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Mill! 11 IE 31
FRANK MORTIMEK, ) . -.. 4,, -vr-TrrtTrcrr a t-vttit (Terms t IX ADVANCE
Editor and rroprietor. AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. One Dollar per Year.
Vol. V. Now Uloomileld, Io,., Tuesday, July 18, lSl. IVo. 29.
Ja Published Weekly,
At l?ew Bloomfleld, Tenn'a.
BY
FRANK MOB TIMER.
BCDBCRIPTION TBHMB.
ONE DOLL All FEll YE All I
GO Cents forO Months 40 Cents
for 3 Months,
FRED LUDLOW'S MISTAKE.
I DON'T think tlicro can be any mis
take, Fred, old fellow. There is the
lawyer's friendly letter, beginning 'My
dear Ludlow ;' and here is his formal letter,
beginning, ' Dear sir ;' and they both toll
the same story."
" Videlicet, that my beloved old uncle
you needn't grin, Jack ; ho always was a
dear old boy has peacefully departed to a
better land, and has left mo his heir, Lud
low Manor and the estates thereunto apper
taining, worth about ono hundred thousand
dollars per annum ; but it can't be true,
Jack, how can it?"
" Too much good luck to fall upon your
undeserving shoulders ; is that what you
mean? " Woll, it is rathor hard lines that
an idle fellow like you, Fred, should turn
up such a trump card suddenly. However,
I congratulate you with all my heart."
" But I tell you, it's alia delusion; I
never could have a hundred thousand a
year. Give mo those letters again." As
he read thorn, the expression of his face
suddenly changed, and he started up, ex
claiming, " By Jovo, Jack, we forgot all
about tho condition under which I inherit."
" I don't remember any condition ; what
is it?"
"A settlor," answered Ludlow. "I
would not do it for twice the money."
" Hang you, what is it, man ? Thore is
not anything I wouldn't do for a hundred
thousand a year, except marry a woman
with a squint.
" Well, I've got to marry a woman.
How is it you didn't take in all old Frank's
letter properly? Look here?" and Fred be
gan to read aloud, ' Dear Ludlow, I have
much pleasure' hem hem whore is it ?
I have it 4 has left you heir on condition
that within twelve months you marry your
cousin, Miss Magdalune Hcpburno (she is
his sister's child). Should you refuse to do
this, the property goes to Tier, house, plate,
horses, and carriages, and you get a legacy
of five thousand dollars.' That's generous
Jack, isn't it?"
" It might be worse," responded Jack,
laconically.
" Worso ? I tell you it's a pretty ending
to a man's hopes. I know it couldn't be
true." . "
"But why not marry the girl? She won't
say no, you may take your oath, and you
don't care very much about any one else,
I suppose."
" My dear fellow, it's very easy to say,
marry tho girl, but she's six fcot if she's
an inch ; and as to her foot 'beotlo crush
ers,' by Jove, as the fellow in Punch says."
' But think of the hundred thousand I
Surely you won't be fool enough to let her
have it without you, whilo you retire upon
your modest incompetence I"
" Well, even Ave thousand dollars will
stop a gap or two," returned Ludlow, re
lapsing into his usual indolent manner, as
though the affair of the Inheritance were
quite settled ; ' but he might have mado
it ten : Miss Matilda Martha, or whatever
her delightful name is, would never have
missed it.'!.. V : V?.' ',
" Do you know, Ludlow, you're enough
to drive a man mad. Do you mean to say
that you are going to lot that splendid fur-
tune slip through your fingers, simplv be
cause a woman happens to bo a good hoight ?
I wish to heaven I had the chance 1
wouldn't care were she as high as St,
Pauls."
"If slio diUn t squint? Well, you boo,
Jack, we all have our little prejudices.
prefer that my wile uuould look up to me
in every sense of the word."
"Yes, you always were an as, I know,"
growled Jack.
" Come, I've thought of a splendid plan.
I won't marry my cousin that's settled
but why shouldn't you? You have rathor
a taking way with you wbon you liko ;' and
I'll introduce you and praiso you up to the
skies. Wou't that do ?"
"As if a girl with suoh a pot of money
would look at a poor devil like me t No,
thank you, I don't like being Bnubbod. And
now suppose you state your own objections
to her more fully ( you know hor very woll,
of course."
