The St. Johns herald., 1900-04-21


 My dear fellow, surely you have heard that Mrs. Cranborne's sister is coming tomorrow to pay her long yisit?"
 "Ohi ah! yes! I have heard some thing about it, but in what way does it concern me?"
 "Well, you, as a professed woman hater, can scarcely go constantly to house where a young and lively girl is staying; it would be so horribly incon- sistent."
 "Miss Helen Montgomery may be neither young nor lively"
 Possibly, no," returned the doctor, as he turned away with a chuckle at the familiar way in which Nestoyn had pronounced the lady's name.
 The very next day the two friends happened to meet again not far from Riverside.
 Surely you are not going to the Cranbornes' to-day? The sister only ar rived about an hour ago." began Phil Marsden.
 ''Well, you see," answered the other, "Jack will like quiet pipe with me. It will serve as an excuse for him to get away from the women's chattering."
 4 few days later, as Mir. Nestoyn was returning home from town, carrying a basket of the choicest flowers, whom should he see on the platform but Marsden. Avoidance was impossible; so he bravely made the best of it and advanced toward the doctor, greeting him with these words: You will come to my picnic on Saturday, eh, Phil?"
 Your picnic on Saturday? You go- ing 10 give picnic-yOu? No, think not; bachelor picnics are not to my mind"
 But am inviting Mrs. Beechcroft. !"
 Are you. But she won't come. She is very particular and would, I am sure, highly object to being the only lady"
 "But she won't be. Others are com ing; at any rate, they have been in- vited."
 "That is to say, Mrs. Cranborne and her sister,"
 "Yes, they have been invited, and others," replied Mr. Nestoyn, with dig nifty.
 In the meantime the subject of Mir. Nestoyn's picnic was being discussed at Riverside.
 Do you really mean to accept the invitation, Helen?" asked Mrs. Cran- borne, anxiouSly.
 Certainly l do. Why should not when I firmly believe this picnic is be- ing given solely on my, at any rate, on our account?"
 That is just it. do wish, dear, you would be careful. Is it not cruel to en- courage Mir. Nestoyn?"
 And, pray, why should Mir. Nestoyn not be encouraged?" questioned the young sister, with a merry gleam in her dark eyes.
 Because I have heard that years ago he had a dreadful disappointment. Jack says he was treated very badly and that all the trouble changed him and made him what he is, so-so unlike other people. I don't know what the consequence of another affair du occur would be-"
 Most probably to him all the good in the world. What delightful addi- tion it would make to that notebook of his! How I should like to look into it! Have you ever seen inside it, Vio- let?"
 "Oh, dear, no, and no one else"
 "Wel, I want to go to this picnic and am going"
 And to Mir. Nestoyn's picnic went Miss Helen Montgomery. So did the Cranbornes, Dr. Marsden, Mrs. Beech croft and her two pretty sisters, and the whole set of Mir. Nestoyn's bache- Tor friends, and everyone of them had either a sister or niece, who were each and all very willing to join the party.
 The weather, like everything else at that picnic, was all that it should be, and as the party was returning home each individual declared that never be- fore had he or she spent 50 pleasant 1ay. There was to be supper at tho Willows as a finale.
 All the guests save enc had gone on in advance. That one, Miss Helen Mont gomery, with Mir. Nestoyn by her side, was slowly vending her way up the hill that led to the Willows.
 They were both silent. Mir. Nestoyn put his hand into his pocket, drew out his notebook and pencil, wrote few words, then handed book and pencil to his companion. She read: "July 4, 1s9--. Gave picnic to Ockshott woods. Weather perfect. Many dear friends made up the party. Spent delightful day. On my return home made pro- posal of marriage to Miss Helen Mont gomery, which she"
 Accepted" promptly wrote the lady. Chicago News.