Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-02-27

"No-since knew yeu," he said
boldly, 1--WE altered my opinionl" 4
"In such short time began
Hilda. !,
1t was fortunate that at that moment
Mrs Hunt, who had been on the look
out for them, opened the door, for
Hilda had an uncomfortable feeling
that things were going too far.
1.-THE gentleman is to so and be
thanked by Miss Lely," the old woman
said, ushering them both into the par
lor
And thanked he was, though Miss
Lely did not know his name. He po-
litely disclalmed any share in the days
doings, beyond the very smallest, and
withdrew after pressing handshake
on the part Of both ladies'. When he
got outside he remembered that the
lady had not invited him to come
again. While at the same moment In
side the house, Miss Lely was wonder
ing to herself II she had seemed too
grateful-for the young man was Ger.
talnly very handsome. and. we'll, girls
(Hilda speciality were so terribly I'M
practical. There was no knowing what
Hilda would Imagine!
So for the rest of the day Miss Lely
lnstilled Australian and clerical
thoughts into her young nieces mind
as an antidote, and Hilda wondered
why any clergyman had ever been born,
and why anyone had ever taken the
trouble to discover Australia!
Miss Lely worshlpped at st. Peters
and duly carried Hilda off to that par.
ticular place of worship the following
Sunday. The .Fates, however, were
against her, for they had not long taken
their places when the tall figure of the
hero slipped into pew just opposite,
and fixed his blue eyes nearly all the
service through just below Hilda's pref.
ty chiffon hat
The elder Miss Lely prayed with the
most intense vigor for the speedy re-
turn Of the prospective bridegroom !;
and Hilda, whose thoughts certainly
strayed further than her eyes, sat de-
murely by the side of the austere little
spinster, and decided that certain tall
figures looked equally we'll in gray
tweed or black.
| He raised his hat to the ladies as he
passed them on the way out, and Miss
Ellen, torn between feeling Of ingrat-
itude and terror for consequences, smil-
ed at him SO sweetly that he stayed his
steps.
That Sunday was destined to live
long in the memories of both ladies.
The elder Miss Lely actually sat down
on one of the seats and volunteered
to wait for the young people II they
cared to walk little further before re-
turning to the house. What made her
suggest such thing she could not I'm
agine. But Fate was busy with his
puppets. and Aunt Ellen was one of
them, though she did not realize It.
Hilda glanced at her companion and
met his gaze with rash courage. In
an instant he turned up the middle
Chine and was speaking fast and pas
sionately.
'Hilda," he said-t'that is your
name, l know, for saw 1t in your
prayer book-don't think me mad-and
don't say am presumptuous. But are
you really engaged to that clergyman
you talked of the other day? Answer
me truthfully, please, because 1t makes
all the difference in the world to me-"
He turned his handsome face to-
wards her, and his eyes were lit with
an eager, passionate fire that Hilda
found disconcerting, albeit delightful.
Il" She stopped. He motioned
her to a seat and they sat down, while
she told him the whole story.
He laughed as he heard it.
''And you intend to marry this man
this lergyman-whether you like
him or not?" he asked at the finish.
Hilda looked down towards the sea-
She had completely forgotten the wait
ing Aunt Ellen on the Esplanade.
II must see him FIRST" she said sim
ply.
"But you have seen him!"
She smiled softly.
"Not since l can remember any
thing" she answered 81 couldn't have
the heart to tell dad 1 refuse before
seeing him."
"If loved him 1t wouldn't matter
how ugly he was" the girl said in her
soft voice.
The hero jumped up suddenly, and
knelt on the gravel path, selling both
her hands.
"Hilda, darling" he cried, triumph.
antly, 81 am Ronald Martyr! Only
you didn't know it, of course. Don't
you think you could pass over the fact
> that l am stupid clergyman?
"You aren't ugly" whispered Hilda
as If that settled matters. Then, when
he had extracted a definite, sensible
answer from her, she asked him why
he didn't look like clergyman.
t And he told her that his creed did
not consist of his clothes, and that he
l preferred tweed to broadcloth. But
7 that IL She" etc.
She did not; and said so emphatlcal
ly ere they went down to find Miss
Lely, who had given them up and gone
indoors.
They spent their honeymoon al
Bournemouth not many months later
! and found it quite as delightful in The
autumn as in the summer.
And the Rev. Ronald Martyr dresses
as unlike a parson as ever.-Philadel
phia Telegraph.
I.
A Puzzle for Henry.