The Penn's Grove record., 1889-10-26
A PRACTICAL JOKE.

"A Ilbh01tGfAn OSHA
The p,cnlc 1t Aliens Corners was or
ar. Rather prematurely over, perhaps,
on account Of ) tremendous thunder
storm. accompanied with = tornado-like
gust Of wind and Jagged streaks Of blue
lightning, that seemed TO bury them
selves in the ground. Horses and ven
icles were brought hnrrieiiy 70 tne
edge Of the platform; the Young. people
dispersed like . flock OF sheep I vari-
81 don't care" said Frank Warren,
speakinr between his set teeth. ~
wasn't having such q particularly. pleas
ant time. Matty Vail was behaving
very badly"
me-" said Miss Vail, with . toss OF her
curly head. "pve danced all 1 wanted
to. and Frank Warren has been glazing
AZ me like 1 Bluebeard the whole time.
Such impudence, indeedi And me NOT
regularly engaged to him, after al
One thing is quite certain, l never shat
be, nowl And IS for riding all the way
home to Daisyville with him tonight !
won't do i'll There's that little girl
from the city; IN just put her In my
| Mace. Her shoes are dreadfully thin
and she has no umbrella. She'll be glad
Of a chance to ride. And Ill 60 with
| Harry Dix, or Sam Pratt!"
"Oh, Natl" cried Miss Dillon, Mat
tvs chief confidante and bosom friend,
swhat will he say?" 4,
"What he pleases-when he finds u
out"
So, when Mi. Warren's handsome
black horse was led mp. shying and
rearing in the uncertain giimmer OF
the lanterns and the flash Of lightning,
Matilda Hewitt found herself, she
scarcely knew how, in the sest beside
the handsome young farmer. She -
quite silent, w~onderingi If twas improp'
er to ride home with q gentleman tc
whom she had never been formally in
troduced, and trembling, eve and anon.
at the storm and her unwonted com.
partnership, and the wild speed Of
s.Black Douglas" as he few along the
pitch-dark dripping roads.
care you frightened?" MIR. Warren
asked, in . low voice, when they had
gone q little way.
sN-not muchl" faltered Matilda; and
then she trembled more than ever, q
an arm crept, slowly but surely arount
her waist. But what was she to do
| There was NO back 70 the seat-ant
there was danger OF her being jerket
out, in n Of these sudden curvesI
siDon't be afraid" soothed Warren
"You know you are safe with neil
spite of everythingp'
"Ye-e-es," murmured Matilds Hewitt
"Mattyi'
She was silent. . This growing init
macy Was beginning to be appalling.
"Mattyi' accompanied with 9 gentl
pressure Of the e~ncircling arm sDbn'
be cross. with me-, Matty. You kno,
how much I love you, my own onei'
ooh, gracious mel" thought Mis-
Hewitt, "what win he be saying nextf
sfYou will promise TO be my wife
Matty? 1t may Q sudden, but
Whoa, You villainl"
For Black Douglas' had given = tire
mendous sideways jump, and requires
all his masters will and energy TO sub
due him; and by the time they ha'
IcdCutu buo vhLl lWA0u~U0u11 0A8sAAA
Hewitt found herself engaged, BY i'm
plication, toa young maj abe never be-
seen before in her life until that day.
She jumped out and ran quickly int
the house. Mrs. Vail met her in th
hall.
where's Mattya" abe cried. 'NTh
are you'll"
af'm Matilda Hewitt" said the cir
"1'm here because he left me. r.
don't quite know why; but the hors
behaved 90 badly, and the place wher
I board is three miles beyond th
swamp. Please can't I stay Al night2
"Why, Of course" said Mfs. Val
"Ysu're the city school-mA'ams III
you, that boards at Widow D8nkley's
Come in and sit down and dry You
clothesl Dreadful ahoMer, amt III
do wish our Matty was safe at homer
ALI this was very unconventional. Br
then, thought little Miss Hewitt, con-
try life Is unconventional In Ne
York it would have taken 3 month,
the very least, for . young man !
screw himself up to the proposin
point. Did abe love this man we
enough to marry himf Well, she vi
not altogether certain Of that. But }
was certainly very handsome, and ht
heart gave . not altogether unpleasal
jump when she remembered that gent
pressure around her waist. II this W
love-
But herethe c~urrentof her re1ectioi
was interrupted by the arrival Of Matt
Vail herself-tMartha Aida was b.
christened name-in the company !,
Mr.. Sam Pratt, q dashing cavalier
another village.
It's not late" said Sam. Cant
come m? just for Z little while"
"Nonsense Sam" said the belle,
ooh, nov. Mattyl"
"Nonsense, l say" And Miss ys
shut the door in Mi. Frattss lace vii
q laugh.
Hes not half 80 pleasant as Fran
after ALL" said Matty 70 herself; ~
then followed an interview with her u
expected guest.
How nice.. cried Matty. "We q
sleep together, and talk everything owe
can't we? Oh, no, ma; I'm mot Y
much, and you neen't have saved teal.
us. We had a lovely supper in Y
woods."
"Ohl" cried Matilda Howitt, claspil
Miss Wallis hand, I've 80 much to Il
youi"
! Matty's eyes sparkled.
"What did he ssyf"
"TH tell you after the lamp is p
out" said Miss Hewitt, hanging doy
her head.
ssYou don't mean
"Yes I do" whispered Miss Howl
HE really and actually did-propose
"Nonsensel" said Matty Vail, bitil
her lip
ssYou must hane misunderstood him,
"Misunderstood, indeodIr retort.
Miss Hewitt. ssI'm sure he spol
plain enough"
eBut you wouldny accspt : man VI
was caught in such : trap e thatf"
"a trapr' stAmmsred Mins Hewitt.
"Yes-of course. II fhsught II "
me-
ing s.S Sc 10y .hou. 4