111
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ll!lllil,i'ni!Hll!,i!llll',rJ1)'!m'Mli;'ylllll,)'i
VOL. XIII.
BLOOMFI5LD, TU35SDA.Y, MA.KOIT 11, 1871 .
NO. 11.
I'M
THE TIMES.
in Independent Family Newspaper,
IS PUBLISHED SVBHT TL'BSIUt BT
F. MOltTlMEU & (X).
v it h : ii 1 1 t i m V It I V K .
(WITHIN THK CWKTI.)
On Ymr, II '
Six Mouth 73
(OUT Of TUB CWNTT.)
(ns Yr, (PoMnjj Included) 11 M)
Six Moil tin, (l'ofllUKB Included)
Invariably In Advance I
AdvertlnliiK lutes furniNlii'd upon nppll-
oktlon.
Why Miss Wlstn DMn't Elope.
T OUIZY ALLKN'H pot ft boitii, as
li mire ns I'm a llvln' woman!"
Miss Mehetabel Wiggln wbs peering
tli rough the closed blinds of her front
parlor at two figures which were pacing
up and down tlie shady paths of the
Widow Allen's pretty garden oppo
site. " Now you don't nay ho, Hetty !"
And from the dining-room, where she
had been washing up the china teacups,
appeared Miss liiiplrn, her younger
sister.
Miss Lupiru reached the window in a
marvelously tbort space of time, eon
sldering that she whs an exceedingly
fat and roly-poly woman of forty.
" And we're the first to know it, Het
ty! I'm sure of It. Hannah Sprigging
was here this morning, and never men
tioned the Aliens. Now to llnd out
who he Is! I thought us like us not
Louizy would catch a beau when she
went to Boston. It's my opinion that's
what it was done for."
" He ain't much to look at, that's
certain," said Miss Mebetahel. " He
looks old enough to be her father. His
hair's as black os coal ; but it's my belief
its a wig."
"Hetty ! Hetty I there's Mr, Jarvis,
the expressman, eoml ng up the street
with a big trunk. I know It's going
there. Can't we stop him, and look at
the name that's on It V"
And Miss Hetty's shrill voice In
stantly arrested the headlong course of
the expressman.
" O, Mr. Jarvis ! I want to send n
parcel to Dlxmont. I'll get it rcudy in
a minute."
And, while Miss Mehetubcl was pre
paring her bundle, Miss Lupira walked
down to the gate and inquired after the
health of Mr. Jarvis' family. Her lit
tle, keen blue eyes soon discovered a bit
of pasteboard on the end of the trunk,
which they had decided was tho proper
ty of " Louizy Allen's beau." " F. IC.
Warfleld" was- the name written on
it.
This discovery was imparted to Miss
Mehetabel as soon as the expressman
had driven on.
11 1 should have been mad enough If
we hadn't found out, for I didn't just
want to send that old carpet to
Mary Grimes. We decided that it was
too good, the other day, you know ; but
I couldn't think of any other errand, to
save my life. And there goes the trunk
up the front stairs ! I don't begrudge
the carpet now ; for the Widow Allen
is so close-mouthed we might have been
weeks finding out. F. K. Warfleld !
Now I'll write to Semanthy to look In
the Boston Directory and find out what
he does, and where he lives."
The Misses Wiggln, w ith their faith
ful maid Sally, and their ancient eat
Moses, lived alone in a snug little house,
and superintended tho affairs of all
Poppleton, from the settling of a new
minister to the number of slices of bread
and jam propriety allowed the little
Btubbes next door to consume in a fore
noon. Miss Mehetabel, who was tall and
angular and forty-live, and of decidedly
unpleasant countenance, had a regard
for the opposite sex, and had not yet
abandoned her hopes of entering the
matrimonial state. She was always
paying attention to one or more single
gentlemen.
