The Portland daily press., 1892-04-16

Treating the whole th1ng as JOKE and
advising me--to marry! This Is not
what expected from you"
He stood beside her in moment, his
whole manner changing. 81 never sup
posed that it was" he said. 81 never
supposeS- that it was what you expected.
Nevertheless, Marion, it is my advice
and repeat 1t to you. ! think you
ought to marry"
She looked at him for a minute longer,
her expression varying between surprise
md impotence. What do you mean"
she asked. ~ repeat that you are treat
ing the whole thing as joke, and that
think that it is very unkind of you to
do SO. Marry that is a proof in itself
that you are laughing at me. Marry
whom?'
Turning swiftly away, he took rapid
turn up and down the room; then, hating
beside the tea table, he began to finger
nervously with the dainty tea service.
"Pm sure I don't know how to say it
to you," he hesitated, almost tearfully.
81 know so well that you have never
suspected anything, and have been SO
much afraid of startling you; and have
been so ridiculous. But if I might dare
that is, if you would allow me-
Marion" he cried, with sudden move
ment of his arm which upset the sugar
basin and sent shower of knots pattera
ing over the floor, 81 would say-marry
me-"
For moment there was an embar-
ra fnfo tod H.
the unromantic proposal, Miss Jolhbert
simply, responded: '.That is another
way out of my difficulty. Very well,
accept"
AS for the people of Manchester, they
declared they couldn't have believed it,
either of Miss Jollibert or the bishop.
Half of them said especially Miss Jolli-
bert and the other half particularly of
the bishop.
At the very height of this the bishops
fair head and shiny black coat appeared
for the first time in the blue barouche,
vis-a-vis to Miss Jollibert. 1t was sun
shiny day, and the bishop was noticed to
be laughing. 1t very often requires only
straw or pin point to change insanity
to sanity, unpopularity to popularity,
ferocity to mildness. In this case the
bishops laugh was the symbolical pin
point Next morning the heavy clouds
of suspicion had rolled away and the
blue sky shone again. Next morning
all Manchester was laughing and smil-
ing with the bishop.
Sometimes Miss Jollibert would go out
to drive with the bishops sister, Miss
Hammersley, a tiny, silver haired lady,
and on such evenings the curious pass
ers by on the river would catch glimpse
of rose colored velvet and black coat
here, and a glimpse Of gray satin and
silver hair and knitting pins up there
under the portico. On such evenings
Miss Jollibert was very happy.
So time passed on. Just as early sum-
mer was changing into late summer
great illness broke out over the country.
It was exactly at this time that the
bishop and Miss Jollibert had intended
to be Joined, but they put off the cere-
mony for time, and clasping hands fig
uratively-since duty forbade them to
do so in reality-they set boldly to work.
So all through the long hot days, and
very often far into the sitting nights,
the blue barouche and the purple
brougham rolled about Manchester.
Sometimes it would happen that the
two crossed each other at the turn of
street, at the corner of square, and the
bishop would lift his hat, calling out
laughingly: Elbow do you do, Marion?
Ninety degrees in the shade today" And
she would nod back with a smile: ssQuite
well, thank you, bishop. wonder what
it is in the sunshine?'
After the illness was in a great meas
ure abated, just as the hazy corn fields
were beginning to turn to gold, just then
Miss Jollibert awoke one morning to find
a great peace at her heart, and that her
convictions had forever fallen asleep.
Strangely enough, it was the morning of
her wedding day.
At Miss Jollibert's wedding there was
not one person who had the heart or
audacity to say she was anything but
very handsome woman, and that the
bishop and she were a very lucky pair.
Most Of them added particularly the
bishop; but if some of them did say in
stead especially Miss Jollibert, it was
not to be supposed that slight was in
tended upon Miss Jollibert in any way.
The very first flakes of snow that came
down that winter fell fair upon the lord
bishop Of Manchester, and Mrs. Ham
niersley.-Romance.