The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-08-03
some one conceived the brilliant idea of lool-

The doctor soon returned to report that
General Jackson was in bed, which he per-
| Owing to the exciting scenes of the morn
| ing, Miss Alcott was little late to break
| fast When she entered the dining room. his
| cousin and his wife stood behind their
chairs, while at the window stood the gen.
eral himself.
AT the noise of opening the door, he
turned and came toward May with his hand
extended, while she said playfully:
An, General, you forgot to wait for me;
now what shall do to punish your"
My dear Goddess, don't be too hard on
me, he returned, "but really, you spent so
much time at your toilet that despaired
Oh seem seeing you again, and so was forced to
During this dialogue DIR. vane and his
wife stood staring in establishment, then, as
the truth flashed upon him the former burst
INTO loud laugh, in which his wife joined
heartily.
gasps, ALLOW me to introduce my old college
friend: Mr.. Alan Southerland-Mr. Souther-
land, Miss Alcott."
Now it was their turn to stare which they
did to perfection.
'And SO, Switzerland" said Hector. hold
creature you insisted on boring me to death
with last night when L wanted to get to bed
and to Sleep"
''The saddest, most musical voice ever
listened to-" chimed in his wife, mimicking
May to perfection.
$50 lovely, and so young, and with look
| Of such pathetic sweetness in the beautiful
brown eyes," added the doctor.
Yes, and only think" said Belle, "if he
had been called to part company with his
without a fiutter."
At this, May, whose cheeks were flaming,
started for the door, but Switzerland was
there before her.
II. - tan at1 st.x1. Il L.
and under fire; you promised that night that
| you'd never do that"
All means of retreat being cut off, she cast
an appealing look at Belle, who, plying her
embarrassment. with difficulty suppressed
| her mirth.
sit was all Hecs fault" she cried. HE
told me to agree with everything that was
said. That's all / did,"
Begging pardon" said Switzerland, 81
believe was the one who did the agreeing,
which, as in your case, was only carry ing
out the directions which DR.. Vane had
| given me. You will remember that it was
| yourself who invested me with the title of
| the illustrious hero"
well, thought from his description" she
began, then stopped in confusion.
impossible" said Vane, with a fresh
| burst of merriment, 81 described General
jackson to you as a very handsome man,
| while as for Southerland-"
| Have a care how you disparage my per-
| sonal charms" interrupted Switzerland, "or
| may be called upon to avenge the wrongs
| which | have already received at your
hands. Miss Alcott's confounding me with
the handsome general is sufficient proof of
| Although her cheeks burned with shame,
as she recalled her words of the previous
evening, May could not repress feeling of
JOY at the thought that the shapely head, the
we'll knit form, and the merry brown eyes
which had haunted her dreams during the
night just passed, belonged, not to a lunatic,
but to man quite as sane as herself.
Switzerland not only experienced similar
feeling Of relief in regard to herself, but ex-
| pressed 1t in terms that We're unmistakable.
One morning, when Miss Alcott had been
| at her cousins a couple of weeks, the mail
was brought in while the family were at
breakfast.
Switzerland, whose originally intended
two days visit to his old college friend had
heightened into one of as many weeks, had
gone on an early train to attend to some
legal business at a little village few miles
out on branch road; He was not expected
to return until the following day.
There were a couple of letters for him,
several for Belle and the doctor, and one for
May which bore the postmark of Ashleigh
her home, and which was addressed in the
familiar handwriting of her guardian.
With foreboding of evil, and vindictive
feeling towards the heir Of Creighton, who
had shared no place in the thoughts during
the fortnight which had passed like a happy
dream. she finished her breakfast in silence,
and before the others were through excused
herself and retired to the porch to read her
letter, which proved to be a summons from
her guardian to return home at once.
He was sick and needed her. he wrote, and
she must come.
The only allusion which he made to the
cause Of her absence was in the form of
postscript at the close.
"As to the young man whom you were so
terribly afraid of meeting,' he said, you
anod hau faar fax ho1 aex a. r.
big fool as yourself. l find that he came
home the day before you left, and when his
mother Tor rather his stepmother, for such
she Isl undertook to advise him in regard to
his future in life, he became exceedingly in
dignant, and left the same day on the even
ing train"
HE may be man after ALL" she said to
herself as she folded the letter and returned
It to the envelope. "Now if he had only
been IKE some Se one else have lately met
If he cares as much as think he does l
shall hear from him." she thought, as Mrs.
Vane, who was assisting her in her prepare
tions for returning home, bantered her In re-
gard to Southerland's feelings when he
should return and find her gone. She was
not mistaken in this, for the day but one
after her return to Ashleigh, she received
letter from the young man asking permission
to call upon her at her home and Astounding
In expressions conveying the idea that, with
out her presence, the world must prove to
him no better than bowling wilderness or
a desert waste.
home being at Ashleigh," he wrote, land by
some mistake had received the impression
that it was at Crest0n. /, too, have friends
at Ashleigh whom l am afraid have treated
rather coldly and whom expect to visit in
the very near future"
This letter was soon followed by Souther-
land in person, his reception by May being
as hearty as he could have wished. Mr..
Gastine, already greatly improved in health,
70 the end II this t aa
voices were heard in the hall, the parlor
door opened and Mr.. Gastine entered accom-
panied by Mrs. Creighton, whom he had
been taking for drive, and whom for some
reason, he had induced to call upon May.
As the lady was about to cross the thresh-
hold she stopped suddenly, then made rush
for Switzerland, precipitating herself into
his arms and fell to hugging and kissing him
In way that filled Miss Alcott and her
guardian with surprise:
When at length the little woman sank into
chair from sheer exhaustion, and the
others had a chance to get their breath, ex-
PLANTATION followed, the nature of which the
reader has already guessed.
On finding that they had been so cleverly
checkmated by fate, both the young people
for half minute were half tempted to with
draw from the compact into which they had
entered few minutes previously; but it.was
only for this brief period.
'Ahem! my children at length said Mr..
Gastine, looking embarrassed, and taking
the widows hand in his own, "as this lady
and have concluded to unite our fortunes
in life, our interests from this time forth will
be Identical. In view of this fact, the cir
cumstances making the little arrangements
which we had contemplated in regart to
yourselves necessary might be said to no
longer exist, as it were. You may therefore
consider yourselves released from all further
obligations in the Natter
my dear sir" answered Switzerland,
''our repentance for our past rong-doing is
too real for us to be willing to take advan-
tage of your generosity. We are ready for
the sacrifice and only wait your forgiveness
and blessing, and my mother's.''
And is this your decision, too?" asked
her guardian, turning to Miss Alcott.
II am ready to do my duty" answered
May demurely.
"rhen," continued the gentleman again
taking Mrs Creighton's hand, "our forgive
ness and blessing are yours. Is it not so,
my dear?"
And Mrs. Creighton said it was.