty to tell he
next morning that he was engaged I
Lady Ida Leigh, and that there was n
: use wasting her time trying to cate
b him.
h "And, oh! if you had seen her fact
A my dear Ada! she was as red as tul
key cock, and almost told me wa
Impairment"
S Meanwhile the days flew by agree;
t bly, to Florence, Capt. Chichester wa
d always by her side, ever charming an
/ tender. She did not dare to analy2
= her feelings. She was drifting dow
: a rapid current, leading she knew nj
: where, but there was no escape. N
! one spoke of Lady Ada now. Ever
}, day Capt. Chichester looks and wore
v seemed to give fresh proofs Of his a
faalinn oeI che ltva6 Ia d,aa ~, ,