The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

uneXpecUeQ gueSC.
'How nice!' cried Matty. "Wecan
sleep together and talk everything
over, can't WEI? Oh, no, ma,
I'm not wet much, and you needn't
have saved tea for us.
We had a lovely supper in the
woods"
"Oh!" cried Matilda Hewitt, clasp
ing Miss Wallis hand, GIVE so much
to tell you'll"
"Matty's eyes sparkled.
"What did he say?"
cpl tell you after the lamp is put
OUT" said Miss Hewitt hanging
down her head.
"You don't mean"
eyes, dc" whispered Miss Hewitt.
"He really and actually did-pro-
pose!''
"Nonsense!" said Matty Vail, biting
her lip. "You must have misunder-
stood him!''
misunderstood, indeed!" retorted
Miss Hewitt! "I'm sure he spoke
plain enough"
"But you wouldn't accept a man
who was caught in such a trap as
that?"
IA trap!" stammered Miss Hewitt.
eyes, of course. He thought it was
me-"
DO you suppose he did," lin
faltering accents.
''There can't be doubt about it,"
"Then, of course, there's an end of
this MATTER" said Matilda, with
little culver in her voice.
''But you'll tell me just what he
said?''
mo; I certainly shall not betray
his confidence"
confidence. indeed" flashed out
Matty Vail. "a pretty confidence!
But do tell me, just for the joke of
the matter
Matilda was silent. To her it was
no joke.
''Pd have you to know that I have
had a proposal, too" added Matty,
brushing out her luxuriant blonde
tresses. "That ridiculous Pratt. Of
course, I only put him off. lido think
all the men are crazyP'
Matty Hewitt made no answer,
but she shed a few silent, bitter tears
after she was in bed. The sensation
OF "being engaged" was very pleas
ant 1t was apity that it had been
so brief!
Gas good as engaged to Matty
Vail, are your said Mr.. Warren,
who had met Sam Pratt at the post
office next day. MAY I ask when
this happened"
"Last night. coming home from the
picnic"
AS it happened, she came home
with me.' ~
Sam Pratt rubbed his hands glee-
fully,
cali that was a joke, old fellow"
said he. "You brought home the
little New York school-teacher; who
boards at Ma'am Dunkley's! Matte
Vailmanaged all that. You don't
mean to say younever found it out?
/ tell you, Mat and I had a good
laugh over it going home"
Frank Warren set his teeth tightly
together. The girl who could enjoy
"a good laugh, with Sam Pratt over
such a practical joke as this was rap
idly losing caste in his estimation.
Il congratulate you," said he,
somewhat bitterly.
"Knew you'd be pleased, old fel-
low" said Sam, smiling broadly.
"But they tell me the schoolteach-
er takes it terrible hard. Cried oil
night. Went home before daylight
on foot, all the way to the swamp.
Thought that you were dead in love
with her. Didn't like the idea of it's
being all put-up job"
Frank Warren turned upon him
with q sudden fash in his eyes.
"And who told you," said he, THAT
it was a put-up job7"
ssEh?" Sans gooseberry- colored
orbs dilated with surprise. 'You
don't tell me-"
II tell you that it would be q par
ticularly good idea for you to mind
your own affairs"
Frank Warren went straight to
the Widow Dunkley's and asked for
Miss Hewitt. Matty came TO him
with cheeks unnaturally red and a
restless sparkle in her dark gray
eyes.
sI-I very SORRY" she began.
"Sorry for what? Not that 1 ask
ed you to be my wife, I hope" said
the young man cheerily.
Size was not as pretty as Matty
Vail, he thought, but she was dainty