" Never spoke to her in my life. Fotter-
ton you know Potterton showed her to
me one night at the opera, with her mother.
I don't know how that fellow knows every
one. There was a little angel in the box
with them ; Indeed if she were the cousin
you wouldn't hear much grumbling. I was
greatly surprised whon Pottorton told mo
that the oldorly fomale was my aunt, the
gigantic female my cousin, and tho angol
a young lady from the country, who was
staying with thoni. Hoigh-ho 1 what stun
ning eyes sho had ! I never called upon
them. Cousins are expected to kiss, are't
thoy ? and I could not have kissed the
grenadier !"
'But you said you saw her fcot.
' So I did j I watched them into their
carriage : tho angel hopped in so fast I
could see nothing but white skirts ; the
grenadier bungled upon the stop, and dis
closed a pedestal finished off by a patent
leather shoo, and sandalod, and hor dress
was whito. I wont homo Jack, depressed
in spirit ; no, it couldn't be dono at any
price."
" You take it deuced cool, I must say."
"What is a fellow to do? I am quite
worn out with the tremendous state of ex
citement I was in when I first-hoard tho
news. Too much of that kind of thing
does not pay ; it wears a fellow to skin and
bone. I can't think how I was stupid
enough to forget all about tho conditions.
I say, old fellow, you're not going I It's
evor so early."
" Long past ono."
" Woll, good-night, and if you think bet
ter about my offer of an introduction to the
heiress, just let mo know. I suppose there
is no fear that she'd insist upon marrying
me, is there 1 She'd save five thousaud by
it, you know. There, he's off; how selfish
oven ono's best friends aro 1"
But Jack's head was in at tho door again
directly. " I say, Fred, you never told me
what you'd do next."
Next? Let me see Oh I I'll write to
old Frank, and tell him that it's all up ;
and thon I think it would be only civil to
call upon my aunt, and toll her that I can
not marry hor daughter. I must do the
thing nicely ; hint at pre-engaged affections
so thoy are, by the angel I must ask for
a private interview ; I could not face the
grenadier. You soe, ' I'm a good-looking
fellow, Jack, and it's just possible gono
again. Now, I'll just have one cigar, and
thon to bed."
About a wcok later, Jack courtesy title,
John Ash ton, Esq. was sitting in his office,
not studying a brief, but a novel bound in
yellow, when his door was unceremoniously
opened, and Fred Ludlow came in. lie
nodded to Ja;k, helped himself to a cigar
from a box upon the chimney-piece, and
took up his position a la John Bull upon
the hearth-rug ; his hat was still on, and
tilted a little down over his eyes. Present
ly he stretched out a long arm, and taking
the book from Jack's hand, he flung it into
tho furthest corner of the room.
"Yery well," said Jack; "I hope you
are prepared to be very agreeable, for my
book was specially so ; the horoiue bad just
got rid of husband No. 1 and was laying
the plot for disposing of No. 2."
" And keeping poor No. 8 in blissful ig.
noranco at the same time," interrupted
Fred. " I know all about it ; I dou't ex
pect to make up for such charming intel
lectual food as all that ; but still I am not
wholly to be despised. Do you know,
Jack," he added, thoughtfully, "that your
cigars are deuced good, and that I think
it's a jolly thing to live as you do here ? A
fellow can go about with Ids hat on, anddl
that. I think I'll out society. Ono's P's
and Q's are such an awful bore."
" Did you come here to toll me that ?"
" No ; didn't you want to know about
that money affair? It's all settled ; I have
declined the honor of my cousin's hand J
she has the property without tho encum
brance of dear I, and dear I gots his1 five
thousand : I'll just make them give mo a
check ; it's not worth investing five thous
and, and it's too little to pay my debts with,
so I'll sport it at Paris : you'll come, too,
old follow, and as long as it holds out we'll
have a jolly lark !"
" What an ass you are, Fred !" was
Jack's grateful rejoindor. "But tell me
what you did? Did you sue tho grenadier
as you call her?" - .
. " No, thank goodness ; but I saw roy
aunt, and a deuced nice little woman she
is ; I shouldn't mind marrying her,, not n
bit, if sho was any ono ebte ; but even if I
hud been inclined to relent about the gren
adier, I mado such a mess of the
wholo thing that I couldn't woll do it now.
