New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-05-15
few, and locking the door, sat down

aJust name it then said Betsey.
ssWhen | was a little girl, Betsey,"
said Elsie, 'poorpapa promised that
I should marry a young gentleman
who lives in England when I was
grown, and that if [ did not I should
lose my fortune. Now the time has
come and he is coming; and [ can't
marry him. Betsey and [ want him
to refuse me. Do you understands
81 understand, = said Betsy, "and
i'll were you I'd huff him off quick.
enough, and make him glad to go,
that [ would
"And can't think how to do it,
Betsy" said Elsie, "and if you can
you must pretend that you are Miss
Seabright; you must wear my lothes,
and all the airs you possibly can,
and make him as unhappy as possi-
BILE, SO that he'll have to refuse you
that is me, you know. Be as sharp
as you can with him. Betsy-never
the least bit kind of nice. You'll try,
won't you Betsy?'
| Then the two girls left all other
| work to examine Elsie's wardrobe,
and soon Elsie was dressed in the
most elegant attire.
"And l, said Elsie, II will be your
poor companion, and you must call
me Miss Smith, and snub me and
order me about
Thus it was all arranged when the
little letter Elsie had been so long
expecting arrived, and breaking its
blue seal, she read that Mr.. Harring-
ton would pay his respects TO Miss
| Sea bright in an hour.
How Miss Seabrightlaughed as she
sat waiting in the drawing room
watching Betsy sail up and down
with all her new assumption of dig
nifty. Betsy with the most amiable
intentions would have been sure OF
offending; but Betsy, bent on bsing
unpleasant, would be a grand sue
cess
Just then Betsy herself leaned from
the window.
"Oh. miss!' she cried, 'sthere's a
carriage at the door, and there's a
gentleman coming out of it, Bless
us! if that's him / don't wonder you
want to be off your match. Deary,
oh! deary me!''
But before she could explain ser
want had brought Elsie a card bear
ing the name of Harold Harrington,
and as she arose the most extraor-
dinaryfigure entered the room.
ltwasa very tall young man, be-
tween whose shoulders, nevertheless,
grew a hump. He also, though he
seemed to move actively enough,
walked on crutches.
On his head, from which he had re-
moved his cap, was a black silk skull
cap, such as entirely bald old gentle
men then wore.
His nose was certainly we'll shaped,
but it was much the color of red
| flannel and about his throat was a.
| muff1er.
This was Harold Harrington.
Elsie s surprise was SO great that
she sank into chair and forgot to
prompt Betsy as she intended.
But Betsy needed no prompting
She was not in the least EN- barassed
She advanced to meet Mr.. Harring-
ton with grin of supreme insolence
on her face, and burst into a loud
laugh.
"Well," she said, "you are my
young man, are you? [ must say,
whoever picked you out showed no
mighty great taste; twasn't for your
beauty that's plain
No, madam said the new arrival,
S'it was not for my beauty. Do ad-
dress Miss Seabright?''
"Why, who else should I be?o cried
Betsey. "'Twas tforyour cleverness,
neither, you were chosen. But now
I you've come to sit down. Been in the
wars, haven't you?'
Yes said Betsey, "and a fine
figure OF a man they've made you.
You d do to scare the crows from an
orchard, | must say, and you're sent
to me, that / might have my pick
and choice sof offers to marry It's
enough to make one die oflaughing. .
'sThen you refuse me-" said the
young man, very eagerly.
"Oh, no. said Betsy. tsOh, no,
don't; there's the fortune, you know.
| money Is money anu even an OBJECT
like youiis better that poverty. I'll
have you. Though how folks will
laugh to see us paired off together!
One comfort, though; SO broken as
you must be you can't last long
ION the contrary, Iexpect to live
to be so" said the young man.
Expectations don'tgo for much. y
said BetseY. s'Look how the old
folks vent
'sMy infirmities,'' sighed the young
man, :"are the result ofmy wreckless-
ness as a boy. had "a most SYM
pathizing letter from you upon the
fall that broke my limb. You re
member it? You also oondoled with
me upon the careless shot which cost
me my eye, though you didnot know
how serious WAS the result.
1T was while / was on a trip to
Switzerland that [ injured nv back.