Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-09-03
THE HIGHEST BIDDER.
He Got Not Only the Broken Slip
per, But a Wife.

Peggy Hildreth was the belle of the
village. No one ever questioned that
fact There were many girls as pretty
as Peggy, but none as bright and
saucy. Certainly no young girl of eight
cen had had more suitors or knew bet
ter how to refuse them and still keep
them at her feet
Now, Peggy had stepmother and
no father, and like the traditional step
mother, this one was hard to live with
Perhaps Peggy was a little to blame
herself, for she strongly objected being
dictated to, even when, as Mrs. Hill
dreth would inform her, 1T was only
for her own good" but as it was only
the week before she had been heard to
say she should be glad when that
witch was well married and out of the
house" we can hardly blame Peggy
for not having unquestioned faith in
Mrs. Hildreth's desire for her good.
One afternoon, when these two had
had a few words of anything but an
amiable nature, the servant announced
caller for Miss Peggy, Mr. Jack Les
lie, of the Seventh regiment, it APP
peared from the card, and Peggy has
tened 10 meet him, looking, with her
sparkling blue eyes and golden curls,
gowned in q short-wa isted white mus
lin tied up under the arms with a broad
sash, like an animated Kate Greenaway
picture.
"Oh, Jack. am so glad you've come!
Mrs. H. and l have been having it
again, although l came sout ahead"
with laugh.
AS usual, l see. But what were You
quarreling over this time?'
Well, I'll tell you l called that
young Bliss a fool or an idiot, I don't
remembe which, and as he is distantly
related to Mrs H., she naturally OBJ
iected. We argued the matter to some
length, and then she told me to prove
my statement or take it back. l said l
could, and that she would agree with
me if she had only heard him propose
the other night.
at was done in this way, and Peggy
stood up II an angle of forty-five de-
grces and toyed with an imaginary eye
glass: "Weally, Miss Hildweth. you
WEAKLY must do me the au--extreme
kindness Of accepting my name and
au-estates. doncher know. and then
after that she gave in" and Peggy took
two waltz turns and sank into an easy
chair and said:
Now, Jack. let's have it. I know
you've brought some good news by the
disagreeable way the lines in your fore
head run.
well, you've guessed Alright, SO just
catch your breath while | relate all
know The Seventh intend giving a
ball on the third of next month, and I've
come over to invite you early so there
can be no mistake about your going
with me-
Really: honor bright: cut your
throat. Oh, how lovely! How nice of
You to come over and tell me before
the other girls knew anything about
| it,"
well, as long as you don't throw me
over at the last minute for Overalle or
any of the Wainwright boys, l shall
feel repaid.
Peggy actually colored, for Howarth
/ Overalle was one of the few men whom
| she could not bring to her feet Not a
very handsome man, but tall and dis
| tinguished looking, bearing himself
| like the true, honest soldier that he
was He had often watched Peggy
/ IIildreth from affair, and contrasted her
with the pale, tired, invalid sister he
had at home in faraway Montana. Jack
Leslie had purposely mentioned Ovor-
ale just to tease Peggy. lie had always
known her, and as She postered him
/ when it suited her mood, he once in
awhile retaliated.
1t was war to the knife between the
two until Jack left, and then Peggy
went upstairs tc pull over some old
trunks of her own mothers to see what
she could find suitable to wear to the
ball She came across a beautiful white
hrocade with tiny pink rusebuds EN-.
broidered over il.
Now" she soliloquized, this would
just suit me made up with little of this
honiton lace. Mrs. Hildreth will faint