Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-01-02
NOT 81. BAD lFTER ALL j


NOT 80 BAT, LITER | I All,
( Con Creighton had. got himself into
i scrape, and, man like, had no very
definite idea how heswas to get out Of
it. s 4 sis5.S
Last winter, in d flush Of enthusiasm,
he had rewarded Emily Cnmm1ngss
seraphic smiles by an offer Of his hand
md fortune, and she, having been Tor
months an honest competitor, accepted
the prize with d show OF tenderness
that was perfect in it's way. :.
She was belle and a beauty, but, to
give the poor fellow his due, he was not
very much in love himself, and had,
moreover, faint fleeting notion that
his 9100, 900 had more to do with her
acceptance than any purely personal
merit of his own.
However, the marriage in all human
probability would have taken place, and
my little love story been entirely nipped
in the bud, had it not been for the GRIM
hand Of fate, which 3beckoned the un-
fortunate Con to little watering place,
on a fishing excursion ostensibly, but
in reality to fell in love with pretty lit
tie Mabel Gordon.
He met her at some village gathering,
and it being fixed principle OF his to
attach himself to the prettiest girl In the
room, he in the present case adhered to
his purpose with rigidity which would
have been extremely amusing only that
it SO soon became serious, for after two
or three meetings had followed the rus
tic soiree Master Con was fairly infatn~
ated. and innocent Mabel began to
think that her ideal hero had stepped
out from his "castle in the air" and TAX
en- earthly lodgings forever and ever
more.
For week the dream was bright and
undisturbed; then Con began to feel
uncomfortable.
With the prospect of being married
to one girl in month, he was hardly
dishonorable enough to propose the
same course with another; but being
neither very clever nor original, he
couldn't see the slightest loophole. So,
by way of inspiration, perhaps, he lin
gered on at Mabel's side; and she, poor
child, was happy even in the uncertain
ty.
Of course people talked, as they al
ways do talk; and some, more daring
than the rest, encompassed Con, and
looked unutterable things as they spoke
of Mable's parentage.
ct sx,o, x,,;+l, hor fol thar o,,1 n, 9TH or 3
Oh, yes. But then they don't happen
to be her father and mother. She is
their daughters daughter; and as to
who was her father-well, we dom
know, and the Blairs take care to give
US no information"
Then Con was awfully angry.
He was just young enough to be
Quixotlc, and, of course, he wanted to
marry her, shame or no shame; to take
his little star faced angel to himself for
evermore--to transplant his little field
daisy to more luxuriant soil.
He went up so see her, with a letter
from Emily Cummings in his pocket
and an ominous guilty feeling about his
heart.
"By Jove! but this is cheering
scrape. Those Cummingses will be af-
ter me like pack of vultures; but all
I know is that I'll never have wife if
I don't get Mabel Gordon"
So, with trembling determination, he
went into her presence-pretty Mabel,
with her white face appraised and her
wondrous hair falling around her like
q glorious golden cloud.
II thought you would come, she said
shyly, the color family flushing her
fair cheeks. And then, though nature
hadn't made him SO, Con felt more ut
terly foolish than ever.
CAS- if could stay away !"he answered,
half reproachfully then added pathet-
ically, AT least, until I have to, for,
I'm going away in a day or two"
I suppose Mabel had the natural
coquettis4 less of her sex; but at that
particular moment it deserted her en-
tirely. Her eyes wandered down the
road, and she leaned more heavily than
ever against the garden gate.
"Oh, are you?" very faint and tremu-
lous, she m1lrmnred.
Eyes; but I'll come back again if any
one wants me-
She stole one quick glance at him
from under her downcast lids.
do you want me, Mabel? Shall ]
come back to you?"
No answer came from the parted lips
but think he knew she wanted him.
for, leaning over the garden gate, he
answered her silence by saying, every
we'll, dear, I'll be back in a very little
while, and you'll be waiting for me
won't you?"
1t was not very definite, to say the
least of it.
Any other girl would have preferred
more lucid proposal, but poor little
Mabel had one of those rare natures
which are satisfied to give all and take
almost nothing-to love prominently
perfectly, and receive in return tri'
fling need of affection.
The world doesn't contain great
many like her, and I, for one, an
heartily glad.
I think the women who hold then
own, and anything else they can get
are far more preferable; but then eartt
and earth's children must be variegated
and sharp as we'll as sweet.
Con went home that night ecstatically
but guiltily happy, and when he reached
home he found q letter awaiting him--a
letter from his mother, the eldest Mrs
Creighton, asking, or I should say de-
handing, his instant return.
Emily is very ill.," she said, "and
certainly your place should be beside
| the lady u hn in four weeks will become