Miss Lupira, on the other hand, was
very shy of the male sex, blushlug and
dropping her eyes if one of the auda
cious creatures looked at her. (She was
always having hair-breadth escapes from
ardent admirers who followed ber home
and she never entered a street-car with
out being stared lit Impertinently.
On one occasion u iiinn went so far as
to wink at her; and from this niomen
tons oocalon Miss Lupiru dated nil
subsequent events.
" Let mo sec," she wns won't to sny,
in relating events ; " It happened about
n month" or a year, as the case might
be" after the man winked at mo."
And Miss Mchetahel'H suggestion, Hint
the mini might have hail an uU'ectlon of
the eye, was received with angry scorn
by Miss liUplra. '
Miss Mehetabel had never enjoyed
the distinction of being winked at.
The Misses Wiggln were not adored
by tlrelr fellow-Poppletonlnns ; but they
were possessed of some property, and
they always had the latest news to
tell : on which account they were held
in some consideration.
Tho Widow Allen, who lived oppo
site theni, was very reserved, and the
Misses Wiggln found no favor In her
eyes.
Louise Allen, a blooming maiden of
twenty, never went out of tho house
without being peered at by some of the
spinsters, and never went to a concert
or a party that one of them didn't sit up
till she returned, to see who came home
with her, ntjd report It all over Popple
ton before she was up the next morning.
It is not to be expected, under tho
circumstances, that Miss Louise would
entertain a warm regard for the Misses
Wiggln. Ho it came to ass that there
was very little Intercourse between the
two families.
When visitors who were unknown to
the spinsters made their appearance at
tho Widow Allen's they at once dis
patched their moid Bally to borrow
something, and with Instructions to
get all the information possible; but
here tho " war of races" interfered some
what with the spinsters' plans ; for
Chloe, the presiding genius of tho Al
len kitchen, was black, and " didn't like
paddies," Bnd Sally " couldn't abide the
nasty naygurs."
Miss Mehetabel declared It to be her
opinion, that the only reason for their
keeping Chloe, " who had " thief writ
ten in her face if ever a girl hud," was
because she would not ussoclate with
other girls, and tell of the " carryings
on" they had there.
" As soon as F. K, Warlleld's trunk
hud been carried in, and the door closed
upon the retreating expressmun, the
Miss Wiggln Bought the kitchen to in
terview their faithful Bally.
" Bally, I want you to go straight over
to Mis' Allen's and carry thut cup of
vinegar you borrowed last week. And,
Bally, be sure you say that Miss Loulzy's
beau is very handsome, and ask Chloe
whether her engagement-ring is a dia
mond or a pearl, or what."
"I'm ag'in' talking to naygurs at
all," said Sally.
But she went quite obediently, never
theless. Tho MIshcs Wiggln waited, brenthless
with suspense, until Sally returned.
" Sure, the sarcy naygur says he's
haudsome fur them as likes his looks,"
reported Sally. " And she axed me how
I knew he was Miss Loulzy's beau, an'
I said you guessed it, an' she said then
you could guess whatever was her en
gagement ring."
" It's of no use to try to depend
upon Bally and that impudent Chloe,"
said Miss Mehetabel decisively. " We
must find out ourselves."
So it happened that the next day Miss
Mehetabel took a twilight walk upon a
street which bounded tho Widow Al
len's garden on the back. Miss Meheta
bel had a theory that what the front of
a house would not reveal about its in
mates the back of it would.
And, sure enough, there was 'Loulzy's
beau" industriously pulling weeds out
of a beet-bed, and, O favorite Fates ! all
by himself. It wasn't a wig ; but he
was all of forty-five, and had a bald spot
as large as a silver dollar on his crown,
and a queer twitching of the eyelids
that reminded her of the man who
winked at Lupira. He had a very
marked Roman nose, and a large, ugly
mouth.
" Clearly," she mused, " 't was not
his beauty did It."
" He must have money," she contin
ued, after watching him, in silence, a
moment longer. " I always knew that
I Louizy Allen was a mercenary minx."
