The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-11-12

into it, but so close to it that we knew
it would be dreadfully spattered.
Nell was in the middle of sentence,
but she broke down fatty with: $50
-that-a--" she repeated, absently.
"So-that-a--" mimicked Tom, at
which laughed, weakly and helplessly.
Nell gave him-both of us, in fact-a
furious glance, and returned to her
charge.
All this time Mr.. Everett had be-
haved admirably. He must have OBJ
served our hysterical nervousness, but
! presume he attributed it to the dire
confusion and disorder of our surround
ings.
When he arose to take his departure
Nell put her kerchief to her lips with o
shameless pretense at coughing-she,
who had the strongest lungs in the
family,-and said, rapidly: ''For Heav-
ems sake, Kate, pick up his hat and
wipe the chocolate off before he sees
it, Then louder: 81 am so sorry we
did not know You were coming, SO we
could have made your visit pleasanter."
by jingo," said Tom, making dash
for the cubby-hole. 'That reminds
me I'd better be getting his coat before
he investigates and finds it between the
potatoes and the coal-oil can! My!"
he CIRCULATED, shifting exaggeratedly,
as he returned with it, sit smells of
coal-oil!''
by the way" said Mr.. Everett,
turning to me kindly, there is a letter
for you from my brother, which l
should have given you before. l shall
tell him how greatly l enjoyed my
call" And as he bowed himself out
there dawned upon his face a slow
smile of such intense and uncontrol-
liable amusement that it made me feel
as if an icy hand was clutching my
heart We all stood transfixed until
Then
Ellis brother" exclaimed Nell, in
low, terrible tone. "Wrctched girl!
Who is his brother?'
II don't know" faltered, almost in
tears, tearing open the letter.
"Ten to one," said Tom, strutting
around with his thumbs in his button
holes, ''it's proposal of marriage"
''Or hundred-dollar check for that
last story" said Nell, laughing
nervously.
They came behind me and looked
over my shoulder, all reading together.
1t was not proposal of marriage, but
it was check-an effectual one--to
our spirits.
MY DEAR Miss ORNE: We have long desired
to make your acquaintance. and as one of us
must go to your town on business shall let my
| brother have that pleasure, denying myself be-
cause am so deaf-as have told you-that
you would find conversation with me en-
barrassing. My brother is so fortunate to en-
JOY perfect hearing. 1 am sure you will like
him, although believe have never mentioned
him to you. He is associate editor Of the Re-
view. lam
Yours very sincerely,
HUGH A. EVERETT
For a moment that seemed a year
there was deadly silence. Then l be-
gan to sob childishly. and Nell re-
greet to be compelled to tell it-Nell
went into regular Mysteries of mirth,
and laughed and cried alternately.
Nor did she entirely recover for weeks.
but would go into commissions of merri.
ment at the mere remembrance of that
evening. Tom neither laughed nor
cried He just sat down on
the edge of the organ stool and
twisted his faint prcsentment of
mustache and swung his long legs TO
and fro and reflected. When his
thoughts had had time to travel down
to the bag of potatoes and the coal oil
can, imagine he concluded that he
could reflect more clearly if alone, for
he arose silently and stole into the
store. nor did SO much as a murmur
emerge from him during the remainder
of the evening. 1t was the first and
last time in my life that ever saw
Tom completely squelched.-EllaH ig-
rins0n In I.adieS, Home Iournal