Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-06-25

Did you have a pleasant timer ask.
ed Aunt Belinda, with whom Dollie
was 10 spend the remainder of the
night. 20. delightfulr cried Dollie,
but o, Aunt Belinda, have lost one
of your slippersF
Lost one of my slippers!
Yes, it slipped from my foot some
way, as got into the carriage, and |
am so sorry
Never mind replied Miss Belinda
composedly, they have served their
time, and Cinderella must lose her
slipper you know
'My little Cinderella taking the
sweet face between her hands, and
looking keenly into the truthful eyes,
was the ''prlnce" there?'
Il don't know, faltered Dollie sim
ply.
'Ah, but kno ", said Aunt Belinda
sorrowfully, poor child, has it come
so soon.'
Meanwhile the lost slipper was be-
held very carefully in the hands Of a
young man whose brown eyes seemed
to see wonderful visions in the little
shue. The one who wears this shoe
shall be my bride, he murmured soft
ly, then as he lifted it up to put 1t
safely away little folded paper fut-
tered TO the floor. What impulse
prompted him he could not have told,
but he lifted the crumpled yellow pa
per from the 1oor, spread it out care
fully, and read on one side. Miss Bee
Jordan" and on the other in faded
ink, but bold clear writing, the fol-
lowing remarkable words:
My darling:
love you. Will you be my wife?
Wear the white roses and shall know you
say yes. Yours till death,
MAURICE HALsTED.
His own name too! Jupiter cried
the young man pacing the floor ex-
citedly. Here is a pretty state of
things. Love letters lying around in
my room addressed to young ladies |
never even heard of and signed by
my name too
He took up the paper again, looked
at it closely. 1T is certainly not my
writing, and 1t looks old and worn, |
believe, with sudden inspiration that
Uncle Maurice wrote that note. But
when and where, and how in the name
of all that is wonderful did 1t come
here He looked up at the ceiling,
and down at the floor, seeking some
solution of the mystery. Suddenly
his eyes fell on the white slipper i
have it, he cried, it fell out of GIN
derellas slipper. | knew that white
shoe was bewitched. But l will have
Uncle Maurice straighten up this
thing before am day older
1t might have been a month later
that Dollle, Nell and Lillian all sat in
Miss BeIinda's little parlor one June
where the roses hung about
the porch and nodded in at the win
dow.
How nice you look, Auntie, cried
Nell her eyes resting on Miss Belinda's
satin smooth hair, unmarked by sim
gle line of white. and on the neat fig
lre in a pretty morning dress.
'Auntle,' with sudden suspicion,
are you going to be married, or are
you expecting company, or what?
j am expecting company a little,
admitted Aunt Belinda, while a soft
lush rose in her cheek, that is | had
/ letter from an old friend saying he
would probably call.
Aunt Belinda! An old friend and
man too. What could it mean?
The girls looked at one another in
but before they had
lime for more questions, a step was
heard on the porch, and Maurice Hal
tied stood in the door way.
1t was Dollie's turn to blush now,
which she did very prettily, but man
lged to Introduce the new conner
% her aunt, her sisters, to her surprise
needed no introduction.
when l returned to the city, l met
hese ladies, knew they were sisters of
yours, and cultivated their a:quaint-
.nce,' explained Maurice, with mis-
,hiAf in his eyes, for have not for
yotteu that you offered one of them,
It least, to me for sister
%, Dolllel' cried the girls in chorus
It which poor Dollie's cheeks grew
,inker than the roses at her belt.
1T was a fairy ta.e though the
'oung man went on, 'and might have
,een part of the enchantment. I even
ound Cinderella's slipper that night.
Did you register a VOW as the
'rince did?' asked Nell mischievous-
Y.
Yes, answered Maurice gravely, 4
i'd
And what did you do with the
nagic slipper said Nell the impress,
BILE.
i have it with me, and, taking it
rom his pocket as he spoke, with
our permission l will begin my quest
lere. He looked at Dollle as he
poke, but Dollie recognized the slip
,er, and thought Of way of escape.