The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-26


not 20 with him so far Is that.
bluff she were to disinherit you z"
aDo YOU know me so little as that
Nothing you'd please me better than that
she should"
He clasped his hands in kind Of ecsta-
y. The lady; whose father , was !, the par r
have to dress on nothing year, was
almost tempted to think that the curate
vas fool But as she could scarcely ex-
press the thought aloud she was wise
enough to hold her peace. The gentleman
went on rather awkwardly. The travelling
was getting difficult, in fact.
..To-oh-such lengths has-oh she
she-aIlowed her desire to-oh-carry her,
that-oh-it-it has resulted in-oh-in-
volving me in-oh-complication of an ex-
cessively disagreeable kind"
Miss Bayley's imagination realized the
worst at once.
sAre you engaged ?" she cried.
ssShc-she says am. !"
"She saws YOU are!" The lady was on
the verge Of tears-the blow was sudden.
"Mr. Macleod, have something which
have to do upstairs"
She felt that if she stayed in the room
she might disgrace herself by crying before
his face. The Rev. Alan was dismayed
at the idea of her leaving him.
go. You do not understand me in the
least. / do not say am engaged; quite
quite the other way"
'Oh, Mr.. MacleOdt'
The affair might have its comic side for
looker-on, but it was tragic enough for
her. If she did not get this man, whom
could she get? as Swaffham-on-Sea eligible
bachelors were as rare as snow In summer.
Besides-women attach themselves to
poodle dogs -she really liked the man.
The curate continued:
observation-disclosures really are, / think,
the most extraordinary ever heard of.
should be almost induced to believe that
it had all happened in a dream were it not
for letter that have in my pocket"
'.From whom is the letter."
"From-from Miss Vesey.''
us that the lady you are engaged to?"
"En-engaged to? l hadn't made her
acquaintance ten minutes before she said
had proposed to her"
"She would not have said so unless you
had"
miss Bayley, do you not know me bet
ter than that? Nothing was further from
my mind! The proposal came from her. -
II have heard of women proposing to
men! And suppose you accepted her ?''
She was strongly tempted to add: "You
are imbecile enough for anythlng!" But
even in that hour of her trial she re.
Trained.
such intention in any words. l may have
used-words which came from me una
wares, owing to the state of confusion I
was in on receiving such proposition
from total stranger
Miss Bayley turned away. She thought
she saw exactly how it was.
II can only offer you my congratula-
all these details. When is the marriage
to be?''
ssMarriage!"
Eyes, marriage! I hope you will send
me piece of the cake! Oh, Mr.. Macleod,
II, never thought you would behave to me
Miss Bayley fairly succumbed. She
buried her face In her hands and ran.
crying. from the room. Mr.. Macleod. left
behind, was thunderstruck. He realized
what any man, with even little knowl.
edge. of the world, would have seen from
the first.
'She loves me! What have done pr
He sank in chair and he. too, buried his
face in his hands. Presently he rose
woman in the world!" He twisted his
hands together with nervousness which
was peculiarly his. sNI have done wtong
in the sight Of God and mani" D,'
How he got out of the house he never
knew; but he did get out, and through
towards the rectory, where, in the absence
of the rector, he lived rent free. He had
not gone twenty yards from the house
when gloved hand slapped him smartfy
on the shoulder. Ssss
Gallant"
He turned. There was Miss Vesey and
her father! He could hardly believe that
liantly attired, perhaps as set-off to her
father. That worthy gentleman resembled
nothing 50 much as what, in former DAYS,
they would have called broken-down
hedge parson. He was evidently meant
for clergyman, sartorially. That is, the
conception was clear enough, it was the
result which was unsatisfactory.
Your hand, my son
He held out his hand after the manner
OF the fathers in old comedy. But unfor-
tunateiy he did not wait for the curate to
give him his hand, he seized It and shook
1t up and down-pump-handle fashion
and while the father was engaged in this
her arms around the curate's neck.
s'My beloved!" she cried.
II there was any there to behold they
beheld what they had never seen before
the curate embraced as curate never had
been embraced before in public at Swat
ham-on-Sea.
"Let me go!" he stammered.
And in due time the lady let him 90.
Under the circumstances he kept his
presence of mind very weli-for him.
'You-youll lind the rectory about a
quarter of a mile in front Of you. lust
around the bend in the road. Tiff You'll
excuse me, ! have most important visit 1
must make
Miss Vesey's father slapped him heartily
too heartily upon the back, again after
the fashion of the comedy fathers.
Don't put yourself out for us, nv bow
Don't neglect your duties, as is too often
the bottles are, and we'll make ourselves
snug till you come in"
The curate did not tell them where the
bottles were; in fact, there was only SOL
itary bottle of cod liver oil in the house.
and probably the speakers thoughts did
not incline that way; but they went on to
the rectory alone. Miss Vesey waved her
parasol, and kissed her glove to him so
long as she was in sight. He stood watch
ing them till they were round the bend in
the road, then he re-entered the doctors
house. and sent up note to Miss Bayley.
Il entreat you to see me, if YOU ever
called yourself my friend. It isa matter
of life or death; almost, | would venture
to say, OF heaven or hell.-A. NJ"
The maid of all work bore these winged
words above. The result was presently
visible in the form of the lady herself. She
entered with the air of a martyr, conscious
of her crown.
You are my priest have Gomez
1T is not as priest / have summoned
You, Ellen, but as friend''
The use of the Christian name was. per-
haps, unintentional. but the lady marked
her sense OF the familiarity at once.
STRIP
Her lin curiaJ ,>os.;AI,, .s,