Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-08-13

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You at our house to tea tomorrow oven.
ing, II you have no othor engagement.
have always had very high idea Of
the English and am glad to have IN op-.
portunity to show it, xsss ~
''ThanE you ma am" tho carl replied.
with alacrity, ~ will certainly call.
At what ,imo shall you supp"
AT whatever hour will prove most
convenient to you," was tho gracious
reply ~. 5.S''9@asSss5~s.'. 4 nat ~
Indeed. ma'am. you are very kind.
Suppose we name six then."
''Thank you, my-l moan sir, We
shall hook forward with great pleasure
to your coming"
These people are extraordinarily
polite" thought the young man after
thor departure, as bio sat In his room
smoking cigar. II really think they
have taken quito q fancy to mo. My
good looks think it must be, for
haven't single recommendation DO.
sides on earth. Well,yif | dnd tho girl
has money I may improve my advant'
age and offer myself In matrimony
Money wo uld be very acceptable just at
present."
Had Mrs. Jenkins heard this soliloquy
sho would probably have come to the
conclusion that there was something
wrong about hor calculations, but for.
tunately for our hcro this was not tho
case.
1t will be readily inaginod that Mrs,
jenkins exorted her culinary skill tC
tho utmost in preparing for hor illustri-
Gus guest As he saw the numerous
daiuties spread out before him ho felt a
glow of JOY prevade his frame, and de.
sermincd on the spot to lay siege to tho
heart OF Matilda
The reader will easily imagine that
his advances wore readily met by the
young lady, who was quite enrapturod
by the conquest which she had achieved
over tho heart OF an earl Nor was her
mother less gratitlcd. The good lady
held her head higher than ever. and
speedily anticipated the time when, as
tho uotherin-law of an earl, she
would take precedence of all who had
hitherto ventured to look down upon
her.
You know. Matilda" she said, ''tha,
when you are countess shall, OF
course, be dowager countess or countess
dowager. I really don't know which.
wish could find somewhere book 0:
tho British peeragc, then could find
out without any trouble" She thought
of going to the bookseller and asking
him to send for tho book. but on second
thought decided that it would DO most
prudent not to run any such risk Of re-
vealing her aspirations, even if she
were obliged to remain in ignorance q
little while longer.
One point. however, puzzled her a lit
tie. Notwithstanding the very intimate
terms OF the earl with her family, he
never ventured any allusion to his rank.
or his English estates, or tho amount OF
his income. which Mrs. Jenkins would
have been worry glad to learn.
"Eut suppose, Matilda" she re-
marked to her daughter. that he il de-
termined to remain incog. so as to make
sure that you marry him for himself
alone. ! have read OF such cases in sto-
ries, but never expected to have any
thing like it in my own family Really.
l think it Is quite romantic. On the
whole l guess it would be best to say
nothing about it till you are fairly mar
ried."
Matilda acted upon her mothers pru-
dent advice. and although her curiosity
was as strong as her parents she caro-
fully guarded against betraying it to
the earl
At last one memorable day she burst
into her mothers room with triumph
ant glow on her face.
HAS he proposed?" exclaimed Mrs.
J enkins, in great agitation.
Eyes, mother" was the reply OF tho
overjoyed Matilda "He told mo that
he loved me to distraction"
II congratulate you, countess that is
to be-" said her mother by the way,
did he say any thing about his rank2"
Not word, mother"
Il am not at all surprised. Be sure,
then, that you don'S give him hint
that you know any thing about It,
How much we shall enjoy going to En-.
gland!'
ever repeated Matilda. "Surely you
don't propose going across the Atlantic
at your time of life?"
AT my time of lifel" said Mrs. Jen-
kins, sharply. Indeed | do. don't
mean that you shall have all the enjoy.
ment. But did the earl fix the day for
the marriage?'
HE left it to me-"
"Then fix it as soon as possible. You
must not let him slip through your fin
gers"
That day three weeks the important
ceremony took place in Mrs. Jenkins
cottage Scarcely was it over than that
worthy lady, no longer able to restrain
herself. addressed her son-in-law
II trust, my lord, that you will never
regret this day"
my lord!' repeated her son-in-law,
exhibiting unequivocal surprise.
certainly you can not expect to re-
main incog. any longer"
But l have no claim to the title,
ma'am."
mo claimr' exclaimed mother and
daughter, turning pale. Are you not
an earl?"
THAT is only my Christian NAME"
"And what is your employment"
asked Mrs. Jenkins, on the point OF
fainting.