Year: 1873

| the places Sne nau Nlslteu, anu length OF So


iourn at these, the noted individuals she had


met, with other incidents, too numerous to


mention. In comparing notes, it appeared


that there had been no scarcity of admirers
and mild ilirtations, yet each admitted that
she had met one man, and only one, worth a
serious thought. So here was the point


where the confession must come in. Now,


to settle the order Of these confessions, it


was decided that they should be made ae-
cording to order Of time that Is, she who


first met the hero of her dreams. should fist


take up the wondrous tale and bare her in
most heart On further examination it was
found that Miss Blossom had encountered
her fate Immediately after leaving the city,
50 the lot fell upon her to make begin
ming


" Well,' said the little one. carefully
| disposing her ample skirts and manifold
ruies Of finest organdie, as she sank grace
fully into a low, yelvet-cushioned rocking
chair, q" 1t doesn't seem just the thing for
me, being the youngest to take the lead,
and I'm sure I'm Just dying to hear all
about your affairs but one thing | am glad
of, have no reason to be ashamed of the
gentleman IN going to tell you about; for
he's the most splendid man, do 6elicrc. on
the face of the earth. -


Here she paused to take breath and heave
little sigh, her desultory opening speech
having been rather long and exhaustive; but
presently, clasping her chubby little hands,
eleyating her small nose, and rolling up her
eyes Ia St. Cecilia, then bringing them
down again 50 that the beautiful, long lashes
dropped over them like a veil, she resumed
You remember | told you that Grandma be
lieves in going to Saratoga early in the
season and staying there late in fact, she
considers Saratoga necessary TO her exist
ence, and of course ! 20 with her | knew
we should be among the earliest arrivals
and lonely enough it was for two or three
days but then several people came to our
hotel, and among the rest this gentleman.
Oh, he was such a distinguished looking
man, very pale though, and rather middle
aged, which made him look interesting,
not the middle-age. only the paleness. He
Is great traveller, has been all over the
world, and he lost his property, and he came
to Saratoga to drink the water and see if it
would make him better, and so it did. Oh
you should see what lovely dark face and
whiskers he has. and he recites HOratius at
the bridge s-p-l-e-ndidly. And he told me
all about the Turks and the Italians and
he said | make him think of beautiful
Italian girl he knew; only my hair Is light
and hers was dark and my eyes are not like
hers. And he played the guitar, too, and
sang perfectly lovely. lie gave me several
lessons, and he said he thought / had de-
cided talent for the guitar but | declare it
made me quite melancholy to hear him, and
such sad looks as he used to give me when
he was singing. could have cried, his
eountenanee was 50 pensiye and heart
broken"


As the memory of those detected glances
came over little Blossoms tender heart, she
rolled up the opal-hued eyes and held them
there, till the eyelashes fickered with the
strain. Interrogation being made in refer
enee to the interesting persons sadness, she
owned that she was at last moved by sym
pathizing pity to ask him that very ques-
ton, and he confessed that since he had met
her, he had felt himself lonely and friend
less as he never did before and he said
that he had seen so much knavery and
heartlessness in the world that he could not
place confidence in anybody or anything ex-
cept fresh, guileless heart, such as hers.
Finally he acknowledged that if he had not
been so unfortunate as TO lose his property,
he should have tried to win his precious
pearl. his beauteous little Blossom. Here
the eyes went up and the eyelids fickercd
again. Then she proceeded with the narrl-
tive, and informed her friends that this most
honorable man had said he would never,
never, ask her to share lot which could not
bring to her what she deserved, princely
fortune. She had told him that she had
money enough of her own, if only she were
her own mistress, or if Grandma would give
her consent ; for if She married before she
should be twenty-five, without that consent,
Grandma could dispose of the money as she
liked; all except a small annuity, and alas
the old lady would rather see her married to
her own second cousin, Tom Hackett. than
anybody else.


Then, she said, she gave him hint that
Grandma might give the fortune TO that
BOBBY, Tom, if she pleased for two loving
hearts could do without a fortune: and it
was not very hard to make money nowadays.
But he was too noble for that. he said he
could not think of asking her to share hard
fate like his No, the mercenary retch
Tom Hackett would get his pearl, and he
must 20 through life lonely wretch. And
he was particularly fond Of the song " Mol
lie Darling, and he begged her for his
sake not to be cilled Minnie any longer, but
Mollie, and she hoped any friends of hers
that loved her, would always, henceiorth,
addless her as AIollie. She had sounded
Grandma. but found that relative most cruel
ly prejudiced against the poor. dear, noble
hearted man, and so be went away quite
suddenly and in bad spirits but before he
left, they had a little understanding he
was to write once month under a ieigned
name, and his letters were to be always
mailed from New York, where also her re-
plies were to be addressed, in order to avert
suspicion, in case Of any letters falling un-
der the old lady's notice. He had, at first,
some hope of getting back his property,
Miss Blossom said; but latterly he seemed
to despair of recovering anything, and
though his letters were perfectly splendid,
50 full Of devotion and all that. he was
evidently detected, and he had even hinted
that sooner than appear selfish in thus re-
tanning a hold on her affections when he had
50 little hope of being ever able to claim
her hand, it might be better, though crush
ing to him, that they should say farewell.
That was his last letter; but she believed
she had thought of plan that would set
matters right and save him from despair.
She should not be surprised if she met him
in the course of few days; but she did
not feel herself bound to say anything more
at present.


This closed the case, as lawyers say, for
Miss Blossom but as she looked brimful of
importance and elation. and as each Of the
three ladies had little mental reservation
Of her own, in the matter of that confession,
it NAV here be mentioned that Miss Minnie
or Mollie (by her own request) had mental
" arranged her love affair, much to her own
satisfaction. What she had practically done
was to write most encouraging letter to
her detected lover, telling him that her
grandma had determined on sending her In
charge of some friends TO make the tour OF
Europe. Now, as he was such traveller,
he could Just make his arrangements, either
to Join her on the ship going over, or II he
preferred as soon as they should reach
France: there they could be married and
then proceed to Switzerland, where living
was so cheap that her annuity would fully
suffice; she lcGnfed nothing more; and from
that siceet seclusion she would write such
affectionate and persuasive letters, as could
not fail to bring Grandma round after
while. and so everything was to end de-
lightfully, like the fairy tales of childhood.
She had, moreover, appointed time and
place for meeting to discuss the project in
detail. Indeed, there was only one let or
hindrance to the perfection of this little
scheme: there was one small item wanting,
viz: consent of twain = but Miss Bios
som scarcely gave thought to such tri-
fling contingency she had always had her
own way: why not now? Why not?


Miss Majors turn for confession being
come. she threw herself lazily back in