The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-03-05

Jennie in silent astonishment. until a
| warm blush stole up to the roots of her
! pretty, fair hair.
''What can | do for YOU sir?' said
Jennie. with demure curtsey.
''l on can give he shelter from the
storm, if yOu will?" said the stranger,
recoN erng from his surprise: and shak-
Jag the raindrops from his hat, he
stepped Inside the cottage, glancing 1T
Jennie's little feet as he did so, and
, thinking the little rustic was uncom-
monly we'll shOd.
Jennie, on her part, was wondering
Who this handsome man, with the dark,
searching eyes could be.
You don't live all alone in this cot
tage, he said, accepting her timid ia
yitatiOn to be seated.
"Oh. no!' faltered Jennie, blushing
like rose.
''Oh, what a tangled web we weave
hen nrst We practise 10 deceive
What a pretty child it is," thought
the young man. And how she bushes;
but that, | suppose. is rustic simplicity.
| | dare say she is quite unconscious of
my admiration. and does not even know
how charming she looks"
And then he smiled, remembering
how he had been courted and fiattered
by certain fair ladies that afternoon,
and congratulated himself ON the fact
that the storm had come after his de-
parturs, for be it known, the angel Miss
Jennie was entertaining unawares was
no other than the '.lion" of the garden
party, Mr.. JOcelyn Trehearne.
Jennie book lay OH The table, and
he looked at it in surprise. The little
rustic subscribed to Mudie's then, or
had some friend who was kind enough
% lend her books to read.
''Is this your's?" he said, and the
little deceiver faltered out that it be-
longed to Miss Jennie Reid.
Miss Jennie Reid repeated Mr..
Trehearne. ANY relation to that nice
girl who they tell me is engaged to
young DIR. Brown?'
You know Ada Reid?' said Jennie
in surprise, and painful blush suffused
her face. How she regretted her fool
ish whim now!
Il have seen her once" returned Mr..
Trehearne; ''but it is her sister who is
50 Kind To You, eh?"
Yes" faltered Jennie. ready to sink
through the Honr.
lis she pretty, Ss we'll as kind?"
asked Mr.. Trehearne, adding to HIM
self, Il only saw one Miss Reid at the
garden-party."
Some people call her pretty" said
Jennie with smile: Il ami no Judge"
Then going TO the window, sho added
quickly: "Thc rain will soon be over;
see how bright the sky is getting"
Yes, it will soon be over" he re-
turned, thinking to himself: Those
pretty little shoes are, + suppose, a
"rescnt. from Miss Jennie. I should
like to make that girls acquaintance"
ut has left off raining" said Jennie,
in an agony, for she could see old Mar
tina toiling along the road, armed with
gigantic gingham. "Here'syour hat,
sir?"
And before Jocelyn knew where he
was he found himself outside the cot
tage, while Jennie, having closed the
door, hastily divested herself of her big
apron, and replaced her hat on her
bonny head.
Old Martha was delighted to see her,
of course, and would have had her re-
main to take cup of tea; but Jen-
ME declined, and hurried away with all
speed; hating herself for the deceit she
had practised.
The garden-party had been very nice,
Ada told her that night, although it
had been more of house-party than
anything else after the rain came on.
Mr.. Jocelyn Trehearne had been there,
but he had been obliged to leave early.
Jennie scarcely heard what her sister
said. The girl felt wretched, and to
add to her discomfort, her father came
home on the following day, and scolded
her roundly for her disobedience.
Don't cry, Jennie" whispered her
sister, ''or you'll spoil your eyes, and
papa says we have a gentleman coming
to dinner tomorrow. | don't want my
pretty sister to look little fright -
Il don't care what look Ike" de-
clared Jennie: but she wiped her eyes
nevertheless.
Ada was the useful one of the family,
and went about her duties with light
heart, for her sweetheart, the young
doctor, had asked her to ''name the
day" when they met at the garden-par-
ty.
She was little vexed that Jennie did
not take more interest in the joyful
news; but Jennie was. thinking of what
had happened on the previous day.
She could think of nothing else.
The morrow came, and with it the
gentleman aforementioned.
He was standing on the hearthrug
talking to her father when Jennie en-
tered the room in her pretty white
dress with its dainty lace elbow sleeves. |
She gave little gasp of astonish-
ment and CONSERVATION as she looked
at him; but his smile was reassuring.
although he, too, was dumfounded at
the first moment.
My dear Jennie, MIR. Jocelyn Ire
hearne''-and then Jennie knew that
Fate had been too much for her; she had
stopped away from the garden-party
for nothing.
Well, not exactly that, for she won a
lover.
Mr.. Jocelyn Trehearne in due time
proposed and was accepted; but. oh,
how he does tease his little wife about
her DrOfc0ce.