Fancy me telling the woman that her
daughter was too big and ugly I Not exact
ly in those words, you know, but it camo to
tho same thing ; and then I got bogged
again whon I began about the littlo girl I
had soon with them at the opera. I think
I ended my saying that I was overhead and
ears in love with her."
" But you mado it plain that you gave up
the property, I suppose"
" Oh ! thore was no doubt about that
part ; my aunt spoke very nicely, and said
sho wished for my sake that I could have
liked Magdalone, but that she could not
help admiring my noble and disinterested
conduct. By Jovo 1 1 felt quite a hero,
Jack ! And sho hoped, now that wo had
met, that wo would all be good friends, and
she half-promised mo an introduction to
tho angol. Her name is oh I not a pretty
name Cherry Micklethwaito; sho would bo
Mrs. Ludlow, of course, if Imarried her; but
Cherry is a desperate narno. I'd rather
she was a flower than a fruit."
"A vegotablo would have been worse
than cither. But what do you mean to
marry on?"
"My fifteen hundred a year, of course.
I think I must keep a few tenners out of
the five thousand for the honeymoon trip.
And yet it would be a torrible thing to
marry on fifteen hundred a year, although
some one has written a little book tolling
how it's to be done. No, I'm afraid single
blcssodness is my fate ; and it's all Potter
ton's fault, Isn't it Jack?"
" I nover saw such a fellow as you are,
Fred ; always laying tho blame upon some
one or otner. ilow is it rottorton's
fault "
" Why, don't you see if he hadn't point
ed out my cousin to me that night at tho
opera, I'd never havo known what she was
liko ; and then, whon I got this money, I
could have proposed to her, and never havo
soon hor, perhaps, until it was all settled ;
a fellow can do a lot of things if ho doesn't
know ho's doing thorn. Don't you see?"
" Most lucidly explained, certainly ; but
I think I can follow you. But no matter
who is to blame, you havo been and gone
and made a confounded fool of yourself ; so
you must mako tho best of it."
"But about Paris? you'll come, won't
you, Jack ?"
" Yes, if you haven't changed your mind
or spent that unfortunate five thousand be
fore June, which will be about tho right
time to see tho city in full blow, I suppose
I shouldn't wonder if you married tho
heiress after all ; you seem to be relenting
very fast since you heard your angel's name
was Cherry. You might make tho grena
dier wear white boots, you know, or a
black dress."
"Yes, but I couldn't take a yard from
her height. I say, what are you going to
do to-night? It's quite early still. Come
along and soe Rose Eytinge ; she's splon
did." "All right," said Jack, and thoy were
presently whirling toward Wallack's in a
carriage.
The following afternoon Fred Ludlow
was just turning into a shop to spend some
of his small patrimony upon " Jokey Club,'
when a 110.1t little brougham drove up to
tho door, and he hoard his name called.
"My dear aunt," ho said, shaking hands
cordially with Mrs. Ilepburno, and looking
beyond her to soe if his cousin was in the
carriage ; but the second place was empty.
"I was just going to write you a little
note," Mrs. Hcpburne said. " I want you
to come and see me ; I am going back to
Staten Island to-night, and you can come
down the day after to-morrow, if you have
no engagement."
"I shall be delighted," said Fred, uu-
blushingly; "but "
" I know what you are going to say ;
but don't be afraid ; I would not have been
unkind enough to ask you to moot your
aversion."
"O i" stammered Fred.
" Nover mind ; I'm not offeudod, neither
is Magdalone. She thinks your conduct as
noble as I do ; she is a dear, good, amiable
girl as evor lived ; still I cannot expect you
to see with a mother's eyos ; but perhaps I
might be able to introduce you to some one
whom you do admire," sho added, laugh
inc. "To Miss Mlcklothwaite? Oh ! if you do,
you will be the best woman in the world
I'm too poor to marry, but I'd like to know
her."
" Yes, you needn't fall lu lovo with hor ;
that is very easily managod ; and now, good-
by ; you'll come down on Friday, and stay
as long as you find us pleasant," .,, .
