Morris tribune., 1889-08-21
TIT FOR TAT.

In the days when all the world Was
i, mantle, and no one was ashamed of it,
two gentlemen of England conceived
Il Z prepUStcrouS, but at the same time
rather fashionable, idea that, because
they We're friends, their son and daugh-
ter, then infants in their cradles, must
love each other when they grew to be
man and woman; and, having compared
NOES and found that they quite agreed
on this point, set to work with a zeal
worthy OF a better cause to arrange mat
ters SO that they must turn out exactly
rs they desired
Consequently, each made will and
matters were so arranged that if either
of the young people declined the hand
of the other, the young person would be
ptnniless, and his or her estate would go
TO the other young person who was will
ing
After some years the gentleman whose
>t.iiN was Il daughter left his native Eng
to:li 70. america, while the other, who
was :; Wi;lOwer, his wife having given
her I;fr for that son, remained in Eng
;::I, So that the ocean rolled betty Veen
-" romantic friends.
ti.r English resident was named Ed
!'ti:HI Harrington; the American,
Charles Seabright.
Both were wealthy and brought their
children up carefully.
As they grew older they permitted
them to Correspond with each other, but
each uetested the task SO that the letters
We e written by the elders themse selves.
Once, at the age of IA, when news
came that little Harold Harrington had
fallen from a tree and broken his leg,
Elsie Seabright was desired to reply that
she felt great regret and sent her best
love and wishes for his speedy recovery,
but the girl, who could never listen to
the bows name with anything like pa
tience, refused to write one word OF this
amiahle epistle.
Il wish he had broken his neck, so
that l might never hear any more about
him." she said, with stamp of her slip
pered foot, land I won't write fibs."
So again mamma wrote the letter, hav-
ing first locked Elsie up in dark pantry
by way of punishment.
"And am sorry to find child of mine
so unfeeling," she said. "a broken leg
causes great pain and may make one
lame for life"
"a nice thing for me that would be if
am to marry him." said Elsie.
Indeed, if she had been as sympathetic
as her mother desired, Elsie would have
had opportunity enough to exercise these
feelings, for her young betrothed was
always in some pickle, and had nearly
drowned and nearly shot himself dozen
times, to say nothing of ordinary troubles.
/ 1t was tit for tat, at all events, for
when Elsie had the measles Master Har-
old had received the information with a
contemptuous Indifference amounting to
heartlessness, and had indeed said that
he did not care.
He hated girls, and this one the worst
Of them all.
So, with the ocean between them, the
young people grew to maturity, and the
year approached in which they were to
| meet.
But meanwhile all sorts of sad things
happened. Elsie lost both her father
and mother, and, away in England, Mr..
Harrington died suddenly of apoplexy.
So the two men, who had looked for
ward for so many years to meeting when
their children were married, never met
again.
Mr.. Harrington would not bring his
son to America to see his lovely Elsie, as
he had proposed, and but for these obsti-
nate wills the matter would have been
dropped, for the last thing the young
people desired was to meet each other.
But the young man was of age and
the young lady also. and the property
must be settled, and could not until the
match was either on or off.
The old lawyers in whose hands the
affair rested knew the feelings of their
wards, but they judged that meeting
might mend matters. At least it was
necessary that they should meet.
Harold, as in duty bound, was to cross
the ocean to meet his betrothed and give
her an opportunity to refuse him.
The news of his arrival brought into
full activity those feelings of repug,
nance that Elsie had conceived for Har-
old in her childhood.
She had for a while resolved to yield
to her dead fathers wishes, but now she
felt that it was impossible.
Yet there was enough of worldly wis
dom in her head to teach her how much
better it was to be rich than it was to be
poor.
If he refused her, her fortune, and his
| oIeo would ha hor nU-T7 NV low
She would force him to refuse her, and
then she would return him his fortune,
and all would be as it should be. But
how could she do this?
The girl sat for while in deep reverie,
and then arose and clasped her hands to
gether.
tho''o It had struck her.
IN the house a seamstress,
conceit as any young
.7sed with.
roua .ers and ways of speech
hau become proverbial among her own
class, the other servants speaking of her
generally as Crusty Betsy. And this
girl had of late been occupied in the
room of her young mistress over some
new dresses.
Straight to this apartment Elsie few,
and, locking the door, sat down opposite
Betsy and said:
"Ihave something for you to do, Betsy,
and I'll pay you well for it."
"Just name it them" said Betsy.
''When was little girl, Betsy" said
Elsie, poor papa promised that should
marry a young gentleman who lives in
England when was grown, and that if
I did not should lose my fortune. Now
the time is come, and he is coming; and
I can't marry him. Betsy, want him
to refuse me- Do you understand"
81 understand" said Betsy, "and if
were you I'd huff him off quick enough,
and make him glad to go, that I would. I"
"And / can't think how to do it,
Betsy" said Elsie, land if you can, you
must do it for me. While he stays you
must pretend that you are Miss Sea-
bright; you must wear my clothes, and
take ali the airs you possibly can, and