She approached the fence, and smiled
blandly over It.
It was wasted. He did not look
up.
This was too good an opportunity to
be lost by bash fulness ; nnd, fortunate
ly, bush fulness was not one of Miss Me.
hetuliel'M failings.
" (flood-evening, sir," she remarked
graciously. " A beautiful evening."
" Loulzy's beau" Jumped as If ho hud
been lilt by iv bullet.
" liood evening iih uh madam,"
he stammered.
"Miss," corrected Miss Melielaliei
blandly. "lain MUs Mehetabel Wig
gln, a neighbor. 1 see you like garden
ing. I do so love the pursuits of agri
culture myself, that I couldn't help
stopping to watch you."
" I like it when I bask In the beams
of such radiant beauty us now shines
on me," exclaimed the little gentleman,
he was very short, though very stout,
clasping his hands ecstatically.
"In the man making fun ofineV"
thought Miss Mehetabel, who had not n
doubt that she wns very good looking,
but who had never been called a radiant
beauty, that she could remember. "If
he Is making fun of me, that little minx,
Louly Allen, must have put ill in up to
It."
The thought caused Miss Mehetubcl to
frown severely.
"Oh, pardon me 1 pardon me!" hu
exclaimed. "i)onot frown upon me,
and turn my sunshine Into night. My
emotions were too strong to bo sup
pressed ; but, oh ! I trust 1 have not of
fended you beyond forgiveness. Your
beauty dawned upon mo so suddenly,
and you remind me o strongly of one I
loved years ago. l'urdon me, and say
that we shall meet again."
" Well, I am sure," simpered Miss
Mehetabel, and dropped her eyes, like a
bashful school girl.
Surely no one could doubt his sinceri
ty ! At last she was appreciated. At
last the dream of her life was realized ;
she had a lover.
Just at this moment, most unfortun
ately, a door was heard to open at the
house, and somebody came out.
Miss Mehetabel moved swiftly awuy.
"Oh, suy thut you will come again,"
tho little gentleman called after her.
" Let this bo our trystlng-place."
Miss Mehetubcl went home in a dream
of delight. Kho hud cupturcd " Louizy
Allen's beau I Could there be greater
happiness than that?"
For once in her life she was reticent
with regard to her experiences. Miss
Lupira could find out nothing, but that
she had seen Loulzy's beau, and he wus
very handsome. That was very aston
ishing, for Miss Mehetabel was Inclined
to think other women's lovers " horrid
looking creatures;" and Miss Lupira
determined to see "F. K. Wurtleld" for
herself as soon as possible.
That very night, Miss Bprlggins, who
was a retail dealer in millinery goods,
and a wholesale dealer in gossip, cume
In with a bit of news.
" Mis' Lawtoo says thut Loul.y Allen
has got a beau, and his name is Frank
Warfleld. She's ben a-wrltln' to him
constant ever seuce she come home from
Boston."
Mrs. Luwtou was the post-master's
wife.
" We knew as much us that our
selves," said Miss Mehetabel, with dig
nity, and then made signs energetically
to Miss Lupira to say no more.
Miss Lupira was much bewildered at
the state of affairs, her sister's conduct
was so mysterious. Never before had
Miss Mehetabel manifested any reluc
tance to tell all she knew.
Miss Luripa took a morning btroll,
before the dew was off the grass, the
next morning.
She put on a white dress and a chip
hat with lavender trimmings, carried a
bouquet in ber band.and walked around
the Widow Allen's grounds.
" Loulzy's beau" was walking up
and down, in a secluded spot of the
garden, reading aloud, in declamatory
style, from a book of poems.
The book dropped from his band at
sight of Miss Lupira, and be rushed up
to the fence.
" Oh ! what vlslou of Jovellness is
this that crosses my pathway T" be
cried. " Oh ! are you Cleopatra, or
Helen the most fair ? O cruel, cruel
barrier that separates us twain !"
