Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-05-27
The Stnrp Teller.
WON BY MISTAKE.

WIN d uA4S l. 1AAAI'
81 do wish you'd sit down and keep
quiet, Bessie! You distract me so, fiutter-
ing around the room like bird"
Now Miss Minerva Elliott was tall mas
culine female, hard on the "thirties" with
stiff little curls, and gold trimmed spectacles'
and stand-up collar and cravat, like mans,
and she was very busy among pile OF
books and papers, preparing hard questions
intended for the annihilation of her Sunday
fchool on the morrow, while little sixteen
.ear-old Bessie with her pink and white
skin. brown curls and innocent blue eyes,
picked up her white kitten and beat re-
treat inexpressibly mortified at having dis
tracted her staid sister.
"Isuppose shall learn better some time" !"
thought Bessie; "but, oh dear, am such
a silly little goose"
She went on tiptoe. past the door where
Mr.. Leroy, the young minister, was engag-
ed in the revision of his sermon, for Mr..
Leroy lodged at widow Elliott's and Bessie
felt her youth and folly more painfully than
ever in his dignified presence.
She stood for moment in the doorway
where the cheerful July sunbeams made
golden checker work on the floor qulverlng
through the morning glory vines, and
sweet odor crept subtly in, of newly moWn
clover field, and roses just blossoming along
the garden wall.
81 know what I'll do," thought Bessie,
as her pet, the kitten, darted away through
the bushes. 'I'll have some of those ripe
cherries"
Bessie bounded down the garden walk,
and deftly climbing the old stone wall,
swung herself into the branches of the huge
cherry tree, like white plumed little bird.
sMother would be Mortified, and Minerva
would have it," quietly thought Bessie
"but it's so nice and shady up here, and the
robins are stealing all the cherries. l al
most wish I was robin, it is such splen'
did life up among the green leaves with the
blue sky peeping through. Dear me, l hope
that isn't mamma"
Bessie crept branch or two higher up
as footsteps came down the garden path.
Alas! her premonitions were but too cor
rect. Mrs. Elliott's cap-strings were tiutter'
ing below, Mrs. Elliott's self had come out
with bowl to pick currants, accompanied
by Aunt Sophia, her sister.
"Now Pm caught" soliloquized our little
heroine. 81 hope they won't be long.
wonder wha5 they are talking about. Mr.
Leroy, as live"
And Bessie held her breath and secretly
laughed to see how utterly unconscious th'
two old DANES were of her near vicinage.
"Yes," said Mrs. Elliott, solemnly, "he'
agood young man, a very good young man.
"There amt no minister all the countr.
round gives such good satisfaction" sait
Aunt Sophia. "Them cabbages are comm
on fine Julia!"
"Oh, bother the cabbages!" said Mrs
Elliott, tartly; "it's about Mr.. Leroy I'm
talking, Sophia. But he ought to MARI.
and settle down. A single minister cam
do all the good he could if he was married
"That's true" assented Aunt Sophia
"and Minerva would make capital minis
ter's wife,"
"She's the very wife he needs" and
some one would just put the idea into hi
head"
''Perhaps he doesn't want to marry"
"Then he is doing very wrong, encou
aging Minerva the way he does-Walklr
to Sunday school with her and talkin' abor
the poor-money, and pickin' out the psalm
and HYMNS with his head so close to her
OF all creatures" went on Mrs. Elliott, enc
eetically, 81 do dislike male coquette."
"Dear me, julia" said Aunt Sophia, wit
mild remonstrance. 81 don't s'pose he eve
thinks of such thingw
''Then he ought to think of it. Some or
ought to speak to him."
Meek Aunt Sophia picked currants
perplexed silence.
81 don't really think he ought to trit
with my poor Minerals feelings-and ST
is sensitive, too," resumed the widow.
81 never did pretend to understar
Young folks when love and courtship we
in business" said Aunt Sophia. But
would be fine thing for Minerva"
'rd be proud to be the minister's mot
er-in-law,' said Mrs. Elliott, exultant
the remote possibility. "And Minerva
a smart girl. You ought to hear her ia
about Scripture and theology! Why, NJ
LEROY himself was astonished."
81 should think very likely" said Au
Sophia dryly.
Minerva had never been her favorl
niece-she had lectured Aunt Sophia t
often for sleeping in church, eating fenr
seeds, singing out of time and other ven
sins. >,
81 don't know what to do about ii
said Mrs Elliott. 1 wish somebody Wou
speak to Mr.. Leroy and tell him plain
what his duty is"
"Haven't we picked most enough c'
rants?" hazarded Aunt Sophia.
81 s'pose so," said Mrs. Elliott sharp
"You never had the trials of family, )
phia, and they come hard, though my gl
are pretty good girls, after all. MlnerV
quite model, and Bessie's well enough
she would sober down little"
"Don't be everlastin'ly finding fault w
Bessie" pleaded her Aunt Sophia. ehe
a nice, sweet-tempered little girl, and II y
want her to put on spectacles and take
the doctrine of lost souls, l don't. IL
her better just as she is"
And the two elderly ladies went in W
their bowl of sparkling red currants leavl