Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-12-27
sis he a Quaker ?" inquired Mr.. Tod

dies.
mo, no; | always use thee and
thou for strong love passages" replied
Sparkle. 'See !"
"Oh, yes" replied Toddles. How
stupid of mel"
"Not at all" said Sparkle. "Let me
see: Beloved one-Nay, start not,
long have | called thee SO 10 secret.
Have not my eyes revealed to thee tho
tale my tongue refused to utter 2 Hast
thou not guessed that my heart lay at
thy feet Nay, cruel one, thou turnest
from me. Should | ask thee to he mine
scorn would be my portion. Aud yet,
how can | live without thee Alas
alas alas !"
"What do you think of it ?"
cts very touching said Toddlss,
"Do you know, | should like to confide
in you"
do it, do it, my dear. dear friend"
said Mr.. Sparkle.
Sparkle, has ii ever come into your
mind that have secret woe ?" said
Toddles.
wen, II has,, replied Sparkle.
"Pve heard you groan."
The woo," said Toddles, ''is con-
nected with lady"
81 thought So" said Sparkle. rs
she anothers ?"
"No, no." said Toddles, mo; but
there is GOODNESS in her manner that
has prevented me from speaking. have
known her twenty-five years--she is
about my age--but | have never dared
address her, never shall.
Courage !" said Sparkle.
81 have none where Henrietta Maria
Evergreen is concerned" said Toddles.
DO you ever see her y asked Spar
kle.
"0noe a year." said Toddlcs. II
have farm down there which let.
go to collect the rent. l always call on
Miss Evergreen She asks me to take
tea, | do. l take her hand. We mart.
That is ALL"
"Do you never write y asked Spar
kle.
yes" said Toddles. .'She Is very
charitable. She holds fancy fair every
summer on her grounds for the benefit
of an old lady's home. send check.
BY the way, have just addressed my
envelope containing it It's there on
the desk, say. 4 trust you are WE'LL
etc., no more"
Say more next time" said Sparkle.
Toddles only groanod.
just then the breakfast bell rang, and
Sparkle FASTENED away AS for Tod
dles, he gathered up some sheets of pa
per on his desk, put them into an en-
velope directed to Miss Henrietta Maria
Evergreen, added the usual check for
the fair for the old ladies' home, and put
it in his pocket to post on his way down
town. He reached home again, a.
usual, before dinner time, and was touch
Ing himself up in his room when Spar
kle knocked at the door.
"Only to ask il you saw sheet Of
my manuscript on your desk this assprn-
ing II is the one read,to you-ths
soliloquy."
Eyes, yes; remember. But it is
not here" said Toddles, fummaging his
desk. "No, nothing hore--nothing
Why, what is this-wbat is this What
have done-great heavens--what have
I done ?"
"What ?" roared Sparkle, catching
the contagion Of horror.
eve done what must cover me with
shame to my dying day !" roared Tod.
dies. Here is the letter | wrote to
Miss Henrietta Maria Evergreen-I
have left it out of the envelope and put
your manuscript instead Oh I've done
Tive done IL Aud sho will think |
have gone mad Why ia rather have
died than sent her that mass Of stnf and
nonsense-theeing and thouing her.
Oh, Lord p
"You said you admired il, Toddles,'
said the indignant author.
'From literary point Of view do"
said the bachelor. ''Sec here. you ex-
planned to me that age was considered
differently from q literary point of view
to what it was in real life; 80 is love-
making. What is charming, I'm sure,
in a story is not suitable for a serious
business man in real life. Oh, I'm dis
graced forever. She'll think I don't
know what--Pll shoot myself r.
"Toddles," said Mr.. Sparkle, grave
ly, don't do that yet Wait. Fate has
helped you out Of your dilemma. The
fragment is somewhat disjointed, I an
aware, but it will go TO that cold wo-
mans heart. It will win her, see il il
don't"
''She will never speak to me again"
said Toddles "You don't know Miss
Evergreen.
"Oh. know women in general" said
Sparkle.
Whether he did or not, twenty.four
hours Of frightful anxiety on Mr.. Tod
dies part ended in the receipt of a let
ter from Miss Evergreen, in which sho
expressed surprise at the depth of his
attachment, which she had never even
suspected, and confessed that the ''touch-
ing language" in which he had portray
ed it had won her heart; in fact, she ac-
cepted him.
They ure married, and Sparkle was
best man at the wedding -Ffreside
Companion.