The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-03-25
BETROTHED In A CELLAR.

BETROTHED In A CELLAR.
From Household Words.
BY making gigantic effort had at
last succeeded in pushing up the
heavy sash Of the old-fashioned guillo-
tine window, and now, sitting in the
broad window-seat, was enjoying the
scent OF the great syringa bush, which
grew so close to the house Mat it
pushed its branches inside whenever
it had the opportunity, so that sit
ting in the window was almost like be-
ing in an arbor. Twas in Germany, OF
course, for guillotine windows. as We
call them, are still the fashion in Eng
land, hear.
Yes; was in Germany, and it was
the day before Whit Sunday-a lovely
May day-and 1 was just Is.
l am a good deal more than 16 now,
but still, often, when the syringa is in
blossom, and the delicious fragrance
comes floating round me, the whole
scene rises again before my eyes, and
see the old-fashioned garden, with its
quaintly-cut yews and box-hedges. and
the apple trees loaded with blossom;
the wainscotted room, with the faded
red carpet, and Anticipated furniture
and ornaments; and, looking through
the folding-doors into the dining
room beyond, l see the long table
decked for some festal occasion, two
chairs wreathed with flowers, and be-
fore them, on the table, two bouquets
composed OF sprays ofmyrtle.
see, too, sitting opposite me in a
capacious armchair, my grandmother,
little old lady in a white lace cap,
with prayer-book on her knees,
which she was reading here at home
because she could not get as far as the
chapel beyond the town gate.
had been there myself that morn
ing, all in hurry, just to see how it
looked before / brought Granny to the
house, and had seen that it was beau
tifully decked with flowers, and that
there were wax tapers enough to daz-
zle one.
After that had come back to the
wedding house" and waited, for
could not leave granny quite alone;
and while l waited l puzzled myself to
make out why Uncle Dernau, as we all
called him, and his wife should have
chosen to celebrate their golden we'd
ding in the little country chapel in
stead of in the large town church,
which seemed so much more appropri-
ate.
Then, too, l wondered what could
be the meaning of sundry mysterious
illusions which l had heard made in
the course OF the evening before. They
had seemed to amuse the rest very
much, but l could make nothing OF
them.
Uncle Dernau' s little wife was a favor
lite little woman, with bright eyes,
brown hair without touch of grey in
it, and had very small hands and feet.
How we had all admired her the night
before. when. for ''the very last time, y
as she said, she had danced the
charming minuet, which had been ar
ranged in her honor. l can see her
now in her old-tashioned, marvelously
short WASTED dress of silk, with a
three-cornered fchu crossed over her
chest, little shoes without heels, wide
ribbon sandals, and embroidered
stockings. Uncle Dernau himself was
her partner, and at the close OF the
dance he made her q low bow, saying
with a gleam of fun and mischief in
his eyes:
Madame, you dance like a French
woman, and / believe made mis-
take after all in carrying you of from
the French monsieur"
Everyone laughed at this, and Aunt
Dernau blushed like young girl
| What did it all mean? Could / ask
Granny? wondered. She had told
me once that Aunt Dernau was hel
oldest and her dearest friend, and that
some day she would tell me her his
tory. Could remind her OF hel
promise now?
AS looked at her she took off he1
spectacles and closed her prayer-book
and slipping down from my throne ir
the window, 1 sat myself on q stoo
at her feet.
Granny" said coaxingly, "coulc
not you tell me your friends story
now? You know you promised, anG
it is just the right day for it. They
won't be back for a couple OF hours
vet, what with the service first, an(
then the wedding, and long sermon
and all the congratulations SO w
have plenty OF time"
just then we caught the sound o
distant church-bells, by which W,
knew that the bridal procession mus
| l. I,<, nh v,o1
"Ah, child" said my grandmother
''it was beautiful time when we tive
were young, Lorchen and l; you neve
saw such little wild thing as she was
They called her the bird, because sh
was SO quick and graceful, and hat
such bright eyes in her pretty liJtl
head. There was not a prettier CIR
far or near, and there was something
about her so different from other girls
that one could hardly take ones eye
of her; she was 80 dainty and 50 dis
tingue.
"And Lorchen herself was SO wei
aware of the fact, that she was q per
feet little despot. All the men oil,
and young, did her homage, and man,
q one did his best to catch and kee]
the little bird. But this was not 81
easy, for Lorchen was obstinate, ant
her greatest delight was to tease ant
torment her admirers whenever sh
had the opportunity. / often use'
to scofd her for it; for, being her mos
intimate friend, ! acted as confessor
. and she always honestly told me he
!, misdeeds. Sometimes, we got reall,
angry with one another after ball o
picnic, when her list ofconfessions wa
unusually long. But where was tn
use? She knew that could not he'll
'forgivjpg' her. as she said, directly sh
asked me, little fondling puss that sh
] was; and she knew, too, that all youn
men she had fooled and ttormente'