Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-06-26


goodly pearl to reward the patient
seeker.
Mr.. Faunt had arrived from England
only the previous week, for shooting
trip to the West, but finding his az
rival trihe in advance of the season,
had yielded to the Majors blandish-
ments by running down to Boreton for
q few days.
The few days passed without 81 gn
OF intended departure by the young
Englishman. Indeed, when with Syl-
via, which was tho larger part of the
time, the word ''depart' seemed to be
stricken from his dictionary. West
orn game apparently had no attrac-
tions compared with its Eastern rival,
and the prairies of Minnesota sank into
gloomy oblivion in the presence of
tho sand hillocks of Long Island, set
OFT by a certain fair widow with gay
umbrella in tho foreground.
: AS for Sylvia: q season without at
least ono mild affair was to hor no sea-
son at all, but this one began to ex;Ale
odors of orange blossoms and to open
vistas toward which her coy stops were
not to DO easily led. She was one in
whom an adorer seeking wedlOcll was
quito sure to find only a sympathiZing
sister, but also was she one who dearly
loved an opportunity to pour sisterly
consolation upon the heart which she
had scientifically turned inside out for
that express purpose. SO she calmly
awaited the cvidcntly-approaching
moment when the young Englishman
should attempt TO enroll her among
Her Majcsty's subjects, with full intent
to invite him instead to serve as her
adopted brother.
1t was q very pretty game OF fence
at first. Mr.. Faunt had evidently seen
women before. He was calmly clover
-eNasperatingly so-Sylvia thought.
He wasted no timo in talking plattudcs
| about her eyes, or discussing the thou
| sand and one personal charms that
women are supposed to cherish as q
baby its rattle. She had long ago been
surfcitcu with that sort Of Iluylerisms,
but mover before had she been posed
as Il genius with q woman's soul and
the coniiding heart Of q guileless
child.' 1t remained for this apprccia-
tive foreigner to discover what she
had long felt to be her mission, and
to persuade her that an intellect
such Us hers, buried at Borcton, WAS a
boon dc"icd to the world. So Sylvia
listened, and then laughingly opened
that "coufding heart by telling him
Of the Arctic necessity that had strand
ed such mcutal charms with the addi-
ton Of a Newport outfit, jewels and
all, on q Long Island beach, including
in her condolences the tale Of Maria S
trunk transformed into sincere and
capable safe-deposit company.
He listened with affcctonate concern
to the story Of the clammy- hearted
trustee, and with admiring interest to
that OF the ingenious hiding Of the
jewels. It recalled to him an occur
renee to some family treasures at
home, which he related with interest,
incidentally mentioning his mother
anG si-ters and the ''old place in Kent,
which he hoped Mrs L;ghtfoot would
some day honor with visit" Soon
the day for his fratcrna! enlistment was
evidently approaching. His calmness
gave way to symptoms which Sylvia
thought she knew only too well; the
game Of fence was now all onc-sided.
One August evening, unless all signs
failed, he was ready to surrender
at indiscretion. They were seated
by the great elm in front OF her cot
tage, and at last he began to talk Of
eyes, and her eyes, too, when Maria
cut his best verso in two by appearing
to ask leave to visit q neighbour, which
was granted with an emphasis that
sent her fairly spinning into the dark
ness down the road. Then, just as the
thoughts Of the to-be-Erother,
were rcsuming their flow, slight
SILVER from Sylvia sent him into the
cottage for her wrap, which, man like,
he found only after a ransackine
search of the whole house.
Once more comfortably settled by
the great tree, his story was evidently
just reaching a nervous beginning
for he was strangely disturbed-when
Major Dashell doomed at the gate He
had come to stay and he did stay, late
Again was the day of adoption post.
poned. The two mon departed togeth-
err, leaving Mrs. Lightfoot in a condi-
ton of grim disapproval of maids and
Majors who went about at night to visit
neighbors. However, tomorrow is
better than to-day when to-day is yes
terday, and game delayed is not lost.
But again did Sylvia's wires fail tc
work. ''Mr. Faunt," so Major Dashel1
sold her on the beach the following
morning, had heen suddenly c2lleG &c
town for a short time"
Time had rheumatic wings that day.
Sylvia began to hate the poor English
man for tins evading the sentimental
rack that she had so carefully pre-.
pared for him. AS man of honor he
should have remained to be sat upon
Of onca ,c1 not keen q 1adv ,ya;ti,o. 81