Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-04-16

~ tsSUthO # AO1 sAAoI 3l0AS HtcI
ruaeness, sought to engage him IA con-
versation. Indeed, the grateful little
man ventnred to give the elderly lady's
hand q genuine squeeze when he rose
to take his departure, and, to his sur
prise and joy, it was warmly re-
turned. sS5 Y "a. 81
.'Now, if Miss Peploe would only Get
over her objection, how happy and
comfortable we should all be- he
thought as he trudged home. s.Hulloa,''
coming suddenly face to face with a
handsome young fellow in shabby
| ulster. s'How how are you, Jack Viii
kins?" =" ~. Z
'Oh, I'm all right, thank you,'' said
Jack, sulkily, and strobe on without
announcer word, While little Mr.. Gray
STOOD gazing after him with look of
comprehension On his face.
suppose she has been telling him
al ABOUT IT. ne said to himself, with a
slga. 1T natural, suppose, but it's
selnsa' TOO. res, it's little bit selfish
OF them. And, shaking his head, the
ora gentleman knocked at the door Of
ms house-that large, gloomy house
that had never seemed homelike since
the death OF that sister who had been
his right hand.
That evening Bessie was not at home
| one had gone out to tea with some
friends, Mrs Peploe said.
I'm glad she's not at home, dear
MIS- feploe, said Mr.. Gray, looking
| very req ana nervous. II am glad she
IS not at nome, because it gives me an
opportunity OF saying something that
is near to my heart"
He edged little nearer to the widow
as she spoke, and she smiled at him in
an encouraging way. She wase hand
some woman, and her smile revealed
the whitest teeth in the world.
"fray, 60 on, MIR. Gray she said,
II am all attention.
| Mr.. Gray coughed and looked ey
cessively uncomfortable. He wished
that the widow would avert her bright
eyes from his face: her steady oaze
confused him and he scarcely knew
what he was going to say. He hardly
liked to risk popping the question, for
refusal would mean Punishment from
the cheerful tireside where he had spent
so many pleasant hours. But the wild.
ow was waiting for him to speak, and
he could not back out now: he had gone
too far. Poor little man! His heart
was beating like sledge hammer.
How still the room was. He started
as the ashes dropped upon the hearth.
This awful silence must be broken, or
what would the widow think of him?
He must say something.
''You must have known my object in
coming here so often,'.' he blurted out
at last.
''Well, think I have guessed it., ~
returned Mrs. Peploe, continuing the
stitches in the stocking she was knit
ting.
IL thought you would.h observed Mr..
Gray, considerably embarrassed by her
reply, but relieved at the same time, for
it saved him the ordeal of a long ex-
PLANTATION. ''Well, since you have
guessed my secret. can YOU give me
hope?"
The widow was silent for few: mo-
ments, and Mr.. Gray gazed at her in
the deepest anxiety, his heart throbbing
with joy and fear. His home would
seem more lonely than ever if he re-
turned to it disappointed man:
IL will be frank with YOU" she said
presently. LAS tar as | am concerned
there is no possible objection to the
marriage, but Bessie is so young and
| foolish that"
"Oh, yes! I thought she would OBJ
| ject," said Mr.. Gray rubbing his face
with red silk handkerchief. ''But
don't you think you could bring her
round? I'll be SO kind to her that I'm
sure she would get over her dislike of
| the idea. Now couldn't you induce her
to be more reasonable?'
IL have tried my BEST said the wild
oew' with deep sigh: "But the girl
IS wild and headstrong. seem to have
lost all influence over her. y
linen. after ail' there is no hope for
me, SAID MI. tray. looking terribly
ctest~1allen. II thought we should be
such happy family we four"
| I'VE tour?' repeated Mrs. Peploe,
staring at nm as II she thought ne had
com LlH t"sen ieav We, OF MS senses
,, LES, we 1our: why notr asked
ut. gray kno" Jack WILKINS IS
very lohu OF bessle' anu 1ancled we
should all De happy together II L could
wy .:r 1n.'G - va W. 'Iy VS. ,,
s.;d +ho n, IA duS,; .'o ~ "an1'
stnop;o, ,rJ e.,'e es1 ~ 10 10
t,n,th asS 10y ttua,I., Ao ~ Do 'no
% . ..pass;nT, u wi ~ NJ. m
;no heartily ..IVhat che sho,,1d MY '1 wsmt
With ch;,d ,;ke +ha+ n;dn,+ " ,ra,,
,"now hora h D a,.o1. 0A s,,aaa.,'.u n you
"th at t. <vas W., 800 rantod I Ingo ,F, i"'e'
W. ~ " tho,rht ~ ,r o"nI poaa;o
sto ,nn,ored Mrs Pan,oa va" ~ De 1Sa'
seo1 havo l,aanr, pA'0' on' "na' "
1oo ..n, na'e ea '.t H. >, uo.,,c
:. ~ say 'la', le'"r Ilgt Mr: gray
| IN SAD tone OF voice. lit Is VINO