"Don't bother me, Cap," exclaimed Major Warfield, who sat there holding

a large, closely written document in his hand, with his great round

eyes strained from their sockets, as they passed along the lies with

devouring interest.

"Well, I do declare! I do believe he has received a proposal of

marriage himself," cried Cap, shooting much nearer the truth than she

knew.

Old Hurricane did not hear her. Starting up with the document in his

hand, he rushed from the room and went and shut himself up in his own

study.

"I vow, some widow has offered to marry him," said Cap, to herself.

Old Hurricane did not come to dinner, nor to supper. But after supper,

when Capitola's wonder was at its climax, and while she was sitting by

the little wood fire that that chilly evening required, Old Hurricane

came in, looking very unlike himself, in an humble, confused,

deprecating, yet happy manner, like one who had at once a mortifying

confession to make, a happy secret to tell.

"Cap," he said, trying to suppress a smile, and growing purple in the

face.

--"Oh, yes! You've come to tell me, I suppose, that you're going to put

a step-aunt-in-law over my head, only you don't know how to announce

it," answered Capitola, little knowing how closely she had come to the

truth; when, to her unbounded astonishment, Old Hurricane answered: "Yes, my dear, that's just it!"

"What! My eyes! Oh, crickey!" cried Cap, breaking into her newsboy's

slang, from mere consternation.

"Yes, my dear, it is perfectly true!" replied the old man, growing

furiously red, and rubbing his face.

"Oh! oh! oh! Hold me! I'm 'kilt!'" cried Cap, falling back in her chair

in an inextinguishable fit of laughter, that shook her whole frame. She

laughed until the tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes and

looked at Old Hurricane, and every time she saw his confused and happy

face she burst into a fresh paroxysm that seemed to threaten her life

or her reason.

"Who is the happy---- Oh, I can't speak! Oh, I'm 'kilt' entirely!" she

cried, breaking off in the midst of her question and falling into fresh

convulsions.

"It's no new love, Cap; it's my old wife!" said Old Hurricane, wiping

his face.

This brought Capitola up with a jerk! She sat bolt upright, gazing at

him with her eyes fixed as if in death.

"Cap," said Old Hurricane, growing more and more confused, "I've been a

married man more years than I like to think of! Cap, I've--I've a wife

and grown-up son! Why do you sit there staring at me, you little demon?

Why don't you say something to encourage me, you little wretch?"




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