Year: 1870

!
termincd to turn it to account. She reas-
oned thus Mr.. Geogagan is evidently i'm
pressed with Julia, but he is a little shy, or
dilatory, i'll coming to the point. In either
case, favorable rumor may do much in
bringing about desirable result. 1t may
encourage him; it must stimulate him.
! With this idea, in the course of her next
private conversation with Mrs. Sharing,
when that lady inquired, with certain
friendly mods and elevations Of the eye
brows, if she might venture to offer con-
gratulatons on certain fortunate event,
Mrs. Mueller gave her Enthusiastically to un-
derstand that she might, although perhaps
expressed in that coy language Of partial
reserve with which women like to enchance
the value of private communications.


Now, thought Mrs. Mueller, know Mrs.
Sharing to be the greatest gossip in the
neighbolhood, She will be certain to spread
the news of Julia's rumored engagement
far and wide. 1t will undoubtedly get
round to Frank Geogagan, and will lead
him at once to make that proposal for which
he seems so ready. So the rumor shall
make the fact and the fact keep the rumor
in countenance.


Meantime the the subject of Mrs Mucil-
ler's design appeared to be in the most ge-
NAL ignorance. He continued to pay the
same respectful attentions to his charming
cousin Julia. He took little notice of Nod
dy as consideration for the lady of the
house indeed dictated, for he had more
than once observed that any slight atten-
tion to Miss Cray was visited on her with
glance of dsfavor from Mrs. Mueller when
she thought he was not looking. But Frank
Geogagan had very quick, restless eyes that
could see round a corner


AS for Noddy, if she owned to herself one
feeling at all about the matter, it was Just
one of sadness that a school girl should
render man so artificial and constrained,
and unlike his real self, as she thought Mr..
Geogagan was becoming. But there was
another feeling at the bottom of her heart,
that Noddy would not own to herself. The
wind bloweth where it listeth: you cannot
tell whence it comes or how. There were
Ph@cian ships with sails ever set that car
ried their owners without oar or effort
whithersoever they listed


And in these six weeks Noddy had come
to love Mr.. Frank. She would not have
confessed it to herself she would have de-
spised herself had she believed it. How
was it? Dear soul Is there any better
reason to be given for loving any body than
the child's reason-Because | do? Must
we not all come back to thatP Noddy had
seen few people few people had ever taken
notice OF her, or seemed to think of her as
worth talking or caring abont Mr.. Frank
always had a word of some sort for her.
Many morning he would chat pleasantly
to her as she busted the room many a time
he would refrain from speaking to her, or of
her, before Mrs. Mueller, for her sake.-
Well, you may say this, or you may put it
how you will, but you will have to come
back to the little child's reason at last, for
all the wiser people in the world who have
tried to give any better explanation have
talked nonsense, and, what is more, own
ed it.


Frank Gecgagan had made many friends
in the neighborhood, and it was not long
before one of them congratulated him on
his engagement to Julia Mueller. 1t stag
gered him at the first but, bless you | MI.
Frank had his eyes about him. He took it
as coolly as possible; never said a word to
contradict it. He saw it would not do, as
this would be a palpable reflection on Mrs
Mueller, by whose tacit Endorsement at
least he ascertained such report had OBJ
tained currency at all. He just smiled, and
thanked his friends, and so gave renewed
credence to the report, which now had re-
ceived the final stamp of veracity. Mind,
do not defend Mr.. Franks conduct / on
ly state what he did ; and now l am going
to tell what came of it.


Dear reader-you have followed me thus