The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-06-21

came over the spirit Of Ne SouthDAyeds
dream. From acid Ge1u1dins turned to
sweet; she smiled Il be- Anciess lovers
ponderous jokes; she gfss ansccountsbly
dscile. meek and msoseIabls. Mn Out
wooi battered herself tlnl 'shs child bad
come to her common ssops and reason.
after all" Mr.. Sostlnsysd bought
wedding ring big sooadh Tor bracelet,
and priccd . eel Of sclitdls diamonds. and
Harry AppIess,ss spIas grew GORE
spondiugly depressed.
4 don't understand Geraldine" be
said.
No. nor did any one kna But II the
young lady understood hsssslf VA not
that enough p
.Geraldins. child RI III. Outvood's
voice sonnded up ~ stairway. Mr..
soushmsyed is asking ios that letter he
promised TO mail for ycs This morning"
Geraldine panssd visA hsr Ious bright
tressss looking like npplss n uncoIIsd
gold between her fingers,
Letter mamma Isn't 1t on the man
tie down stairs ?"
no"
Nor on the sewing mscline, nor In my
little work basket with the blue ribbons
"Of course IL isn't Didn, look every.
where before l called you 2
Then it must be in my p~tiolio. Here
II is. mamma Ask Mr.. Ho,thmsyed 10
please look for the letter. think IL is
somewh here among the blohiuy shests."
Mr.. Southmsyed was in . Mortal hurry
to get down to his shipping ,fice. but il
Geraldine had asked him to top week,
on her capricious behest, ho would have
obeyed. He took the little lrowu NOR
rocco port folio reverently.
"How entirely the dear 6ild trusts
me |" he thought, seating himslf in big
chair by the window 10 conmeuce his
search. 1T is not every girl Who would
venture to place her portfolio inthe hands
Df the man to whom she is engged. But
Outwood 10 like child she
has nothing to fear. nothing 10 conceal.
What is that ? Thoughts on Spring, and
10 poetry, too. A muse, eh, with ell the
rest f? My Darling Geraldine + and in
hat young scamp Applegate's writing.
Mr.. Southmsyed bad nearly let the port
Iolio fall in his dismsy. Fortunately,
however. il is dated six weeks ago, but l
10 not think Geraldine ought 10 keep such
nonsense. However. things
will be entirely altered when We sre mar
led Hey how what's this Z"
Mr.. Southmayed wM a. honorable ss
most gentlemen Of the nineteenth century,
put it was not in human flesh to resist the
em ptstion Of taking second peep. after
,e had seen, upon half finished sheet Of
tote paper, the four oninous words, "thst
,dious old Southmsysd, in Geraldine
own pretty italian hand writ
ng
Nobody will ever kuo~ how ii hap
,ened, began the writing At the top Of
be page. .'sny one who ever read Bul
ver's delightful novel Of Lucrecis will un
lerstand how easily ii may be done. Ar
enic in gradual doses, increasing little by
title, or even some more powerful poison;
md when am left rich young widow
~ that odious old Southmsyed's
lemise ="
Mr.. Southmsyed uttered low grosn =
be portfolio with all it's contents drifted
IN to the floor. Shade Of Lucrecia Bor-
,ia Ghost Of Palmer the Poisoner ! Aud
lad il come to this ?"
"Csnt you fnd the letter, Peletiah :"
ooed Geraldiue's honey-sweet voice down |
be stairway. Oh, remember now, Har.
y Applegate said he would put il 10 The
'ost- box for me. am sorry 10 have
roubled you"
"Yes-no-no trouble st ALA very
ood morning r suffered the horri6ed
Id shipping merchant, y be worked him.
elf ont Of the front door. his hsir brist-
ing in so many directions that IL was .
marvel bis new silk bat. bought with sn
special eye to the forthcoming wedding,
tayed on at oil.
And Geraldine, laughing merry little
olo oil to herself, ran dawn the stairs, the
olden hair yet hanging uukempt about
er shoulders. to pick mp Hthe scattered
ontents al the brown morocco portfolio.
'ut she burned the sheet Of note paper
,hich had stricken such ave into Mr..
'outbmsyed's heart, the very first thing
be did.
"Blsza up, little slip Of tinder," she
half aloud; you have done
our work"
II wonder Why Mr.. Southmayed don't
ome," said Mrs. Oatwood, sitting st the
cad Of the populous dinner table that
igLt when the soup bad been taken away
nd the roast tsrkey duly carved.
Here's letter, men, said Patrick,
le Irish waiter, ''Au' it's meself clsne for.
OF il uutil this minnit. bad luck TO the
'emory of me T.
Mrs. Ontwood broke the fat red zeal;
,e missiye thereby guarded vss abort. il
ot sweet
DEAR MADAM: Inclosed you will 6nd
hundred dollar bill TO secure you sgsinst
ay pecnniary loss IN regard to my spsrt-
tents. l fad myself uusx sxpectedly oblig.
J 10 leave town. and - ! may Le com
elled 10 visit South America and other
reign ports before my resurn,it will per.
sps be better that sll thoughts Of mar.
age between myself and Miss Outwood