Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-05-05

Wv victim, have not the SllSnt-
est doubt, to Emmeline's charms"
Yes; but will she allow herself to be
charmed?"
Not if she's wise. But here is your
train. Good-by; and if you break your
heart the best remedy for such COM
plants is change of scene, you know. 1t
/ hear of you in Africa l shall under
stand what has happened.
The speakers shook hands. He found
"a place in the train, and she made her
way again to the pony carriage In which
she had driven him to the station, his
farewell words not having been perhaps
exactly what they would have been if
spoken in the hearing of less limited
audience.
George was the husband for whom
her mourning had now reached the Law
ender and white stage. Poor George,
he had never liked her cousin. But
there was no harm in Dan, absolutely
none. The pony took its time through
the shaded lanes-hedges garlanded
with wild roses and honeysuckle.
Three days afterwards the post
brought letter, among others, that
was read over more than once by the
recipient. IT ran after this wise:
Dear Lydia: Words spoken in jest, as you
and the Greeks say, come true. l am en-
gagged to Miss Winterton. Emmeline-for
so have a right now to call her-made me
the happiest of men by accepting me this
morning. l feel l cannot let a post go with
out telling you my news. When think of
how we made a subject for ridicule and
merriment of an object to me now so pre-
acious, l indeed come to the conclusion that
my fate is better than L deserve. Yours,
always affectionately.
P. S.-Emmeline sends her best love, and
counts upon your presence at the wedding.
Lydia's red and white grew very vivid
as she read this communication the first
time. On the second perusal, white pre-
dominates; on the third, her color sud-
denly returned, and she laughed.
'He is silly creature" she told her.
self: 81 will give him a good time in re-
venge. He deserves it. How could / be
so foolish as to be taken in? Emmeline!
Absurd! Poor old Elnmeline, with her
dust cloak and bag of keys"
Lydia sat down to her writing-table,
and, looking very much pleased with
herself all the while, wrote as follows:
My Dear Dan: do not deny that your
note took me little by surprise, but am
very, very glad Cthree underlines to each
very of what you tell me. OF course, our
foolish little jokes meant nothing. In fact,
as blind, people often joke about those
they like best l think Emmelne is most
admirably calculated to make you happy,
and / send my sncerest good wishes for
your future life. Always, dear Dan, with
love to Emmeline,
Your affectionate cousin,
LYDIA BRACKENBURY.
p. S.-Please give the enclosed note to
Mrs. Winterton. 1 cannot forbear writing
Just a line to her to say how much your
engagement, of which / have heard from
you, pleases me. She will be so glad about
1T herself, know.
Capt. Forbes was at breakfast when
Lydias letter was brought to him. The
Winterton family were ranged round
the table, and without reading his own
document, he handed at once to Mrs.
Winterton the note inclosed and adj
dressed to her in his cousins handwrit-
ing. Then he read what she had writ
ten to him, and his usually lively color
turned to a positive gray. This was
awful. He had given to Mrs. Winter
ton letter to say how much pleased
Lydia was to have heard from him of
his engagement to her daughter. What
"a frightful predicament to be in! He
looked to the head of the table where
Mrs. Winterton, most grim, stiff and
propriety-loving specimen of the Brit
ish mother, sat behind the teapot He
looked across to Emmeline in her prim,
unattractive, old-maidish, latter youth.
How should he ever get out of this? OF
course the letter was all nonsense.
There hadn't been a word of truth in it.
How could there have been? Really,
Lydia might have known. He had GER
tainly taken long time to compose the
,effusion and to make it seem as real as
possible; but to whom would it have
occurred, even if she had believed such
n monstrous impossibility, that she
would have gone and written off on the
spur of the moment to the old woman?