The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-21
CHAPTER XIV.
sTIrE lDESp ERATlD LOVER.

y
the best words wou!;. come or tl1e,nse elves
In the best plnces. willie other best words
wero getting themselves ready to BIO
poured out! Then should l be able to
Touch the human heart Al Oh, that / knew
how to sny something very affecting
something Of that kind of foundation.
searching character. which there should
be no standing against, or reasoning
with Then might / see d glimpse OF n
chan but, as 1t Is, all my hopes nre
yanity--are ! without substance--arc, In
fact, nothing at al, ~ must leave this
busy scene and retire Into obseurlty.
viii again visit tho hhunts. OF my child
hood and stay there. oh, my native
stars, playing bo.peep through bougbs
into hollow cnves--1 will 60 back among
you, and In tho cool, green where my
mother died, there also will ! lay my
head Farewell !--farewell!"
rJttering thcsc words. the despuirlng1
stout gentleman rose to depart. All the
children were by this time crying, and
wanting to say somothihg-they did not
III 'B i can nothing 81 done tor yon.
sir?' said Mrs. Littlepun1p. In soft:
voice. IN, e i55 s. d .E 5,
n "My dear Gretchen Interrupted DR.
1,ittlepump, ''yon hear what Mrs Little.
pump asks? It is for you to make some
Gkind OF answer. Be careful what you
say / wish my brother Abraham were
here!n No.. ~ s,S G. !. ~; I,
II a"I cansnecerS love the gentleman In the
rough coat" said Gretchen. still holding
one hand before her face. do. ~ not no
mind his being much older than myself
nor do w think him SO very " y---oli on
\ he Is q bear! ;5.ss I'd y. #
4 II am a5devoted lover!" calculated the
stout unfortunate. with enthusiasm, and
will be anything else can. that the
Il dear object may. command. 5 i5;4 III
"Oh Gretty.s dear!" sobbed Nancy. the
tears rolling like strings Of beads down
herfrosy-white cheeks, dear Gretty! 90
Try and marry poor Mr.. Bear--and i =
I'LL help you! AS
I "My !. sweet Nancy" ,lnterposed Mrs.
IIttlepump. I'VE cannot think OF such 3
thing III q. fi..
& I'M oderate your ynpathetic transports
1ny child, said Or. Littlepump. IN his
/ most soothing and ifluty tones: hen. low
ering his vpice to a whisper. he added;
Lydia and Dorottea. am ashamed OF
you both. It Is not a moment f9r# levity.
II have had a dream!' said Gretchen.
tlmidly looking up. and Insulating.
have had a dream q 4
$50 have IT said DR.. Llttleputnp. stern
i -
forlable." .ys IN. IL
~ teDo not feel sol" exclaimed Mr.. Bear.
4 clasping his paws together" do not Il feel
1 rncomf table most agnanlrnous coun-
sellor OF Thomas Mines--do not Inn
plore-To ON MY, r should have said. $.
Make hastel'' continued the Doctor,
fixing his looka Upon Gretchen, mi axe
haste, young hazel.eyed = hinE'a ana !et : US
hear your drea a. ~ !. \. g
ltrs1
that Mr. Bear must 60 Into that closet
and Be locked In. Then all the children
were to form magic circle in the middle
OF he room. and move slowly round,
hand lin hand, nine times. saying:
ooh, Mr.. Bear! III s.I13s. i3 j44 -
Cupid hears your fond prayer!
Remember your mothers words-never
After this glass Of purch and a
slice tof cake were to be placed ready Tor
ca eli TO take the moment the door was
opered and they saw that the charm
was conp!ete Idreamt this would cause
Mr.. Bear to be made happy somehow.
And then '
"And then?o said DR.. LIttlepump. what
then? I,repeat. am beginning to feel
very uncomfortable. smeli something!
II smell plot! must have a serious
talk with my brother Abraha M this very
evening"" u.
"Oh we shall soon see What the dream
will do" said Mrs. L!ttlepump. MI.
Bear, you have heard all this? Will you
run all risks OF what may happen and
go into the closet
III Will do anything. dear Lady Pump
little!" exclaimed Mr.. Bear. II Will run
any. risk--Il will run anywhere! 90 ying
which, he ran towards the closet, head
foremost. SO that he knocked his crown
bump sainst one OF the panels.
Y The door was opened--the children all
peeped in. and looked round cautiously
to see IL anybody was there. but It was
quite empty. excepting some china and
pickle Jars, and high shelf, where
there was a box tor dahlla roots. /
large mirror hung on the wall, al the
further end. Mr.. Bear stepped In. and
Immediately went down upon his knees,
to walt for what might happen to him.
5's'All In the dark said little Va, "and
door locked!'' 33 &
The children now formed d circle In the
middle OF the room. and while Gretchen
was pouring out glasses or punch and
Lydia and Dorotlca were cutting sliceh
of cake, and Wallis was cleaning his
srectacles and Or. and Mrs. Littlepump
were standing silently holding each other
BY both hands. the children turned In o
circle nine times, repeating the words
OF the charm:
"Oh, Mr.. Bearl FS
Cupid hears your fond prayer!
Remember your mothers words-neVer
despa r!''
when they had finshed Mrs. L!ttls-
Iump unlocked the closet door, Every
body was so silent Mrs. Ltttlepump
now told Gretchen to go and tap at the
dc or. She did so. And then the door 81
lently began to open. 1t stopped opening,
ana a voice Inside said: "You must take
my hand, or cannot como out" And
then well formed hand was put forth.
which Gretchen. with face a.. sea rlet'
with bushes, gently took; and then
who should come out OF the closet but
dear Uncle Abraham!
Here is dear Uncle Ahraham" shout
Cd all the childron-."but where is tho
dear Bear?'' Hereupon. they all ran
: rIght into the closet seramblilg and.
surcaklng and searching al about, but
finding nothing So, out they came
croWdlng. and began to run round Uncle
Abra ham.
ooh, where Is the fascinating rough
gentleman?" cried Mrs. Littlepump, 4
'Wrere is the fascinating rough gem
tlemanY" cried everybody In tho room.
UJJero a M ~ exclaimed n soft hOarSo