Telegram-herald., 1889-09-20

ehe1 srrrscssc - t2s4 ees3sy, s1znee
sSo Pettso thez
-xAry.7 sAs $40. pat % yoar hat .aa
tzks tsls - Cd Ars- " srtn VIA ~ sevs.
] Lac intended - cas her selns aowers ~
css, eot tAls l. pTetzlsF tk2a / s0eAa ar
rsEge
May obsyeds and Bertha tosk up tAs
tore@c of her m1siags.
''DeSry ner Ga Ars- Worth sac. ~sIiss
Bertha = very End- 9hzkk her for La,
Nay"
Thea sbe Too, fel e souirsrz tie eszs-
ers. untll shs s111snly remembered that Is
wGs her son's ortsasy What coulA shs
give In t@ag woll1 oehght him mere t1-za
these pretty Eorll treasGresg e1s pat Aer
carc and = h1e. -Niln mothers leys and
olrthoay greecng. on tie Top of tAs fra
graft 1e4n, AID seat The e2sket l. 2r.
John Merth's e2c1elcr apartments. twas
laie IA the 4fteraoca ten tcGt gentleman
found Eis present without the card, WB3ca
had slipped or TIE l2ndlsdy, however, ia
formed blm tE8t tney were left by us
mas glrl 80 ~ wrete uote e tnsuks,
2Ed set TIE basket now losing lis nrst
freshness. - tie l@dy " his love, intending
u call IA the evening - inform her Who was
the conor.
TIE pas ket. duly delivered 70 Miss Jennie
RSlston. was for the nrst time thoroughly
exaullBe1-
Tea was over, and Bertha English was in
her pretty drawing room. acne, singing
sweet melodies b twilight hoping AtLs
that Charles Barker might cal. when there
was . rush, q filtter, aad she was caught Ia
an embrace thai dealt destruction 10 al her
pretty ruffes ana laces.
Il am 50 happy / must tell some one"
larraa R.lS .f.sf ftfrar RarfAa IA !.
sofa and cudG.lng close 10 her, I6s q baby.
Just tainz. dear he loves ne el--he loves
me- Aud he has asked me 70 be his wife"
Who's" asked Bertha, lightly. 'Remem-
Der, yoa have 50 many lovers, he doesn't
help me one BIT"
Charles Barker" Jennie whispered.
with a siaelong glance 70 see II the shot
told.
But. sweet as she was. Bertha was proud,
too. Only surprise was 10 be read IN her
voice.
Charles Barkerl did not know he was
one Of your adorers."
"Oh, yes, for quite long time. he pro
posed today, and / accepted him Shall
show you MS letter."
''Oh. no, mol How can you show that 20
anybodys"
"Oh. am not one Of the sensitive kind.
90 love him, and mean 10 try 10 make
man OF himi Shake him out Of his dreamy
ways, mean, and put some life into HIM"
4 hope you VIII be very happy" Bertha
said, and endured her evening OF martyr
dom as best she could.
Three years later. Mrs. Ferguson calling
upon Bertha English one morning sur
prised her sobbing over a photograph Of
Charles Barker, buried one week before
She did not try to hide the picture as the old
lady came up 10 kiss her, but put her head
down upon the broad breast, and sobbed
still n ore bitterly.
"Why. Bertha! Berthai" the old lady
cried, 'you are not grieving for poor
Charliein
Il may love him again now that hc is
dead" the young girl said, sadly.
'Love hiIn"
81 can tel youl And he is dead now.
loved him long before he married Jennie"
'But why, then, did you refuse himi"
az l never refused him. He never
asked me to marry him"
'He did, | saw him write the letter, and
/ l left it myself at your door in basket OF
/ flowers. Ii was in June when the roses
were al their height, and put the letter in
bed Of roses. 1t was not a week later that
he told me he was engaged TO Jennie. /
was never so amazed in my life, but he was
/ so very odd about IT, so stern and cold, and
treated me somehow IS If was TO blame,
that ] did not dare say much TO him. l
thought he blamed me for hurrying his pro-
posal to you, and that your rejection stung
him into proposing 10 Jennie. She really
! killed n, driving him about into society,
to the city for the winter, breaking up all
his old habits and really over.axiDg his
strength. I warned her that his mother
died CT consumption, and that he could not
bear so much excitement, but he w6uid not
heed me either. He did not seem to care"
You say he proposed by letterr' said
Bertha, in a strange, still voice
yes
"Directed to mei'
$40, dear; just folded into a cooked hat,
and put amongst the flowers quite out Of
sight"
''Then Jennie thought IL was intended for
her. | sent the basket 10 old Mrs. Worth,
thinking You would not mind, and she told
me she sent il TO her son. We all know
how infatuated be was with Jennie, and al
though | DO not know it, | can easily sup
pose ne gave her the basket She showed
me the letter. which began: Ny Daring
remember well, and was signed Devoted
ly yours, Charles Barker Twice | refused
to read it, but her triumph was not com
plete until did,
"Oh. my dear. see II all Poor Charliel
He could not tell a woman she had made
such a mOrtifying mistake. Oh, Berthai
why did l interfere' If had only let him
manage his wooing in his own way he
might be alive and happy now. Oh my
dear, can you ever forgive mei'
She was weeping bitterly. and Bertha
could only caress her, too much overcome
to speak
But the sharp lesson wss faithfully
learned. and Mrs. Ferguson interfcrcs no
more IN the love affairs OF Wi'lstOwn. Her
last attempt az match making cured her for
ever Of any desire 70 continue the occupa-
tom. Y. Ledger.