The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-12-13
VOL XII. RISING sun, CECIL COUNTY, Md, FRIDAY


"Do you know, 1 should like to confide in
you."
"Do it, do it, my dear, dear FRIEND"
said Mr.. Sparkle.
Sparkle, has it ever come into your
mind that 1 have a secret woe?" said
Toddles.
"Well, it hss," replied Sparkle. "Tve
heard you groan."
1.-The woe," said Toddles, sis connected
with lady"
81 thought so," said Sparkle. SIS she
another's?"
mo, no." said Toddles, mo; but there
is GOODNESS in her n nner that has pre-
vented me from speaking. Ihave known
her twenty-five years-she is about my
age-but have never dared address her,
never shall"
"Courage!" said Sparkle.
II have none where Henrietta Maria
Evergreen is concerned" said Toddles.
"Do you ever see herr" asked Sparkle
"Once year." said Toddles. 81 have
a farm down there which 1 let. l go to
collect the rent. always call on Miss
Evergreen. She asks me to take tea.
do. 1 take her hand. We part. That is
ALL"
''Do you never writer" asked Sparkle.
EYES," said Toddles. 'She is very
charitable. She holds fancy fair every
summer on her grounds for the benefit
of an old ladies' home. l send check.
By the way, have just addressed my
envelope containing it. It's there on the
desk. 1 say, Il trust you are well,' etc.,
no more"
Say more next time" said Sparkle.
Toddles only groaned.
Just then the breakfast bell rang, and
Sparkle fastened away. AS for Toddles,
he gathered up some sheets of paper
on his desk, put them into the envelope
directed to Miss Henrietta Maria Ever
green, 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, as usual, before
dinner time, and was touching himself
up in his room when Sparkle knocked at
the door,
"Only to ask you if you saw a sheet of
my manuscript on your desk this morn
ing. 1t is the one I read to you-the
so.iloquy."
eyes, yes; remember. But it is not
here, ," said Toddles, rummaging his desk.
''No, nothing here-nothing. Why, what
is this-what is this? What have done
great heavens-what have done?"
''What?'' roared Sparkle, catching the
contagion of horror.
"I've, done what must cover me with
shame to my dying day" roared Toddles
''Here is the letter wrote to Miss Hen
rietta Maria Evergreen-I have left it
out of the envelope and put your manu-
script in instead. Oh, I've done tive
done it! And she will think have gone
mad. Why, I'd rather have died than
sent her that mass of stuff and nonsense
-theeing and thouing her. Oh, Lord!'
'You said you admired it, Toddles,"
said the indignant author.
''From literary point of view l do"
said the bachelor. "See here, you ex-
planned to me that age was considered
differently from a literary point of view
to what it was in real life; so is lovemak-
ing. What is charming, I'm sure, in a
story is not suitable for a serious bust
ness man in real life. Oh, I'm disgraced
forever. She'll think 1 don't know
what I'll shoot myselfr'
"Toddles," said Mr.. Sparkle, gravely,
don't do that yet. Wait. Fate has
helped you out of your dilemma. The
fragment is somewhat disjointed, am
aware, but it will go to that cold woman's
heart. 1t will win her, see if it don't"
'She will never speak to me again."
said Toddles. "You don't know Miss
Evergreen"
"Oh, I 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 letter
from Miss Evergreen, in which she ex-
pressed surprise at the depth of his at
tachment, which she had never even sus-
pected, and confessed that the touching
language" in which he had portrayed it
had won her heart; in fact, she accepted
him.
They are married, and Sparkle was
best man at the wedding. Kyle
Dallas in Fireside Companion.