And be eyed the rather high board
fence tragically.
Miss Lupira bluslud, and hurried
away; but, like Lot's wife of old, she
soon looked back.
" Oh, do not ft, beauteous vision !"
ho exclaimed. " Draw near, and let
mo reveal the emotions which thou hast
aroused In my heart."
Miss Lupira fted ; but shu "came that,
way tigaiii" the next morning. And on
this occasion she went so fur as to pause
for a moment nnd listen to the little
gentleman's delightful flattery, nnd
even to utter a few timid word herself.
And, forthe first time in her life, she
hud a secret from her sister. This was
a real lover,and she could not talk about
him ns she could about the dreadful man
who winked ut her.
Miss Mehetabel took her walks In the
twilight, and Miss Lupira took hers In
the early morning; and they each man
aged to always go alone, and each was
so Intent uu keeping her own secret that
she never suspected the other of having
one.
And the wooing sped apace in each
case.
One evening the unsuspecting Utile
gentleman and Miss Mehetabel had
listeners to their love-muklng. In tho
rustic summcr-bnuso, neor them, were
secreted "Louizy" and a very bundsomo
young man. They evidently hud to
make very great etlorls to keep from
interrupting the tete-u-teM by shrieks of
laughter.
" Oh, I thought 1 should scream !
How could you help It V" wild Miss
Louise, leaning coulldingly upon the
young man's arm. "To think of him
asking her to marry him, and ber tak
ing Hull in such dreadful earnest I And
did you bear her cull hlin " deurest
Frank V"
" I'm nfruld It won't do to let hlin go
on so poor Undo Frank ! We shall
have to send hlin buck to the asylum.
Your mother soys he proposed to Chloe
this morning. And be Is destroying
the garden now. Ho bus pulled every
beet out of thut bed that be weeded so
carefully, and set the weeds out In their
pluces ; and he bus pulled up the car
rots, and stuck them In again bottom
side up. Poor fellow ! and he was Just
as sensible as anybody once! See what
u dreadful thing it is to be disappointed
In love. You hud better take care that
such a thing never happens to me. I
might bo crazy too. I really don't know
but that I should."
And young Frank Warfleld looked
very afl'ectlonutely into bis betrothed'
pretty fuce, and forgot his uncle for a
few moments in doing a little love-making
on Ids own account.
"No, Frank," said Louise, returning
to the subject; "don't send him buck
yet. He enjoys the garden so much;
and, if he wants to destroy a few veg
etables, that is very little barm. And,
besides, it is such fun. Those two hor
rid old maids, who have been my Octet
noir ever since-1 was a little girl I No,
I am not too bard on them ; you would
not think' so If you knew how much
barm their meddling and gossip have
done in this town. But I don't see how
be can make love to both of them, in
the way ho does, without their suspect
ing each other."
It was rather surprising, but the rea
son was, that each was too much ab
sorbed In ber love affairs to think much
about the other.
"Lupiry, I have something to tell
you, which will probably surprise you
very much," announced Miss Meheta
bel, with ber twilight wulks. "I am
going to be married."
" Mehetabel ! you don't say so !"
And iMi Lupira, in ber amazement,
sat down on her sister's bouuet. But
bonnets were a trifle to Miss Mehetabel
now. '
" Is it Elder Whitlow, or Kbenezer
Robinson, or"
"Neither of those, Lupiry, neither of
those," dismissing all those objects of
ber former attentions with a majestic
wave of her baud. " They were all
worthy men ; but I never could bring
myself to favor their suits, because I
couldn't feel either of them to be my
soul's true mate. But I have found him
at last, Lupiry my twin soul. But he
wishes our engagement to be a secret,
and our marriage strictly private, on ac
count of family reasons." -
Miss Lupira started at this. -
"We are to be married the first of
Beptemlier, and I slnill have Miss Hob
Inson liere to make my (russoo right
off," she nuked.
