The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-04-05
A Pair Of April Fools.

Ted Barton grinned proyokinglg
across the table at his pretty sister
Nan, who had just laugbingIy made
heI boast that 40 one would be able
to take her III with AM first Of April
Jokes.
At Ted's exclamation she only re-
piled, lightly, "Nonscnse, Ted, It
would take Il smarter boy than YOU
are to fool me-" Then she went out
to help her father on with his over
coat preparatory to going Oh his
daily rounds among his patients.
Ted looked at her departing figure
and snickered softly, aad when the
aforesaid trim little figure had van
ished, in bIi5sfuI INCONSISTENCIES Of
coming evil, the young scamp execu-
ted hOrnpipe, ana then holding his
sides laughed until the tears stood
III his mIschlevous eyes.
Two hours later Nan answered
the postman'8 ring aud returned
with Il letter in her hand, which she
opened at once Ted watched her
slyly. Womanlike she looked at
once to see who it was from, and
rush Of rosy color flooded her pretty
face, deepening as she read, while
her dark eyes grew luminous with
JOY. AS soon us she had finished
reading her letter she ran out Of the
library and up to her own room.
Ted was twelve years old, but us
soon rs Nan had left the room he
Immediately proceeded to stand upon
his head and flourish his naughty
heels high i'll the air.
Nan sat in her room, her sweet
face still flushed, and her heart .
swelling with JOY. Presently she
raised the letter to her lips and .
pressed quick, shy kiss upon il and .
then opened and and read it again.
" hat she read was as follows: /
"Miss Nan Barton:
''Dear Man, have long tried .
to tell you that l love you. Could
you love me enough to become my
wife?
"l ours in hope,
Jack Akers"
Tears Of humanity and joy stood
in Mans soft brown eyes. Jack
Akers-the talented young iourna-
list and author-Ioyed her. She
had almost dared to hope, sometimes,
that he was not entirely Indifferent.
tOsher, land she--why, did not her foo
i8h, tender little heart beat in most
unruiy manner whenever she was in
Jack Akers' presence? Nevertheless
this proposal was surprise; for al
though handsome Jack Akers had
frequently beer at her fathers house,
and mad seemed to tind her company
very pleasant, he had never spoken
word to her that anyone might not
have heard, and yet he had loved
her all the time.
Nan read the letter over. 1t was
beautiful thing to her. What if
the handwriting was little scrat-
chy? That was because Jack was
literary; she had always heard that
the penmanShip of literary people :
was prOverbially bad.
She was very happy all day; and {
when Ted asked her slyly who her t
letter was from, she laid her hand y
with more than usual gentleness
upon his curly head, and said,
brightly,
"Never mind, Teddy dear. Per-
laps will tell you 10y and by"
1t was strange, but someway the
pressure of that soft little hand hurt
Ted, and an odd lump rose IN his
throat. Yes, it was certainly queer, l
but all at once he found it impossi
bic to look into Mans happy face
and his eyes sought the floor, while C
as Nan passed Oh and ran lightly up
the stairs he gazed after her remorse-
fully.
81 say" he muttered, sit was a
nasty trick. | never thought she v
liked him, and | meant to tell her r
right away. But now" :
Ted was beginning to find out that l. !.
''the way of the transgressor is hard"
He felt as though it would be impos
slble to tell Nan the truth now. i
Anyway, he would put off the evil +,
hour until night, and then when -
she came to kiss him goodnight. as
she had always done since their
mother died, three years before, he
would make clean breast of it. So.
his conscience, he rushed
off to spend the afternoon with his
chum, and forgot all about it. =
When he came home at four
o'clock Nan sat with her wraps
On, warming her feet before the IL
brary fire.
"Hillo, Nan. Where've YOU
been :" Was Ted's first greet
ng.
Il just ran down street to post !.
etter, DEAR returned Nan, ab5ently, .
gazing dreamily into the fire. n
The intelligence acted like an ell NJ
.ctric shock upon Ted. For an in HI
tant he gazed at her pretty profile :.
n great CONSERVATION; then he came -
Up to her and said, in somewhat b,
trained voice,
''Nan, you never answered that f ~,
etter you got this morning so soon Il" !.
5 this, did You ?" 4,
'Why, Teddy, you don't think it rs 5
Eas to soon, do you" Asked Nan, :
nxiously, wondering how Ted had ma !,
uessed her secret. G"
"Well," mumbled Ted, incoheren- '"'
Iy' ''seems sort of sudden,-same ~
ay, you know" st.
81 can't help it now," murmured f.
'an, in a slightly troubled voice, =
and, Teddy dear, l may as well tell pr Pr
GU that it was from Mr.. Akers, and By bGys
! it he asked me to be his wifav a no,