Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-02-20
Forgive what? ?" in innocent sur

PRISE. sssss 5E5-Ss ss-isss
But her color betrays her, and Ber-
nard smiles as he says still holding her
hand: :. h Is
Yon are no actress, little cousin, You
know to what allude. /"
but, Bernard, that blue dress was
well, was really shabby, and you would
not at all have liked to see me in it.
And besides you know-Mr. Derwent
had offered tosescort me to the party. !"
He's decidedly officious and frisky
for his age, says Bernard dissapproy-5
"Frisky! Oh, Bernardo" says Edna,
laughing. s,
elias he asked you to go to the pic
nic?" enquired her cousin suspiciously.
"Not exactly. He-merely alluded
to" .-.s..-.. =, y
Merely took it for granted that you
were bound to go with him, and so he
needn't be in hurry to ask your says
Bernard wrathfuIly.
''Then he will find himself mistaken"
Edna says with emphasis.
care you sure of that ?"
''Sure? OF course! And to prove it,
I'll go with you, Bernard" this very
sweetly, eff you will let me, and aren't
! engaged to Miss Ogilvie.
miss Ogilvie is nothing to me. She's
| nice sensible girl, but I'm not in love
| with her, as Laura, and mother, and all
| of them seem to think"
"They say you liked her once" says
Edna, glancing up askance, and half
| shading her face with her fan.
II like her we'll enough, and, per-
haps, might have liked her better in
time. But since you came, Edna"
At that critical moment, Laura inno-
Gently entered the room.
It was charming picnic, as every
body said. Laura had plenty Of part
ners, but as for Edna, the beaux gener-
ally, though reluctantly, seemed in
clined to respect the pretentions of Mr..
Derwent.
Bernard, from remote corners,
watched that gentleman's attentions to
his cousin, and pulled his moustache
with inward wrath and resentment
He began, too, to look with doubt up
on Edna, for had she not that evening
encouraged him in the sweetest manner,
and was she not now, to all appearances,
equally encouraging his rival?
A sudden thought sent the blood to
his brow. Could it be that this charm
ing cousin of his was coquette, and
was making fool Of him?
At this moment the couples began to
take their places for a quadrille, and
Bernard sees Mr.. Derwent, in his usual
r. %,1x Ic1s ot1
his way to Edna across the crowded
floor.
Slipping pa st the row of wall flowers,
he reached his cousins side in advance
Of his rival.
Are you engaged for this set?" he
whispered
Eyes, TOTO Mr.. Derwent," CHANGING
at her card.
He takes the card from her hastily,
and thrust it into his pocket, Just as a
tall head and shoulders loom up near
them.
"Dance this set with me, Edna:I ask
it as q favor-as something more than o
favor" he said earnestly.
She knows what he means He is
pressing her hand. This is the deci-
sive turning point, which she feels that
she cannot evade.
*'Our dance, I believe, Miss Edna"
says MIR, DerWent, offering his arm.
Edna hesitates, and casts glance at
Bernard, wistful and appealing.
He speaks instantly, and there is a
subdued triumph in his look and man
ner:
beg pardon. Mr. Derwent, but I
think you are mistaken. This is my
dance?"
Edna slightly turns to Mr.. Derwent.
Her breath comes quickly, and her fin
gers tremble O. little as she endeavors to
fasten that troublesome bracelet.
"Let Miss Edna decide which of us is
right" says Mr. Derwent with dignifed
politeness
He is little flushed.
Bernard, on the contrary, is slightly
pale, and his eyes are intently fixed up
on his cousin.
She avoids his glance, and turning,
takes Mr.. Derwent:s arm, murmuring
something about having lost her card.
Mr.. Derwent walks off with her upon
his arm, with a little pleased smile of
triumph lurking about the coEpers of
his mouth, and Edna sees no moro of
Bernard that evening.
Next morning the girls come down to
an IL o'clock breakfast, and Aunt Mary,
as she poured out their coffee, scolded
them for staying so late on the moon
light porch after their return from the
picnic.
Laura only smiled p1acidly, and Edna
toyed with her apron and blushed.
IL have something to tell you,
Aunt Mary"
Aunt Mary, glancing at her, nearly
sprang from her chair.
''Bless my soul, child! you don't
mean that Mr.. Derwent proposed to
you last night?"
Edna smiled as she nodded assent,
and Aunt Mary at once turned up the
girls face and kissed her.
'I'm perfectly delighted Why, it's
the very best match in town, and
almost in the whole country. Your
father and mother will be so pleased"
II knew he would propose last night
Edna" Laura says quietly; and I'm
so glad dear!'
And then, after some moments ex-
cited talk on Aunt Mary's part, the lat
ter says suddenly:
"And have piece of news, also,
though not so important as yours, Ed
ma. Bernard"
"Where is Bernardo" said Laura.
fsand why did he leave the picnic so sud
denly. And the news-what do you
think of his having purchased that
Morford House opposite-the one next
to MIR. Derwent's ?" said Aunt Mary nod
ding to Edna. !.
"Whv, mother?" said La11ra in sur-