"I'll auk fur a fortnight's leave ; that
will give you enough of me," answered
Fred, and thon aunt and nephew shook
hands and parted.
When, on the following Friday, Fred
Ludlow, dressed for dinner, camo into the
drawing-room of his aunt's pretty little cot
tago on Staten Island, he found there be
fore him the young lady of whom his
thoughts had boon full since the night he
had soon her at tho opera nearly twelve
months before. He felt wonderfully shy
and awkward as sho rose upon his entrance,
gathering up tho bright-colored wools
which lay scattered over hor white dress.
Sho was a vory pretty pitjuanle little crea
ture, and hor eyes were littorally dancing
with suppressed mirth. "Micklethwaito,"
said Fred, bowing and hating himself for
tho blush which he folt rising to the very
roots of his hair.
Tho young lady bowed in return, and
then put out her hand, saying, frankly and
pleasantly, " We should not bo strangers,
Mr. Ludlow. I have hoard so much about
you lately." There was a slight emphasis
upon the last word, which was not lost
upon Fred. In what terms had sho heard
him discussed ? he wondered.
Miss Micklethwaito sat down to her
wool-work again ; and Fred sat opposite to
her, thinking that evon the name of Cherry
was bearablo when homo by her ; wishing
that his uncle had not attached such im
possible conditions to this will wishing
that ho had more than fifteen hundred
a year, and that ho could win that charm
ing littlo creature for his wife ; and whilo
ho was thus thinking, and wishing, he was
talking commonplaces with Miss Micklo-
thwaite in tho most approved style, and,
and, by the time Mrs. Hopburne appeared,
all shynoss had vanished, and the young
lady and gentleman wore rapidly becoming
excellent frionds.
Fred's fortnight in Staten Island passed
but too quickly, at least to him, and indeed
the impression he made upon his aunt and
the fair Cherry was far from disagreeable.
He was a clever young follow enough, and
had plenty to say when he chose to exert
himself and shake off his indolent manner.
His habits were of a domestic ordor at loast
apparently so ; for he was nover tired of
helping the two ladies, or tho young, lady
rathor, for Mm. Hopburno's part was limi
ted to looking on at intervals, to work
among the flower-beds. Indeed it was a
study to see Fred porchod upon a garden
ladder, training roses and honey-suckles
under tho direction of Miss Mickletwalte,
whilo she stood under him with the shreds
aud nails iu her hand. And, again, he
would read aloud while his companions
worked, and he and Cherry would quarrel
and argue over the respective merits of
Tennyson and Owen Meredith. But the
last day came, as lost days always do come,
long before they are wolcome, and poor
Fred was unmistakably miserable. He
had during his toilot upon that last morning
acknowledged to himself the pleasant and
yet melancholy truth that he was in love
no ldlo passing fancy, but the real thing
which comes, I suppose, not ofiener than
half-a-dozen times in a man's life ; and
moreover, that he would bo obliged to go
away without the happiness of knowing
that his affection was returned. Onco or
twice he had fancied that if things had
been different he might have hoped, she
had always boon so nice and kind ; and just
at that Interesting point the breakfast-bell
rang, and he went down-stairs to find hor
looking more bewitching than he had ever
seen hor. Aftor breakfast thoy wont out
to take their last walk round tho garden
and shrubbery, Fred determining to keep a
tight curb upon bis footings, for foar in
a weak moment his secret would betray
itself. Considering those good resolutions
it was rathor hard upon him that his pretty
cousin should chooso that special morning
to rally him upon his dislike to his cousin.
. I think It very cowardly to run away the
very day Magdalono is expected,' she said.
" If she really coming this evening ?"
"Really and truly ; you should stay to soe
hor, Mr. Ludlow; you cannot tell what might
happen ; porhaps you might find hor very
lovable in spite of your prejudice, ' and it
might all end happily, like a book." '
They wore going at tho momout vory
slowly along a walk socludod by high yew
hedges on either side ; and as tho young
lady finished speaking, thoy both suddenly
Btoppcd, aud Fred had taken his compan
ion's hand and wag holding it fast in his
own ; he was looking eager aud excited.
"And do you think," he said, "that aftor
having known you, I could care for any one
in tho world? I know it s hopeless, and
that I ought to have gone away without
telling you I lovo you, but I oouldnotdo it.
