Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-06-12

1 est Neal" and then followed a torrent
Of sentiment, ending with the words
"Your loving Ella" The handwrit-
ing-yes, surely, 1t was that of Meals
cousin, Ellen Laing, and Cuthbert's
own engaged 81 eetheart.
Rollyn's face grew more and more
troubled as he read the letters over, at
last coming upon one accepting dear
lest Meals invitation to elope on the
following Thursday.
Soon after this Cuthbert found a
chance TO leave the room, and then
Neal burst out in peal of laughter.
He was so occupied with his own hap
Ipiness that he had not noticed the
others disappointment. and probably
lnever suspected Cuthbert's attach men;
for his cousin.
When Neal came down to breakfast
In the morning he found this note
signed with his friends initials:
''If you care sufficiently for an old
TREND" 1t said, 'and can spare time
enough from the contemplation OF
Hyour own happiness to have the lake
dragged for his body, perhaps you
won't think II too much to do SO. But
don't put yourself out, pray--and least
OF all your Loving Ellen'-on my &C.
count"
Neal Guthrie sprang up, upsetting
his coffee and the cup into VIII ich he
had just broken two soft-boiled eggs,
and overturning his chair with crash,
to the general discomposure of the
boarders and his landlady's great dis
Ipleasure, and rushed out, never stop
Iping till he reached the lake at the
border Of the town.
he had skirted 1t but little way
when, lying on jutting rock con
cealed by thick growth Of bushes,
at the base OF which the water was
mere than twenty feet deep, he found
an old coat which he had often seen
Cuthbert wear, and little way out,
tossed to and fro by the wind, hoated
q straw hat just like the one Cuthbert
had on the day before
Meals face turned ashen pale and
he shook like man with the ague.
Poor Cuthi" he walled piteously,
81 never dreamed 1t would come TO
this"
Then he few to flud the coroner,
and with him and troop of horror
seeking followers returned to the
lake. They dragged it from end to
end, but only raked up an old crock |
|ery crate. Then they got out rusty
cannon that had seen service under |
Old Hickory at New Orleans, an had
smashed the windows OF the. town
every Fourth Of July since.
"Give him few gall. busters from |
that" said Steve Kidder, the village |
oracle. ''and If IL dom list i'm nothin' |
else will"
But 1t didn't "h'ist Inn" for though
round alter round was fired, up, down
and across. it was only so much pow.
der wasted. .5.
"Dod blamed il he bent the most |
stubbornsomest corpse l ever seedp
said Steve Kidder, turning away dis.
gus ed.
Meals face was ruesomeness itself
IS he started to tell the news to Ellen |
Laing.
''How IAN l ever break it to herr" |
he said. as he reached the door.
For some reason he seemed appre-
hensive that Ellen would take it par
ticularly hard.
"Ohl Ellen Ellenl' he exclaimed,
when they met-"haye you heard |
itP"
"Heard Whatf"
1.-THE news-the dreadful newsi |
Cuthbert Rollyn's gone and drowned
himselfip
Ellen didn't faint, didn't shriek, |
didn't do anything he had counted on.
Maybe she was too stunned.
Neal, like one anxious TO get
through heartrending scene, hurried
lon.
'You know those old letters of
grandma's to grandpa before they ran
away togetherf You remember there
was no date on them, and grandpa s
name was Neal, like mine, and grand
mas was Ellen, the same as yours;
and she wrote q hand that couldn't be
told from your own. Well, for lark,
yesterday. | showed them to Cuth-l
bert as if confding to him an import
ant personal secret He fell into the
trap at once, and thought they were
from you to me. / meant to tell him
the truth to day and have a good
laugh at his expense. But, OIL Cousin
ElleDl it drove him 10 despair, and he
went off and drowned himselfl l don
ask you to forgive me. ! know you
couldn't, and l don't deserve it; but i'll
it'll be any comfort to y u, III go in
mourning for the rest of my days p
At the end of the recital Ellen
Laing burst into fit of the widest
laughter.
"Ohl don't--don'tp' pleaded Neal,
starting back appalled,. ''Heavensl she
has lost her witsr'
Don't you think we've punished
him enought' said Cuthbert Rollyn,
ientering from an adjoining room, and
Laughing almost as wildly as Ellen.
"You see.' he added, turning to-
Neal. ~ wasn't quite fool enough to
20 ana drown myself without first
seeking an explanation from Ellen, L
guess you know the rest"
Picnic Grounds.
w. B Snslley, vii, pnrehAsad the
Harmony Mil property, IN White Clay
Cuek Hundred, on the B & D rail.
read some two or tire years ago, hRs1
E grove OF come sixty acres which he
proposes TO ut up as p onio gro1nde.
The surrounding country is uudulating
and highly picturesque, and O ride
from our city in he cars would prove
exceediualy pleasant. Mr.. 3. lie an en-