The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-03-13
"BRING MYRTLE"

"BRING MYRTLE"
A number of letters were awaiting
Colonel Haldane, Commandant of the
Newly, on his return from parade. He
was unmarried, rich and rather dis
surprise no one that he was accustomed
to receive a 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 lip
of the envelope were these words, Bring
Myrtle"
Colonel Haldane put up his gentle
manly eyeglass," and held his head
little on one side; no twisted his IRON
grey mustache into yet more poig-
nant expression as he inspected those
curious words, Bring Myrtle" Who
was Myrtle? What was Myrtle? How
many times he read and re-read that
message he was perhaps unaware. But
II 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
White. who wrote in her mothers
name.
He called up a vision of Florence
White. Tall and stately, girl with q
mass of golden brown hair, rolled off
her forehead; girl he had greatly adj
mired, as one admires serene and
lovely Landscapes; girl who made him
feel provokingly 'fogieish." Other
young ladies ratified away at him as il
he were sub. asked him to play tennis
with them, and treated him like mere
Younger. But this young lady had
place. him, with due regard for his
complexion, in shadowy corner of the
drawing-room on one or two occasions
when he had taken "tea" there, and
had introduced him to some deep
toned matrons as II in that direction
lay his natural HAS; and now this
stately young lady sends him q jocular
postscript bidding him Bring Myrtle. "
Colonel Haldane sat down in the
comfortable velvet chair which faced
the parade ground, and commanded q
fine view of the ever-companionabl
sea. The little ripping waves had an
impression of infant smiles to-day, and
the buoyant clouds were chasing one
another like school-boys on a 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 of-parade familiarity.
"Well, old fellow, what's upp Sea
and sentiment, ehP It's fatal to sit in
that attitude, looking at the sea. What,
up. l ask youp'' ,.......
Colonel Haldane reused himself from
his reverie with an effort; he gently
tapped his left hand with the letter
which yet remained idly between hi'
finger and thumb.
"Janer' he said, addressing Captain
Hilton by his nickname; "Jane! wha'
on earth does it mean when you receive
message from young lady to Bring
MyrtleP'" and he handed the envelope
to Captain Hilton.
Jane, who had a rolling eye and
rollicking smile, took the envelope
daintily; and. after reading it, pressed
il to his heart, and said. with q strong
brogue: why, man, it's proposal
What do the ladies wear on their festa
brows and twist in the flowing satin Of
the bridal gowns but myrtle? Bring
myrtle. [ tell you it's a PROPOSAL
bonafde proposal. wish you every
joy! She is sweet girl, if a bold one,
Without q word Colonel Haldane
sprang in melodramatic manner at
the throat of Captain Hilton, and held
him with grip of iron.
allow dare you speak of Miss White
like thatP She Is the most distin.
guished girl of my acquaintance. Apol.
oglzeP
Captain Hilton rolled his eye with o
CHASTITY appeal on Colonel Haldane.
when the latter as suddenly relaxed his
grasp and said:
Forgive me, Hilton, but really IL
object to such an unseemly idea.
81 beg your pardon, Colonel" said
Captain Hilton, stifiiy; II object equal.
ly to being throttled. Allow me TO
wish you good morning"
"Stop, my friend" said Colonel Hal
dane, confusedly; 81 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 a tub, after the fashion of the
blossoming 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
wit! Eureka! Now have it!' And
with that he sat down at his writing
table and penned the following letter:
Al MyoS0tis, 10, Avenue Victor En-
manuel, Mention, Alpes 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
s.o,,, M;sa Elnranoa Whifa In tho f,ock
ct of his frogged coat, and then pro-
ceeded to read the rest of his CORE
spondence.
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
! inc M and down behind, to the gates