The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-19

So we made morning call. We were
ushered into the tiny reception room and
waited patiently for Miss Nettie's answer,
which was long in coming.
1T want to show you Nettie's portrait, "
said Fred, rising II think may go into
the parlor without invitation" There
were three parlors and conservatory in
line. and the little room in which we sat
stood at one side of the first of these, sep
arated only by sliding door, which Fred
pushed aside as he spoke.
He naused for moment aghast and
pointed speechlessly toward a table which
stood in the center of the room. There
upon lay a hat of the kind yclept Sailors
at that time much in vogue among young
men, iaunty cane of the most dandified
description, two pairs of gloves, one tiny,
plainly Nettie's own.
Beside these lay white card. 1 darted
forth to seize it. Frank held my arm.
"All's fair" said I, lin love and war;"
and turned it over in my hand.
On one side read, Frank Lawrence"
on the other
DEAREST NETTIE-What am l to believe?
Can it be that you think more of some one
else than you do of me? Surely you will come
with me today. If I can break my cunning
little Louis heart, you can certainly consent to
give F. W. the slip.
A low murmur of voices came from the
conservatory.
ssThey are in there, Fred!'' cried in
great excitement. LET us wait here and
confront them. "
ssNonsense!" said Fred. GIVE done with
her forever" And he turned on his heel
and stalked out of the house, and I after
him, never waiting for the servant who
had taken in our names.
Then what time had with Fred! He
shut himself in his own room day after
day on the pretext of study, and the even
ings, which he had used to spend with
Nettie Lee were passed in the same seclu-
sion.
Over his meals he was silent as mute.
Our parents knew nothing of what had
happened, for Fred had forbidden me to
speak of it on pain of his displeasure, and
Nettie must have kept all quiet by some
excuse At all events a week passed by
without any communication between the
families, and 1 wondered and wondered
when the denouement would come, and
what every one would say, and whether
that deceitful Nettie would really elope,
and whether Fred would die of broken
heart. This last thought troubled me most
of all, for the poor fellow was growing
thinner and paler and more woebegone
day after day.
At last, one bright, sunny afternoon, I
coaxed hi1f to walk out with me.
sYou do love me a little, sis?" said
Fred in such pitiful voice that cried
on his shoulder.
I cheered up little for the first time
that week when I had go5 him out OF
doors and was just thinking that perhaps
I could save his life by all sorts of sisterly
kindnesses and that would live and die
a spinster for his sake, when, as fate would
have it, who should we meet face to face
but Nettie Leel
Hateful little hypocrite, - said to my
self, but the thought had hardly crossed
my mind before l noticed that she was as
pale and thin as Fred, and then, right
out in Broadway, regardless of passersby
utterly forgetting everything else in my
surprise screamed out, lis that Frank
For, crowned with the sailors hat which
had caused us such annoyance and Jaunty
cane in hand, walked fair damsel side by
side with the misjudged and slandered
Nettie This individual was plump and
jolly, some inches taller than brother Fred,
who is by no means dwarfish, wore her a1-
burn hair in bush all around her head
and shoulders and was dressed in the ex-
tremest extreme of everything.
Fred stared at me as If he Thought me
mad, but in a moment more saw that ne
had taken in the situation at glance.
Surprises were not over yet, however.
A gentleman, who had been walking close
behind the two girls, here presented him
self to the assembled group.
"Lou!' screamed the auburn haired
da1nsel and broke into hysterical giggle.
The strange gentleman, and he alone,
seemed quite equal to the emergencies OF
the occasion. He waved his hand toward
confectionery close by, where, around a
marble table covered with refreshments,
all parties succeeded in coming to mu-
tual understanding
Fred and Nettie retired to window.
| Frank proceeded to make away with I'M
| limited pastry and cream at an astonlsh-
ing rate, talking and laughing vociferous'
| ly between the mouthfuls, now to me,
| now to the gentlemanly stranger.
| I could scarcely repress smile as l
looked at the six feet of masculine perfec-
ton smiling indulgently down upon the
| fair and frivolous gourmand and thought
OF cunning IlUble lou, WuoiIi A"A sup
| posed to be some fairylike little creature
| sinking into slow decline.
ct am glad I happened to meet you,
| Miss Frank said he, stroking his silky
mustache to conceal lurking smile. 81
! really believed my rival to be gentleman.
Let me help you to another ice"
| When Fred and Nettie returned from
their retirement, it was quite evident that
they had effected a reconciliation and
were equally rejoiced thereby. 1t subse-
quently transpired that Frank was senti.
mentally inclined and had vowed eternal
friendship for Nettie; that the two had ex-
changed oaths during school days to the
effect that no masculine creature should
ever interfere with their tender attach
! ment.
am fully persuaded that Nettie was
rather happy on the whole to be relieved
of her feminine adorer perforce, and no.
ticed that the intimacy fell off when the
two girls were married, which happened
shortly afterward. York News.
One Egg For Ten.
One egg for 10 guests is the allowance
at a California ostrich farm, as found
when I visited one.
| ltn,o +,,ro %braa fo1,r five SIX seven.