The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-10-06
HENRY L. BIOSSAT, Business Manager.

"And of course you can not 90 back
OF your word?" suggested Minnie, in-
sinuatingly.
'Most certainly not. / shall abide
by what have written to Mr.. Mariscal
and Frank Carroll; if they are not
suited with what [ wrote can not help
it l will abide by my decision, and so
l have told your uncle Arbuthnot, so in
case do not get home from my trip to
Paris before the very latest date set in my
letter. the wedding must 60 on without
me-or else you, Lilias, will be pau
per-"
'Lilias is so impulsive, you know,
Aunt Hettie, that 1 do wish you would
write that down SO she will not forget"
suggested Minnie, handing sheet of
paper to Mrs. Arbuthnot, and then
withdrawing it, adding: "Suppose
write it and let you sign it, as you say
your eyes trouble you to-dayP"
''Do so, my dear; my eyes are very
bad to-day; but for them would post
pone my journey until later in the sea-
son."
So Minnie wrote: II intend to adhere
strictly and literally to the terms in
which yesterday wrote to Mr.. Mariscal
and Frank Carroll; if they are not suit
ed with what | wrote l can't help it. 1
will abide by that decision" And to
this Mrs. Arbuthnot appended her name
and the date. Somewhat to Mrs Ar
buthnots surprise, none of the family
saw any thing of MIR. Mariscal all that
day; and she had to start that night for
New York, whence she was to sail for
Paris, without seeing him again. Early
the next morning there came to the
house, not Mr.. Mariscal, but Frank
Carroll who, to Lilias' intense amaze
ment, greeted her as if he were her ac-
cepted lover. AS soon as she could do
so-that is, as soon as she could make
up her mind to do so-she withdrew
from his enfoldiug arms and exclaimed:
"Why Frank! How courageous you
are, to venture here in such an assured
to your
"Courageous?" he repeated. '1don't
understand you; it is because | received
her card that am here now. / must
own that was little surprised when l
read it, though
"What could she have said to you?"
asked Lilias in amazement still.
''here it is-read it for yourself; l
only got it this morning, having been
away on business, or I'd have been here
last evening"" he answered, handing a
postal card to Lilias.
Mrs. Arbuthnot was one of those peo-
pie who use postal card for any or all
purposes; she had perfect mania for
them, and could not be persuaded not
TO write the most confidential things
upon them, so Lilias was not at all sur
prised that she had written her COM
munications to the two young men on
these cards, though most people prefer
to send such missives in sealed en-
velope. She read:
$50 sorry that l can not see you to-
night, write in haste and confusion to
say that / am more than willing that
you should marry Lilias, and I trust
that she will appreciate the compliment
you have paid her-from her past treat
ment of you am sure she will. At any
ate, it is my desire that she marry you
and no one else, on pain of my anger. )"
To this was appended her name and
the date of the preceding day.
Lilias was mystified, Frank iubilant,
Mr.. Arbuthnot mildly puzzled but ac'
auiescent, and Minnie smiling butsilent.
When Mr.. Arbuthnot told Frank that
his wife had said something about hav-
ing Lilias married within a month,
even though she went away, and when
Lilias and Minnie agreed with him, he
was only too glad to aid in carrying out
her expressed wishes: SO the wedding
dresses were made up in hurry, and in
exactly month after the date of her
card to Frank, Mrs. Arbuthnot's older
ward was married to her true love.
An hour or so after the wedding,
Minnie said carelessly to Lihas:
''Did you ever hear any more OF Mr..
Mariscal's desire to marry. youP'
"Bless me, no! had entirely for.
gotten the man! Why, sure enough,
didn't auntie say she had accepted his
offer and-what are you laughing at,
Minnie?" said Lilias.
"Do YOU remember the night went
down to the library to get your watch,
and You wanted to know why l was
gone so longp said 1 had paused to
read the deaths and marriages in the
paper; well, that was true, but there
Law on the library table two postal cards,
in auntie's own writing, addressed to
YOUR two lovers. l picked them up and
read them-now don't frown, postals
are not private! 1 found that she
had evidently made mistake in
addressing them, for the one bearing
Mr.. Mariscal's name was very blum,
request for him to keep away from you
the other Frank has shown you. was
so afraid that she would find out he1
mistake before she went abroad that
inst opened the front door and ran out
and mailed them. "
Such was indeed the case. What
would otherwise have been Mrs. Ar
buthnot's wrath at Minnie's haste tc
mail the mlsdirected cards no one
knows. but as she CHANGED. almost a.
soon as she arrived in Paris, to learn
that Mariscal was already privately
married, she never in any way referred
TO the matter, and as Frank made the
hest of husbands she soon forgot thai
she had ever been opposed to the match
Francis E.. Wadleigh, TN Boston Tran
script
| a No.. Caoe;hlo RamaPk.