Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-08-17
AN AWKWARD MISTAKE.

10 be married. Cousin Abb.
gan: Is 1t really tr,Ier'
Llt1le Dorothy Wallace looked I'M in
% Inc sober face of her forty-year-old
splhster relative with delighted expec
'auon and maiden curiosity. Miss Abb
gail Pendasset laughed rather awk-
wardly.
well L suppose it must be. Dotty,
because you see, here is a diamond
rillg ON the forefinger of my left hand,
ana there are the dressmakers hard to
work In the little back parlor. If it
were not for those two things | might
almost think the whole affair moon
shine"
And does he love YOU. Cousin Abb
gali, very. very much:"
He says SO
'oh" sighed Dorothy, at must be
81 nice TO have a real lover all OF ones
own
.fiayc You one, DOtty?'
Dorljhy colored radiantly. and her
eyes inVoluutarily fell.
Il don't know, Cousin Abigail"
-, men ia make it my business 10
ma out II were you said Miss Pen
laSS"l, rather tartly, Don't let any
u the fellows play fast and loose with
you, pottN. | didn't"
Rul Abigail, You are so different
Dii1"rent: I'm Il woman. | suppose.
ana quite as liable to be made a fool
OF as any other Of my sex. We're all
TOOLS. Dotty, TO Il certain extent. And
now mind what / say TO you. and
u0n stand any tlipting.'
But you haven told me his name
yet, Cousin Abigail" intorpoSed Do
fothy, evidently rather anxious to
change the subject. is it Squire
peckhamT'
Squire Pcckham: No, indeed. What
nosens" is the child talking: 1t is
Capt. SummCrSon."
Capt. SummersOn.'
Yes, isn't it a pretty name?' said
Miss Abigail, with more Of maidcnly
consciousness than Dorothy had ever
before seen her exhibit. He's as hand
some as n picture, too. is in the regu-
lar army. and, To say the truth, a few
years younger than l am. He'll be
here this evening, and you shall be in
troduced, Dotty. You'll like him-ey-
eryDOdy likes him.
Dorothy Wallace sat with downcast
eyes, and n round pink spot on each
cheek, while Miss Abigail, the frost
OF he reserve now fairly broken
through chatted on, and told her all
the incidents, past and present. of her
engagement to this AdOnis Of the reg
ular army.
Now | said to him, the very night
he proposed" wound up Miss Abigail,
that ! had the prettiest little cousin
i'll the world, whom | should write to at
once, to come and be my bridesmaid.
SO here you are, DOtty, and you must
come in and see the pink silk | have
$ selected for your bridesmaids dress"
Did you tell him my name?"
Yes, Of course. Why"
ION, it's uch Il funny, Ol~d-fashiOned
name" laughed Dorothy, rather CON
STRANGELY. Come, let's 60 and look
at the silk"
Capt. Alfred Summerson called as
usual that night. lie was a tall. hand
some, sentimental young fellow, ten
good years the junior of his bride-elect,
with no end of poetical quotations on
his lips, and q most seductive way Of
lowering his voice to a whisper when
he came near a pretty woman. He was
dressed in n suit of dove-color, which
was unusually becoming to his dark,
rich beauty, and he was formally in
trOduced to Miss PendaSset's cousin.
You needn't color up so, DOtty!"
said Miss Abigail, laughing, Alfred
won't eat you up"
is it necessary for my fair fiancee
to go bail for my harmless disposition,
Miss Wallace?" sighed the captain, in
his most hOneyed tones.
Dorothy did not answer; she only
stitched ON at her work with il creased
diligence.
The days went by, the wedding at the
old Pendasset manOr-house drew near
er and nearer. Miss Abigail was to
use her own expression, more forcible
than elegant, over head and ears
in the manifold preparations for the
coming event. Little Dorothy Wallace
helped her with zeal enough for half
a dozen, and nobody, in the hurry of
the occasion, noticed how pale and thin
the child was getting.
Mercy upon u.s. said Miss Abigail,
with n little sigh. Il shall be glad
when it is all overt"
so shall t. echoed Dorothy, almost
inaudibly.
1t was just a week before the day APP
pointed for the wedding, n baimy Sep
twilight, end Capt. Summerson,
later than usual, arrived on his usual
visit.
rs your mistress at homer he asked
Hester Bragg, the head factotum.
Miss Abbey is to hum" jerked out
who, besides heartily disliking
the captain, was too strict a New Eng
lander to recognize any created female
as her mistress"
Where is shet'
I'm the settin'rOOm.S
And Miss Dorothy
"She's in the little south room, where
the plants s."
Very well, my good woman, that will
You needn't bring lights at pres
said the captain, gayly tiptoeing
off down the broad matted passage.
Good woman indeed" muttered Hes
fer, turning her head. II amt his good
woman. and I'm thankful to Providence
amt no chance of my ever being.
7 do believe Miss Abigail left her com
mon sense behind her When h prom
isad TO marry him. But there's no fool
like IN old fool and Hester descended
INTO he kitchen, treading somewhat of