Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-09-25
out of countenance, and flouting the

slippery hair. cloth. the sombre mahog-
any. the ~thread-bare carpet, until
Aunt Jenny precned her own duskv
plumage, and emerged from that black
silk into cheap but dainty cambrics,
and the last relic of her grand
mother, a silver gray silk, that, illus
trated with some old thread lace,
doomed anew, and made the wearer,
with the faint flush of gratitied van
ity on her thin features, and the
wilder crimping and coiling of her
sandy locks, look much like one of
the gray and fawn pigeons ambling
and cooling on the roofs overhead.
But. Eugenia, if she had been lovely in
her one costume of blue, how angeli-
cal was she now in her fresh spring
garments! always with a rosebud or a
knot OF violets at her throat, f0r
another had stepped into Mr.. Hol-
loway's footprints. and though he
dared not adventure SO far as this
favored sutton, he could and did
join Eugenia on the street corners.
walk to the horse-car with her, and
send her flowers, which Aunt Jenny
would not appropriate, since they
were but the tiny inconsiderable gifts
of an %impecunious young fellow, con-
veyed through the boy who came daily
to feed the furnace aud clean the
shoes of these otherwise independent
Women.
What did Augustus Holloway know
hbout cloths? 1t did not enter into
vest his goddess with such charm and
~r,-:t- 80 chat &1,1 I14, - x,,lsol -o~
her white and black, or pale lilac, or
soft blue gowns their last touch of
grace did not come from its own offer
ings; he only knew that she grewmore
bright and beautiful in his eyes every
day. and he hoped with masculine
self-confidence that she reciprocated
his passion, while every day Aunt
Jenny grew more attached to him,
more certain of his faithful devotion to
her.
But Augustus, besides his eyes. had
one other slight defect; in boyhood he
had stammered fearfully, and it had
required skillful and patient medical
treatment to free him from this imped-
iment of speech. He was freed, how
ever; only a certain deliberation was
noticeable in his manner, except in
moments OF strong feeling Or excite
ment, when he sputtered and sent out
inartieulate oan very unpleasant
and quite unintelligible. so he resolved
to make his proposal to Eugen.a by
letter.
How delighted Aunt Jenny was
was taken out of the letter-box and
brought to her, those only can know
who have been placed in her expect
ant position.
Yes. there was "Miss Eugenia Phil
pot" in the manly script She felt sure
was he's; and fluttering, yet joyful, she
opened the envelope. and perused its
contents with q burst of happy tears.
Let US draw a veil over these virginia.
emotions, more sweet than late; their
result is all we have to do with, and
that was a truly elegant note dispatch
ed at once to Mr.. Augustus Holloway,
at the Street Studio, No. -. and
containing. in faint. spidery charac-
tiers, the delicate intimation that Miss
Eugenia Philpot would. be happy to see
him that afternoon at her residence in
Blank Street.
The e%nraptured lever seemed to him
self like one who walks the air, when
dressed with the greatest elegance mar
can achieve in his limited possibilities,
he set out for the dwelling of his
adored one. He was rather discom-
fitted to find only Aunt Jenny. blushing
rs we'll as she could, casting down her
eyes, furtively and HISTORICALLY litter
ing behind her handkerchief, and ex
tending her hand to him with coy
demonstration of welcome. Still. j,
was proper enough; she was Eugenia's
guardian, and no doubt ought to in
terview him first. He submissively
recognized the use and wont of the
matter, and CALAMITY handing her tc
the tall chair, sat down in front of hel
on the sofa. and proceeded to business.
Aunt Jenny had expected ONE mani
f~estat;on OF his affection. bat, Oh the
whole, was relieved by their absence,
being unused to such fNvolities; and
MI. Holloway began:
..Dcar madame, LII am here, as
v-y-you we'll know, to s-s-su-ue for the
hand and heart of the lovely creature
before me"-glaring with all his NIGH
at the picture of Eugenia's mother, but
appearing to lo6k at Aunt Jenny, will
a fire of rapture in the eye SO occupied
Poor Aunt Jenny! She blushed
rose, and so did Augustus. He thought
she was about to open the door and
introduce Eugenia; she thought he in
tended to fall at her feet like lovers ir
novels. He advanced; so did she. in
tent on picking him up from his knees
But seeing his arms expand-really ht
was brandishing them toward thu
door-she thought it a prelude and ar
invitation. and, to his astonishment
fell upon his neck with a loud sniff o
...O-h" said Augustus. dropping hi!
arms by his side. still thinking this bu
a gush of maternal feeling. ''Wh-wh
where is Eugenis? Wh-wh-where j:
my angelo"
Miss Jenny recoiled as n stung b.
= snake. She tottcred backward, in
tending to fall into her chair and fac
the horrible situation; but. alas! tina
antique chair had the most lively ant
rapid casters that were ever affixed t.
chair legs. Her hoop. small though j
was, hit the edge Of the seat as she re
treated, and with that slight impetu
t the chair spun half a yard backward
, and this elegant, heart-broken maide1
~ L, ~r,,