The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-05-17
BETROTHED IN A CELLAR.

BEIROTHED IN A CELLAR,
From Household Words.
BY making gigantic effort had at
last succeeded in pushing up thu
heavy sash Of the old fashioned guillo-
tine window, and now, sitting in the
broad wi"dow-seat, was enjoying the
scent OF the great syringa bush, which
grew so close to the house that 1t
pushed its branches inside whenever
1t had the opportunity, so that sit
ting in the window was almost like be-
ang in an arbor. Twas in Germany, OF
course, for guillotine windows. as we
call them, are still the fashion in Eng
land, hear.
Yes; l was in Germany, and it was
the day before Whit Sunday-a lovely
May day-and was just 16.
am u good deal more than Is now,
but still, often, when the syringa is in
blossom, and the delicious fragrance
comes floating round me, the whole
scene rises again before my eyes, and
see the old-fashioned garden, with it's
qualntly-cu ycws and box hedges. and
the apple trees loaded with blossom;
tho wainsCOtted room, with the faded
red carpet, and antiquated furniture
and ornaments; and, looking through
the folding.doors into the dining.
room beyond, see the long table
decked for some festal occasion, two
chairs wreathed with flowers, and be-
fore them, on the table, two bouquets
composed OF sprays ofmyrtle.
see, too, sitting opposite me in a
caPaclous armchair, my grandmother,
a little old lady in a white lace cap,
with prayer-book on her knees,
which she was reading here at home
because she could not get as far as the
chapel beyond the town gate.
had been there myself that morn
ing, all in hurry, just to see how it
looked before brought Granny to the
house, and had seen that it was beau
tifully decked with flowers, and that
there were wax tapers enough to daz-
zle one
After that had come back to the
wedding house" and waited, for
could not leave granny quite alone;
and while waited puzzled myself to
make out why Uncle Dernau, as we all
called him, and his wife should have
chosen to celebrate their golden we'd
ding in the little country chapel in
stead OF in the large town church,
which seemed so much more appropri-
ate
Then, too, l wondered what could
be the meaning OF sundry mysterious
illusions which had heard made in
the course OF the evening before They
had seemed to amuse the rest very
much, but l could make nothing OF
them.
Uncle Dernau's little wife was favor
ite little woman, with bright eyes,
brown hair without touch OF grey in
it, and had very small hands and feet.
How we had all admired her the night
before, when. for "the very last time"
as she said, she had danced the
charming minuet, which had been ar
ranged in her honor. l can see her
now in her old-tashioned, marvelously
short wasted dress OF silk, with a
three-cornered tichu crossed over her
chest, little shoes without heels, wide
ribbon sandals, and embroidered
stockings. Uncle Dernau himself was
her partner, and at the close of the
dance he made her low bow, saying
with gleam of fun and mischief in
his eyes:
MADAME, you dance like French
woman, and l believe l made mis-
take after all in carrying you off from
the French monsieur"
Everyone laughed at this, and Aunt
Dernau blushed like a young girl.
What did it all mean? Could l ask
Granny? Wondered. She had told
me once that Aunt Dernau was her
Oldest and her dearest friend, and that
some day she would tell me her his
tory. Could l remind her of her
promise now?
AS l looked at her she took off her
spectacles and closed her prayer book.
and slipping down from my throne in
the window, sat myself on stool
at her feet.
Granny" said coaxing'y, could
not you tell me your friends story
now? You know you promised, and
it is just the right day for it. They
won't be back for q couple OF hours
yet, what with the service first, and
then the wedding, and a long sermon,
and all the congratulations so we
have plenty of time"
Just then we caught the sound of
distant church-bells, by which we
knew that the bridal procession must
be getting near the chapel.
"Ah, child" said my grandmother,
lit was q beautiful time when we two
were young, Lorchen and !; you never
saw such little wild thing as she was
They called her the bird, because she
was so quick and graceful, and had
such bright eyes in her pretty little
head. There was not a prettier girl
far or near, and there was something
about her SO different from other girls,
that one could hardly take ones eyes
OH her; she was so dainty and so dis
tingue.
"And Lorchen herself was so we'll
aware of the fact, that she was g. per-
feet little despot. All the men old
and young, did her homage, and many
q one did his best to catch and keep
the little bird. But this was not so
easy, for I.orchen was obstinate, and
torment her admirers whenever she
had the opportunity. l often used
to scold her for it, for, being her most
intimate friend, acted as confessor,
and she always honestly told me her
misdeeds. Sometimes, We got really
angry with one another after a ball or
picnic, when her list ofconfessions was
unusually long. But where was the
use? She knew that l could not help
'forgiving' her. as she said, directly she
asked me, little fondling puss that she
was; and she knew, too, that all young
men she had fooled and tormented