Show 77 CUBED CURED OF MATRIMONY violet power was in the sulks but she looked very pretty nevertheless girls will look pretty that have ses eyes like blue morning glories at four 0 clock in the morning and rosy lips a and nd round face with satin brown hair growl rowing ng low on the forehead violet J knew new she was pretty and she knew likewise that mr elijah pellet was not handsome the parlor curtains were elbowed aside by great scented masses of rose 9 geraniums and violets little piano was open close by giving the parlor a cosy homelike home like look that your brown stone palaces never can rival any more than tile the robins gilded cage rivals the moss lined nest swinging in the topmost fork of the shadowy old beech tree violet was leaning over her fragrant g geraniums e r resolutely taciturn in a blue cashmere wrapper with an edge of delicate lace at the slender throat and shapely wrists while mr pellet sat square in the middle of the sofa opposite holding his hat on his knees and admiringly surveying miss power over the brim thereof A A stout portly little man of forty or thereabouts with a comfortable for table double chin and hair carefully brushed to conceal the bald spot on the top of his head he was i hovering on the brink of the perilous line that separates old bachelor bachelorhood bood from matrimony an undecided aspirant 1 I had fully made up my mind never to marry thought mr pellet im not altogether certain as to the wisdom of the thing and yet she is such a trim pretty concern influenced by these meditations mr pellet put his hand slowly down into the crown of his hat and drew forth shrouded in wrappings of silver papera stiff little hot house bouquet gil ill 1 I knew miss violet was fond of flowers he remarked looking straight into the hat as if he he expected another bouquet to spring up in the place of f the lost one and so I 1 it ut thought ought n 11 ll he stopped floundering vainly for an idea to finish up with and beat hail hall columbia on tile the crown of his hat with his finger ends five minutes elapsed in awkward silence and then mr pellet came to the conclusion that he had better go and rose accordingly pray come and see us again mr pellet said mrs power sweetly ll 11 said that gentleman im goi got going n g out butof of town for a day or two that is a week and well I 1 will drop in when I 1 come back from steeles mills 11 steeles mills ejaculated mrs power Is that the place you are going to yes its about a bad debt of the firms 11 dear me what a very singular coincidence ci smiled mrs power my sister mrs amaziah corney lives in steeles mills do pray call and seo see her 1 I shall bo be delighted said mr i pellet and violet 11 pursued mrs power ayou you can send hose those hosl sl slippers to hourun your uncle it will be such an excellent ent opportunity there is no hurry about them said violet listlessly my darling I 1 heard you say only yesterday that you wished they were brin nning bring them down immediately why wila can you be thinking of ofa violet went laughingly enough and mr pellet broke out into a perspiration of satisfaction as he wrote down mrs amaziah conneys Cor Corn cys direction it was nearly fifteen minutes before she returned and then deep within the brown paper cerements cere ments which wrapped the worked slippers she had slid a tiny note written on lilac paper and sealed with a carrier dove in lilac wax and this is what it said MY DARLING AUNT DOLLY these slippers will be presented to you by the most disagreeable agreeable old bachelor alive I 1 wish he had gone to the bottom of the caribbean sea before he ever came here tormenting poor little harmless me hes going to pro propose ose I 1 know he is and papa will me make me say yes just because tile the wretch owns bank stock and mortgages oil oh aunty aulty if I 1 only had your readi reads ready wit and quick resolution W what hat sha sharl shall I 1 I 1 do hide in tho the cellar when he comes here or invite him to tea and put strychnine in the cup its no laughing matter aunt dolly 1 I want your kind shoulder to cry my eyes out on for foe mamma is on the side one thing is certain I 1 shall be wretched for life lahe if he does marry me pray think up some remedy for fai your disconsolate di se insolate on little niece VIOLET f TO BB |