Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-02-12

rier from headquarters saved tnass
man his self-respect forever. ..s,o
Mistress Thankful was IN Der shtSLSs
room when he knocked at the door. ou
oneped i, in sudden, conscious trepidaAon.
~ ask pardon for ~intruding, M'S.tss
Thankful Blossom" be said gravely; ,;ous
/ have here"-he held out q preteGuI
document-''a letter for you from ne: ;u.
quarters. May l hope that 1t cop.
good news-the release OF your iaipe.
and that it relieves you from ny preS
and an espionage which / assure you I.n
not be more unpleasant to you thar
been to myself" ..d
As he entered the room, Thankful rsu
! risen to her feet with the full intenNec y
delivering to him her little set aPoeS,
but, as he ended his speech, she lookeo .
him blankly, and burst out crying.
Of course he was in an instant o. hsi
side, and holding her cold little nas
Then she managed to say, between Iei
tears, that she had been wanting to naae
an apology to him; that she had wanted 70
say ever since she arrived that she hau
been rude, very rude, and that she knew
he never could forgive her; that she eau
been trying to say that she never couldioI-
get his gentle forbsarance; ''only," she sad-
ed, suddenly raising her tear-fringed brown
lids to the astoni he'd man, ''you wouldn't
ever let mel"
Dear Mistress Thankful, " said the ma
jor, in conscience stricken horror, 'if ! have
made myself distant to you, believe me IL
was only because / feared to intrude upon
your sorrow l really-dear Mistress
Thankful-I'-
"When you took all the pains 10 go
round the hall instead of through the din
ing room, lest / should ask you to forgive
me-" sobbed Mistress Thankful, i
thought-you-must-hate me, and pre-
ferred to-
"Perhaps this letter may mitigate your
sorrow, Mistress Thankful" said the oil.
Ger, pointing to the letter she still held
unconsciously in her hand.
With a blush at her pre-occupatiOn
Thankful opened the lette'. 1t was a
half official document and ran as follows:
The commander. in-chief is glad to in
form Mistress Thankful Blossom that the
charges preferred against her father have,
upon fair examination, been found ground
lees and trivial. The commander in chief
further begs to inform Mistress Blossom
that the gentleman known to her under the
name of the Baron Pomposo" was his er-
cellency Don Juan Morales, ambassador
and envoy extraordinary of the court of
Spain, and that the gentleman known to
her as the Count Ferdinand was Senor
Cooley, Secretary to the embassy. The
commander in chief wishes to add that
Mistress Thankful Blossom is relieved
OF any further obligation of hospital
ity toward these honorable gentlemen,
AZ the commander. in-chief regrets to record
the sudden and deeply TO b. deplored
death of his exGellepcy this morning by
typhoid fever and the possible speedy re-
turn of the embassy.
In conclusion the commander. in-chiet
wishes to bear testimony to the truthful.
ness, intuition aud discretion of Mistress
Thankful Blossom.
By order of his excelleDcy,
GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON.
ALEX. HAMILTON. Secretary.
To Mistress Thankful Blossom, of B!Osso;,.
Farm.
Thankful Blossom was silent for a few
moments. and then raised her amazed eyes
to Mai. Van Zandt. A single glance salts.
fed her that he knew nothing of the i'm
posture that had been practiced upon her
knew nothing of the trap into which her
vanity and self will had led her
Dear Mistress Thankful" said the
mejor, seeing the distress in her face, 81
trus: the news is not ill. Surely | gathered
from the sergeant that
"Whst?" said Thankful, looking at him
i~nnoosntly.
That in twenty fouc hours at furthest
your father would be free, aud that l
should be relieved"-
~ know that you are a.weary of your
task, Major" said Thankful, bitterly
rejoice, then, to know that your informa-
ton is correct, and that my father is ex-
Observation-Disclosures this is q forg.
to be somebody else, and you should turn
out to he somebody else"- And she
stopped short and hid her wet eyes in the
window Cur tains.
"Poor GIRL" said Maj. Van ZIndt to
himself. This trouble has undoubtedly
frenzied her. Fool that ! was to lay up
the insult Of one that sorrow and excite
ment had begeft Oh reason and responsible
ity! Twas better | should retire at one
and leave her to herself" and the young
man slowly retreated toward the door.
But at this moment there were alarming
symptoms OF distress in the window cur
tain, and the major paused as q voice from
it's dimity depths said plaiu:ively, "And
you are going without forgiying me-"
Forgive you, Mistress Thankful" said
tine major, stridirg to the curtain, and
seizing a little hand that was obtruded from
its folds-'forgive you? rather can you for-
give me for the folly-tho cruelty of mis-
taking-oi"-and here the major, hitherto
famous for faci!e compliments, utterly
broke down. But the hand he held was
no longer cold, but warm and Intelligent;
and in default of coherent speech he held
fast by that rs the thread Of his discourse,
until Mistress Thankful quietly withdrew
it, thanked him for his forgiveness, and re.
tired deeper behind the curtain.
FRO BE CONTINUED.