Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-03-19
'iBRING MtRTLE.s

- - 1900
A number of letters were awaiting
Colonel Haldane; Commandment of the
Newly, ON his return from. parade. He
was unmarried, rich and rather dis
tinguised looking. 1t will therefore
surprise no one that he was accustomed
to receive great many sweet-scented,
delicately -monogramed, prettily worded
letters from the various members of the
fair sex with whom he was acquainted.
Among the little heap which lay before
him was one conspicuous for its careful
handwriting and rough envelope Odd
ly enough, this was the one he selected
first for perusal. Scrawled on the lin
of the envelope were these words, Bring
Myrtle"
Colonel Haldane put up his gentle
manly eyeglass," and held his head a
little on one side; he twisted his IRON
grey mustache into a yet more poig-
nant expression as he inspected those
curious words. Bring Myrtle" Who
was Myrtlep What was Myrtle? How
many times he read and re-read that
message he was perhaps unaware. But
it was useless. Bring Myrtle" re-
manned on the lip of the envelope, an
unsolved enigma.
Slowly he opened the letter. 1t was
an invitation to afternoon tea at the
Whites-people he knew slightly, as he
knew so many in the heavily garrisoned
naval and military town close to the
barracks at Newly.
The letter was from Miss Florence
NJ hitn who =
name.
He called up vision of Florence
White. Tall and stately. girl with
mass of golden brown hair, rolled off
her foreheadi a girl he had greatly adj
mired, as one adinires serene and
lovely landscapes; girl who made him
feel provokingly .'fogieish. Other
young ladies ratified away at him as if
he were a sub, asked him to play tennis
with them, and treated him like mere
youngster. But this young lady had
placed him, with due regard for his
complexion, in a shadowy corner of the
on one or two occasions
when he had taken "tea' there, and
had introduced him to some deep
toned matrons as if in that direction
lay his natural bias; and now this
stately young lady sends him jocular
postscript bidding him Bring Myrtle
Colonel Haldane sat down in the
comfortable velvet chair which faced
the parade ground, and commanded a
fine view of the eyer-companionable
sea. The little ripping waves had an
impression of infant smiles to-day, and
4 bn httnront oil Oh
another like school-boys on common.
How innocent and fair was the world
of nature! He sat dreaming over his
problem Bring Myrtle quite happily.
A knock with the knob of stick on
the door breaks into his reflections, and
Captain Hilton enters with his custom
airy oh-parade familiarity.
well, old fellow, what's upP Sea
and sentiment. Ell? It's fatal to sit in
that attitude, looking at the sea. What's
up, ask you?"
his reverie with an effort; he gently
tapped his left hand with the letter
which yet remained idly between his
finger and thumb.
"Janer' he said, addressing Captain
Hilton by his nickname; Jane! what
on earth does it mean when you receive
a message from young lady to Bring
Myrtle?' y and he handed the envelope
to Captain Hilton.
Jane, who Lad a rolling eye and a
rollicking smile, took the envelope
daintily; and, after reading it, pressed
it to his heart, and said, with a strong
brogue: ''Why, man, it's proposal!
What do the ladies wear on their festal
brows and twist in the flowing satin Of
the bridal gowns but myrtle? Bring
myrtle. l tell you it's PROPOSAL
bonafide proposal. wish you every
Joy! She is sweet girl, if bold one.'
Without a word Colonel Haldane
sprang in a melodramatic manner at
the throat of Captain Hilton, and held
him with grip of iron.
''How dare you speak OF Miss White
like thatp She is the most distin@
guisbed girl of my acquaintance. Apol-
og1zeP
Captain Hilton rolled his eye with a
CHASTITY appeal ON Colonel Haldane,
when the latter as suddenly relaxed his
grasp and said:
Forgive me, Hilton, but really II
object to such an unseemly idea"
Il beg your pardon, Colonel" said
Captain Hilton, stiffiy; II object equal
ly to being throttled. Allow me to
wish you good morning"
''Stop, my friend" said Colonel Hal
dane, confusedly; II don't know what
is the matter with me! I'm half asleep,
| think. Sea and sentiment, as you
said just now. Come, my friend! Do
tell me what on earth Miss White
MEANS
''Meansp something green" said
Hilton, viciously; "but whether sprout-
ing in tub, after the fashion of the
poisoning shrub, or done up in a
glass case, after the artificial mode, /
know not wish you good morning,
Colonel"
And with that he retreated to the
mess-room.
"Blossoming shrub" murmured Col
onel Haldane. "Bless his Hibernian
witt Eureka! Now l have it!'' And
with that he sat down at his writing
table and penned the following letter:
Au Myosotis, 10. Auenue Victor En-
manuel, a Mention, dlpes Maritimes.
Send the finest Towering myrtle you
possess to the following address: Miss
Florence White, The Grange. Porter
down, Sussex. The myrtle must ar
rive on the afternoon of September z,
one week from this date.
Then Colonel Haldane rang the bell
hastily, and told the man to post his
letter. This done, he placed the note
from Miss Florence White in the peck
ct of his frogged coat, and then pro-
ceeded to read the rest of his CORE
spondenee.
The afternoon of the 9TH duly ar
rived. and with a strange palpitation
at his heart Ca sensation which ought
to have aroused his suspicious as to the
exact state of his susceptibilities) Col
onel Haldane drove up in his little
hooded carriage, with the tiger jump
ing up and down behind, to the gates
of the Grange.
Here comes the pig in the poke, ="
said Felicity White, a younger daughter,
who was given to using her brains in
off-hand criticism. IF a man will
drive carriage with hood, what is
one to cal him but zig in poke, you
know? He is tidgeting at the gate
most awfully, Florence; do come and
look.
al like that hooded carriage" said
Florence. lie style c'est fhommo
meme. y And then she turned with a
ready grace TO meet Colonel Haldane,
who had just entered the room
Felicity and / were drawn to the
window by the magnetical influence OF
four charming little carriage" she
said. II so admire your poke.