Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-04-25
TITFOR TAT

mantle, and no one WIS ashamed of il, two
gentlemen of England conceived the
preposterous but at the same time rather
fashionable idea, shat, because they
were friends, their son and daugher,
then infants IL their cradles, must love
caon other when they grew to be man
and woman; and, having compared notes
and found they were quite agreed on this
point, set 20 work with q zeal worthy OF
a better cause to arrange matters so that
they must turn out exactly as they de-
sired.
CoDse quently, each made a will, aud
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 60
to the other young person Who was will
ing.
After some years the gentleman whose
child was daughter, left his motive Eng
land for America, while the other, who
was q widower, his wife having given
her life for that son, remained in Eng
land, so that the ocean rolled between the
romantic friends.
The English resident was named Ed
mund Harm ton; the American, Charles
Seabright.
Both were wealthy and brought their
children up carefully.
As they grew older they permitted
them to rrespond with eacn other
but each detected the task so that the
letters were written by the elders them
selves.
Once, at ,he age of IA, when news came
that little Harold Harrington had fallen
from a Jtee and broken his leg, Elsie Sea
bright was desired 10 reply that she felt
great regret and sent her best love and
wishes for his speedy recovery, but the
girl, who could never listen 10 the boys
name with anything like patience, re-
fused TO write one word of this amiable
episte.
81 wish he had broken his eok, so that
| might never hear any more ebout him."
she said, with a stamp OF her slip cred
foot, land / 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
30 unfeeling," she said. "a broken leg
causes great ain, and may make one
Iame for lifo."
"a nice thing for me that would be if
l 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 bethrothed
was always in some pickle, and had
nearly drowned and nearly shot himself
dozen times to say nothing Of ordinary
tumbles.
II was tit for tat, at all events, for when
Elsie had the measles, Master Harold had
received the information with a contempt
uOus indifference amounting TO hea tless-
ness, 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 mPturi y, and the
year approached IN which they were 70
meet.
But meanwhile all sorts of sad things
happened. Elsie lost both her father
and mother, and away in England Mr..
Harrington died suddenly CT appoplexy.
So the two men who had looked for
ward for so many years 70 meeting when
their children we're married, never met
again.
Mr.. Harrington would not bring his son
TO America 10 see his lovely E.sie, as
he had proposed, ard but for these ob
stinate wills the whole matter would
have been dropped, for the last thing the
young people desired was 70 meet each
other.
But the young man was of age, and the
young lady also, and the property must
be settled, and could not be until the
match was on or of.
The old lawyers in whose hands the az
fair rested knew the feelings of their
wards, but they judged that meeting
might mend matters. At least it was nee.
essary that they should meet.
So Harold, as in duty bound, was
10 Cross he ocean TO meet his be-
trothed and give her an opportunity to
refuse him,
TIE news Of his arrival brought into
full activity those feelings of rep1gnance
that Elsie had conceived for Harold in
her childhood.
She had for awhile resolved to yield to
her dead fathers wishes but nov she felt
that 1t was i'm possible.
Yet thtre was enough OF worldly wis
dom in her head 70 teach her how much
bet er it was to be rich than TO
be poor.
II he re fused her, her fortune and his
also, would be hers by law.
She would force him to refuse her, and
then she would return him his fortune,
aud all wouli be as it should be. But how
would she do thisY
The girl sat for a while in deep reverie
and then rose and clasped her hands to-
gether.
A thought had struck her.
There was in the house q ssamstress
with as much coneeit as any young beau
ty was ever blessed with.
Her rough manners and ways OF speech
had become proverbisl among her own
class, the other servants speaking of her
generally as Crusty Betsey. And this girl
had Of late been occupied in the room Of
her young mistress over some new dress
es.
Straight TO this apartment Elsie few,
and locking the door sat down opposite
Betsey and said:
II have something for you to DO, Betsy,
and III pay you well for it,
"Just name II then" said Betsy.
when was a little GIRL Betsy" said
Elsie, poor papa promised that | should