Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-01-05
han ever that / siTot the rabbit. y

than ever that | slot the rabbit
He was crossing the lawn, next day.
with some choice geranium slips in his
hand, when he heard a smothered
sound, as of sobbng, in tic little
trellised arbor on the other side of the
hedge.
His heart smote him with a sudden
remorse. He flung down the geran-
iums, went around by the gate and
presented himself before poor little
Corinne Delecroix. who sat bitterly
lamentili;s, on the step of the summer
house.
She started guilty at his approach,
and rose to her feet.
My dear young lady," said he,
what is the matter? Is it anything in
which | can help youP"
Still Corinne wept on.
II owe you an apology" added
Whyte. 81 regret. from the bottom
of my heart. that allowed myself to
be carried away so far as to perform
such an unneighborly and ungentle-
manly action. If | could replace
him"
but you can't" sobbed Corinne.
don't know what possessed me to put
strychnine into piece of meat at the
foot of the garden. But did, and he
has been poisoned
"Poisonedw gasped Mr.. Whyte
your fatherP"
NO." wept Corinne, with a gesture
of impotence, ''the dogr
do you mean my Irish setter?"
Yes
"But he isn't poisonedw cried Mr..
Whyte
He has disappeared. asserted
Corinne.
Il have sent him away. / did not
choose that so triflng a thing as a dog
should raise up dissension between
neighbors."
Dorinne dropped her tear-drenched
pocket-handkercllief; her face grew
radiant beneath its bright drops.
"Oh, | am SO glad said She. 81
am not quite such a guilty wretch as
fdncied myself. But / did put the
poisoned meat there. In intention
am as guilty as ever And | shall not
be quite-quite happy until you say
that you forgive me-"
Il assure you, Miss Delacrox-" be-
gan Mr.. Whyte, thinking how best he
could confess. to the horrible fact of be-
ing Bunny's deliberate murderer, when
there was a CLEAN of white through the
leaves, and Bunny himself jumped up
on his mistress lap, from nook
among the foliage.
II am going to send Bunny away"
said Cornne, ito my cousin, in
Brighton, who wants II white rabbit
dreadfully. And Paquita has been
shipped to Boulogne by express. Papa
says we must not keep pets at the ex-
pense of our neighbors' peace of mind.
And, by the way. we were so much
obliged to you-papa and for shoot
ing that hateful old White cat that was
always chasing Bunny and wanting to
eat Paquita up! We saw you shoot
her. 1t was that that made me feel
so conscience-stricken about the
poisoned meat.
.Hem-hem!" coughed Mr.. Whyte.
II am glad-that is, | really don't
know"
"And won't you come in and see
papa?" prettily pleaded Corinne. ''He's
quite an invalid, you know, and he
would so enjoy the society of a neigh
bort"
Mr. Whyte consented. Noone could
have said mo" to Corinne.
And when he went home, he had
promised to have Nero brought back,
provided Bunny should not be exiled
from the Brandon cottage.
Miss Nicola called, too.
She was delighted with Mr.. Della
croix and his daughter. The more they
saw of each other the better they were
mutually pleased.
"Corinne has rare nature" said
Mr.. Whyte, enthusiastically.
Yes, indeedw said his sister. "And
it is enough to break ones heart to
hear of all that Mr.. Delacroix has gone
through"
At the years end, neighbors looked
oddly at each other.
''Wonders never will ceasew said
old Mrs. Jones.
Il wouldn't have believed it," said
Mrs. jenkins.
ITO think of man of Whyte's age
should get engaged to a girl in her
teens| said Mrs. Jones
But, after all, said Mrs. jenkins,
''it isn't half SO strange as that Miss
Nicola Whyte, at her years, should
marry widower like her father"
"And it's sort o pulling" remarked
the deacon ''what kind o. relations
they'll be to each other"
Still, said Mrs. jenkins, ''if they're
suited, we're no call to interfere"
That's very true!" observed Mrs
Jones, with chuckle.