Will you toll me that you forgive me that
you do not hate me ?"
" Forgive you? Hate you ? Oh ! Fred,"
she answored, softly. That was enough ;
her hand was released, but only that she
might be drawn within Fred's caressing
arm, while he took his first kiss from her
sweet lips.
About two hours later, Mrs. Uopbume's
voice was heard calling through the garden,
" Fred I Fred ! where aro you ? I thought
you were determined to go by the twelve
train, and it's past one now. Eh 1 what
has happenod? sho added, as the culprit is
sued from the yew walk, with his arm round
his pretty companion's waist, and his face
beaming with happiness.
" Something that will keep me hero for
another day," he answered ; something that
has mado me the happiest man in the
world." He quite forgot, the foolish fellow,
that he had only fifteen hundred a year, and
five thousand dollars."
" Now," said Mrs. Hcpburno, that same
evening, as they all sat together in the ve
randa, upon which tho drawing-room win
dows opened, "in five minutes she will be
here."
" And remember," added the owner of
tho little hand which Fred held clasped in
his own, "that if you repent, you aro at
liberty "
His answer was in a whispor ; but he
presently addod aloud : " When wo see
her coming I shall retire until the greetings
aro over ; she does not know I am hore,you
tell me."
As he spoke a carriage appeared at tho
bend of the avenue, the two ladies wont in
doors to meet the new arrival. From
whore he sat, Fred saw stepping out of the
broughman a tall, large woman, who justi
fied in every particular his nickname of
grenadior. Her dress soemcd somewhat
scanty, too, for her size, and her bonnet
was a perfect wilderness of flowers.
" How upon earth did my aunt contrive
to have suoh a daughter?" was Ludlow's
comment as he saw, first the slight figure
of his aunt, and then that of his beloved,
swallowed in the embrace of his alarm
ing relative. Presently he heard voices in
the room behind him, and getting up, he
went forward to undergo the ordeal ot in
troduction. Ho walked rather slowly into
the room,his handsome face a little flushed,
and his eyes scanning curiously the figure
before him. " By Jove, spectacles, too !"
he muttered, as ho saw the new arrival
looking at him, from hoad to foot. '
"Who is ho?" she asked, turning to
Mrs. Uepburne. " You did not tell me
you had oompany."
" Allow me to introduce myself," said
Frod, coming forward, emboldened by tho
sight of the lovely face at tho grenadier's
shoulder. "I am your cousin, Fred Lud
low. IIo held out his hand, and would have
bestowed a cousinly salute, had not the la
dy started back in amazement, crying :
"Your cousin, sir? I am not your cous
in. What do you moan? There is your
cousin, and you can kiss her, if her moth
er has no objeotion. I am Miss Cherry
Mickletwaite, and I am not accustomed to
have liberties taken with mo, allow me to
tell you."
Fred retreated quite speechless with sur
prise. Could it be possible? Had he
been undor a ridiculous delusion all along?
and had ho, all unknown to himself, fallen
in love with his cousin, being thereby ena
bled to fulfil the conditions of his uncle's
will ? But it was for more difficult to mako
the aggrieved Miss Cherry who had been
a governess, and was still a valued friend of
Mrs. Hepburue's understand the drift of
the little comedy, the last sceno of which
had just been played before her, than it
was to make Fred see how he hod fallen in
to such an absurd mistake.
" It was all Potterton's fault," be said
to the real Magdalene ; the follow told mo
distinctly that night at the opera that yon
were wore a friend of Mrs. Uepburne' s and
that the other creature yes. I havo no
doubt she is a very good creature when
you say so, darling was my cousin."
" And now would you caro to know what
mado roe first begin to like you?" said
Magdalono, softly. "It was your deter
mination not to marry a woman you did
not love, just to enablo you to keep our
uncle's property. How mother and I did
laugh when she told mo all you had said
about me, aud thon we laid tho ( littlo trap
Into which you foil so nicely." ,'
," If all traps were ho nicely finished,"
was tho beginning of Fred's answer ; what
tho middle was, history salth not, but ho
ended by agaiu declaring emphatically,
" that It was all Potterton's fault I" ;
Mr. and Mrs. Ludlow visited Paris, and
Jack Ashton met them thore by invitation.