Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-06-07

briskly clicking down stairs, a plaid
breakfast shawl Rugged tightly around
her shoulders
"Ahem! is that snow sifted under the
do0r?'' she asked herself rs she reached
the bottom step.
4 closer inspection assured her it was
not
WHY, lists birthday card"
! And hastily Selling the missive She
stepped into the parlor to examine II
privately.
For Electra! Well. declare! Who's
it from / wonder? There's no harm in
opening a birthday card, so I'll Just see
what it is.
And carefully prying open tine en-
velope, Mrs. Feversham beheld a taste
fully-decorated sheet of rice-paper. ON
the inner side of which were some
written words, which she proceeded to
read:
Miss ELEcrRA.-l shall pass your home
at sunrise tomorrow morning; it is your
birthday. Ii l see your face at the win
dow, | shall take it as sign that you are
willing 10 accept my card.
Yours sincerely
MALVERN TRAVERS."
''Oh, indeed!'' Mrs. Ignatia grew red
in the face as she comprehended the
purport of the words. 80 it is her he's
been coming to see, heyP I'll have a
finger in that pie, Mr. Malvern Travers!
I'll take charge of this document N.Y.
self. And it won't be Electras face
you'll see at sunriser
And carefully secreting the paper, she
hurried out to the warm dining-room
and the waiting breakfast.
An hour or two later, Mrs. Fever
sham, arrayed in her second-best things,
appeared in the kitchen, where Electra
was hopping the floor.
I'm going over to see old Mrs Dimi-
ty. | heard she was ILL.," she an
nounced. "And / shant be back TO
dinner. so you needn't mind cooking
any. There's enough left over from
breakfast for you"
And Electra made no comments.
having better discretion than to ques-
ton anything her stepmother chose to
say or do.
1t was Il snort time after the dinner
! hour when Mrs. Feversham returned.
THE old woman's pretty i'll, an /
promised you might 90 over an stay
all night. an set up. if need be- she
informed her daughter. you can
walk easily enough, for the snow amt
very deep"
Electra had no objections to make,
and it would have made no difference
if she had, as her will was seldom con-
suited.
Old Mrs. Dimity lived with her son
and little grandson in small but
coy cottage situated in the very heart
of the woodland.
She welcomed Electra cordially, but
disclaimed the need1of having any one
to sit up with her.
but I'm glad to have some one to
talk to, she added, land to look after
things little"
Electra and Mrs Dimity chatted for
awhile, when the Old lady fell asleep,
and after time her little boy Sammy
came back from an excursion in the
woods
Look a-here," he cried, "what |
found in a tree"
And drawing crumped paper from
his pocket, he laid it in Elcctra's lap
'Miss Electra Feversham.
Why, it was her own namel And
with some natural excitement she ex-
amined the contents of the envelope.
A birthday card from Malvern Ira
vers! Electra's cheeks burned rs she
read the written words.
'But how could it have got into the
treeP" she wondered
Sammy could throw no light on the
subject, except that he had climbed a
tree after squirrel, and putting his
hand into a hollow of the trunk, he
found the paper.
"And now | shall not be at the win
dow to see him!n thought Electra, with
a pang.
Then the thought came into her
mind
Gould she have been sent away on
purposeP"
And suddenly the truth flashed over
her-her stepmother had discovered the
card and secreted it,
Electra felt thrill of indignation at
the thought.
lit must be so,' she declared. but
will let him know somehow"
1t was growing late, and Electra was
getting supper in the little kitchen,
when the other boy, Tom, came stamp
ing the snow from his feet
lie was not alone, for Electra could
hear him talking in loud, good-humor-
ed tones
Presently the kitchen door was flung
wide open, and Tom was saying:
walk in, Malvern, and get a good
warm fore you 60"
Then to Electra he said:
Here's some chicken-jelly an elder
berry wine, Malvern has brought to
mother; his sister sent 'em. I'll lust