Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-08-08

manly HANDWRITING. 8 Hester; June
/ s22 SS II / stared ag hast sat such ill
act Of imp tinenca, and glanced az Aunt
Hetty, to see Whether she would resent
It; but she had probably not noticed
the offense, for she made no sign.
The scongrega alton began TO dispense,
and we passed out in our turn, the ma.
Eier close behind us. Va were scarcely
fairly in the street whom be spoke To-
auntie.
Madam, I am going to ask you a
very singular question; but let me as
sure you that 4 have q deep personal
interest IN asking it. Will you tell me
how you came by that red pray or book
that you nse O. 81. 81 s5=
Z shall never forget auntie's answer,
given as quickly as If it was the most
commonplace matter, though ! could
tell by the faint rose-fu lush on her rs
ually pale cheek how deeply she was
moved. 81. 2 BIZ S3.$
"Y on gave it to me yourself, Major
Blake, six-and twenty y ears ago.
The majors face was a study. Snr-i
prise, delight and incredulity seemed
struggling for the mastery. He took
off his hat and stood bare-headed. ]
hardly know why, but that one little
gesture seemed to tell me, better than
most passionate prot ctions would have
done, that the old love had kept O.
treasure and a sacred thing. And i
think, from the faint sweet smile that
,n,,,, 1,o,, ~,
up ct him, that the same thought came to
auntie. .,5si II II II. 4 s /. 335 4
/. "And you are Hetty? ~ he said. Yes,
I know you now. 7 .:- q .5 q vs., 9
s'You had forgotten the aix-and-
twenty years, Major Blake. / knew
you from the first. ~ e = ~
aAnd would you really have let me
go without d word or o sigh ?" he
asked. 
s. .a q Us :.s3 III
4 "Why not % she replied. How could
Iknow you would wish to be reminded Of
old times ?" 5l.. n
E Reminded! I have never forgot
ten. / tried my hardest to forget, and
couldn't. Although you preferred an
other - p. 49,. f. s"5'
Another! What other?" w..
Young sandys Did you not marry
him ?" I.5g e.
II have never seen him SINCE"
. At this stage of conversation it struck
me that l was decidedly de trop. Major
Blake had replaced his hat, and, side
by side with auntie, was walking slow
y homeward. I had hitherto been fol-
lowing behind; but, reaching q con-
venient street corner, i let them proceed
alone, and went off, without beat of
drum, for stroll in All opposite direc-
ton. When [ reached the boarding.
house, half an hour later, found auntie
and the major sitting in the courtyard,
under the shade of the great tree. The
major courteously lifted his hat ut my
approach and said: - ~. 1.ts5Zs H. + !
miss Danvers, your acass, and [ are
very old friends; indeed, mary ye,srs
ago, we were engaged to be married. but
an unfortunate misunderstanding sep
arated us. We, have lost many happy
years of life together, but / hope some
may still remain to us. / trust we shall
have your good Wishes
4 I looked from one to the other.
You dear, darling auntie, then you
really are going to be married after all
OF course I wish you joy, and Major
Blake too, from the very bottom of
my heart" ...,s5s
II don't know" said auntie, shaking
her head doubtfully. "I'm little
afraid we are two old fools"
Nay, DEAR" said the major, raising
,her. hand gallantly to his lips. Per
haps we were young fools, but that is
six and twenty years ago. Let us hope
we have learned true wisdom now"
I don't know how the secret oozed
out, but before "a hours were over every
one in the boarding house. even to
white capped Adele and her assistant
maidens, knew that the handsome Eng
ish major had met an old love in the
person OF the gentle little lady with the
sweet smile and the soft gray hair, and
that after separation of six-and- TWEEN |
ty years they we're again engaged to be
married; and were promoted to the
rights and privileges Of engaged low 4
ers accordingly. And lovers they
Enthusiastically were, though in
very quiet way. No lover of 20
COtllu udfC Occu 1uO1 uSfOutA GldA
this weather. beaten warrior to his
faded bride: no girl of eighteen more
proud and happy in her lovers devo-
ton than dear old auntie. They ought, 4
by every rule, to have been ridiculous, \
but somehow nobody seemed to think 4
them so; and I really believe they had
the heartiest sympathy Of every one in
the house. Ssss i, s8 q s .s.:; E
I must pass over the honeward jour 4
ney, and the astonishment Of our friends
at Fairfield, when auntie returned, en-
gagged to be married Some few of them
had known Major Blake as q young,
man. but to most Of them he was a
stranger, Many were the questions,
and long the explanations, before ev-
erything was accounted for to every I
body's satisfaction; but it was done at
last. And then came the preparation
Of the trousseau; and at last, this very
morning, the happy pair have been i
made one, and auntie is off to-the Isle
Of Wight to spend her honeymoon.
And lest night, just before We went to
bed, she called mo into her own room,
and taking out the little red prayer 4
book, said sS S 4. L. 5sz .s5 ..#
Ruth dear ! am going to give you
this little book as a parting remem-
branee. You know how i. have treas
cred it; and you won't value it the less.
I NJ sure, sor having been 40 dear to .
me. And sc when Mr.. Right comes, 4
Ruth, you are ever tempted to the will
full or hayward, or, pain q heart that.
loves you trnly y, think Of your old Aunt.
Hetty, and don't forget the moral Of the
faded Leaf. ID
A popular scientific lecture is5
nothing if not sensational. g. "A. John