Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-06-19
A Happy Mistake

SIS it not possible, my dear Lettice,"
asked Miss Vynor, having come to
@ an end Of her stock Of patience,
"to find some occupation that will en-
ploy your time more usefully and per-
haps with less annoyance to other peo-
ple?"
What would you do, auntie?" she
said, her hands. clasped behind her
back, her curly brown head little on
one side, as though 1t were considering
a weighty subject, what would you
do, do you think, If you were to re-
ceiye two offers by the same post, and
Won didn't like one any better than the
other-the people who sent them, L
meanr
81 cannot-if you refer to proposals
of MARRIAGE cannot at all imagine
such a contingency" replied Miss Wy
nor stiff1y, STOPPING over her knitting
to pick up a dropped stitch.
..Surely, Lettice," continued Miss
yynor, "you do not intend to tell me
that you know of any person of our
scouaintance who has compromised
herself SO far?"
"Well, no, 1 can't say 1 do," an
awered Miss Lettice-which was very
true. in one way, for she certainly did
not mean to tell her aunt anything of
the kind.
.aThen think, my dear Lettice, that
YOU might occupy yourself more profit
ably than in making these idle supposi-
tions." said Miss vynor.
Eyes, auntie, you're right, as usual.
I'll see If can't find something better
to do," and Lettice gladly seized the
opportunity of escape from a conver-
sation that had seemed in danger Of be-
coming too personal.
She ran lightly upstairs to her own
room and. after carefully closing the
door, drew from her pocket two envel-
opes and settled herself in a chair to
read their contents, not for the first
time.
every odd they should both have
written. and chosen exactly the same
time" she said to herself softly.
For quite a long time Lettice sat
with the letters before her, consider
ing, for she was in serious diff
Guilty.
81 like Humphrey Forde best, dc
believe, but he's SO grave and so quiet
and somehow-it's too rid1culous-Du1
sometimes he seems almost afraid OF
me! His voice quite trembled once
or twice when he spoke to me the 9th
er day. A man can't be up to much
If he's afraid Of a girl! No, 1t must
be Will Haywood: he is dear boy, sc
bright and full of. fun, and ready tt
enter into everything; we are sure te
get on we'll together. And yet-I'n
half sorry"
She gave a quick little sigh; ther
rose, drew together her writing mate
rials, and began to write. Only br1e1
message on each dainty sheet; it wal
all she could muster courage for. o.
one she wrote: "Come this evening a
IT," and addressed the envelope to w
tHeywood, Esq, and on the other, IL
hasty, uncertain characters: "Forgiv
me, oh, do please forgive me, but
cannotv'
AS footsteps mounted the stairs to
ward her room she thrust both note
in the envelopes and hid them hastily
THE next moment her aunt raped a
the door and entered.
81 cannot say that l approve" re
marked Miss Vynor, in her precis
way. "of the habit that young peopl
;of the present day seem to have form
ed Of spending so much time in thei
own apartments. In my own youn
;days a bedroom was bedroom, an
was not intended to be used as si1
ting room also; and it appears to m
that the habit is conducive to grea
waste of time, for there seldom seem
ito be any visible result from 1t.
came to propose that we should wal
this morning. It is pity to vast
tha heat mart of the daY indQQra an.