Miss Lupira drew a long sigh, whhih
sounded like one of relief. A faint
shadow of suspicion had crossed ber
mind; but this made It all right. Fami
ly reasons niado It necessary for her
own marriage with Mr. Warfleld to lie
ex treiiHdy private ; but she wus going
to elope with hlin In a week from, that
day.
Hhe tried her best to find out who
MvhetaihcI'M sweetheart was, but nil In
vain.
Hhe wit almost appalled by the bold
ness of her own undertaking. Poor,
tltuhl Miss Lupira! It did seem a
dreadful tiling to let a man run away
with one. And sometimes in spite of
ber promise to her lover, she was tempt
ed to tell Mehetabel nil alxiut It ; but
that worthy woman was wholly ah
scfrl ed In her " trussoo," and the dress
maker was there constantly, so she had
no opportunity If she had lmd cour
age, Tho eventful day of tho elopement
came at lust.
The little gentleman was to appear
under Miss Luplra's window at precise
ly twelve o'clock. Kho did not propose
to descend from the window, nature not
having blessed her with a form adapted
to such feats. Hhe was to steal softly
out of the door, and Mr. Warfleld was
to have a carriage In waiting.
Poor Miss Luplrul she wai soon to
learn thnt
"TltfttiMt Inld mihenie of mice uni men
(IniiK altagley."
At dinner that day, Bally, who waited
on the table, bud some news to Im
part. "It'saquare, crazy crayther they
have across the way," she said. " The
same yees thought was Miss Loulzy's
beau ; an' sure be a'n't, but his crazy
uncle, and they are tukln' him back to
the crazy house to-day, An' sure it's
out of his head I knew he was a week
ago, an' lie tellln' me I was as beautiful
as an angel wld wings, an' he'd marry
me and make me a lady if I'd run away
wld him In the night-time. An' says I,
Oo away wld you, ye crazy loon,' says
I, 'anil me promised to Tim O'Flana
gan these six months.' And there's not
a gurrl or a woman gone by the garden
It's not any further than that they'll
let him out, av coorse there's not a wo
man gone by but he's after makln' love
to her, and they canna kapehlm at Mis'
Allen's no longer, though it's quiet and
country air he come for. Sure it's an
engagement-ring with a big stone In It
that he gave to Chloe and he's not above
making love to naygurs and he telling
her they'd get married again in Septem
ber. And be having a wife living I a
nice, daclnt lady, they say. Well, he's
a poor crazy crath u r, without his wits
about him, I suppose."
While Sally rattled on, Miss Meheta
bel regarded her with a stony stare.
" Bally, bring me the campblre-bot-tle,"
was all she said, when Sally's sto
ry was finished.
But Lupira, all regardless of tbe pres
ence of the dressmaker, threw up ber
arms, and went into a fit of hysterics.
Before she bad recovered, a carriage
was seen to stop at the Widow Allen's
door, and the little gentleman was as-,
slsted Into It.
As it rolled by the window, " Louizy
Allen's beau" leaned out, and bowed
and smiled affably, and even threw a
kiss when be saw Miss Mehetabel.
That spinster shook ber fist fiercely,
in return..
" Deceitful monster !" she cried, " be
is not crazy ; he's a villain. He prom
ised to marry me the first of Septem
ber. MUs Lupira recovered, at this.
' You, Mehetabel !" she exclaimed.
"Oh, you only imagined it. You are
always imagining su -h things. A wo
man of your age ! O my dearest Frank.
He really loved me. He told me I was
the only woman be ever really loved.
And I was going to elope with him to
night It's all those suaky AlUus '."
" Llope '" exclaimed Mehetabel. " A
woman of yourage ! Lupiry Wiggln, I
am ashamed of you."
How they settled it, nobody ever
knew : for at this juncture MUs Robin
son discreetly retired.
The story got abroad, and the Mioses
Wiggln moved away.
Tuey are now superintending the af-
fairs of another village, and Poppleton is"
at peace.