CHAPTER XI
MISS HARDING'S MISTAKE
Miss Rachel Harding kept on her way to Washington Park. It was less thana mile from her brother's house, and though she walked slowly, she gotthere a quarter of an hour before the time.
She sat down on a seat near the center of the park, and began to lookaround her. Poor Rachel! her heart beat quicker than it had done forthirty years, as she realized that she was about to meet one who wishedto make her his wife.
"I hope he won't be late," she murmured to herself, and she felt of theblue ribbon to make sure that she had not forgotten it.
Meanwhile Jack reached the park, and from a distance surveyed withsatisfaction the evident nervousness of his aunt.
"Ain't it rich?" he whispered to himself.
Rachel looked anxiously for the gentleman with the red rose pinned tohis coat.
She had to wait ten minutes. At last he came, but as he neared her seat,Rachel felt like sinking into the earth with mortification when sherecognized in the wearer a stalwart negro. She hoped that it was a merechance coincidence, but he approached her, and raising his hatrespectfully, said:
"Are you Miss Harding?"
"What if I am?" she demanded, sharply. "What have you to do with me?"
The man looked surprised.
"Didn't you send word to me to meet you here?"
"No!" answered Rachel, "and I consider it very presumptuous in you towrite such a letter to me."
"I didn't write you a letter," said the negro, astonished.
"Then what made you come here?" demanded the spinster.
"Because you wrote to me."
"I wrote to you!" exclaimed Rachel, aghast.
"Yes, you wrote to me to come here. You said you'd wear a blue ribbon onyour neck, and I was to have a rose pinned to my coat."
Rachel was bewildered.
"How could I write to you when I never saw you before, and don't knowyour name. Do you think a lady like me would marry a colored man?"
"Who said anything about that?" asked the other, opening his eyes widein astonishment. "I couldn't marry, nohow, for I've got a wife and fourchildren."
Rachel felt ready to collapse. Was it possible that she had made amistake, and that this was not her unknown correspondent, Daniel?
"There is some mistake," she said, nervously. "Where is that letter youthought I wrote? Have you got it with you?"
"Here it is, ma'am."
He handed Rachel a letter addressed in a small hand to Daniel Thompson.
She opened it and read:
"Mr. Thompson: I hear you are out of work. I may be able to give you a job. Meet me at Washington Park, Tuesday afternoon, at four o'clock. I shall wear a blue ribbon round my neck, and you may have a red rose pinned to your coat. Otherwise I might not know you.
"RACHEL HARDING."
"Some villain has done this," said Rachel, wrathfully. "I never wrotethat letter."
"You didn't!" said Daniel, looking perplexed. "Who went and did it,then?"
"I don't know, but I'd like to have him punished for it," said Rachel,energetically.
"But you've got a blue ribbon," said Mr. Thompson. "I can't see throughthat. That's just what the letter said."
"I suppose somebody wrote the letter that knew I wear blue. It's all amistake. You'd better go home."
"Then haven't you got a job for me?" asked Daniel, disappointed.
"No, I haven't," said Rachel, sharply.
She hurriedly untied the ribbon from her neck, and put it in her pocket.
"Don't talk to me any more!" she said, frowning. "You're a perfectstranger. You have no right to speak to me."
"I guess the old woman ain't right in her head!" thought Daniel. "Mustbe she's crazy!"
Poor Rachel! she felt more disconsolate than ever. There was no Daniel,then. She had been basely imposed upon. There was no call for her tosacrifice herself on the altar of matrimony. She ought to have beenglad, but she wasn't.
Half an hour later a drooping, disconsolate figure entered the house ofTimothy Harding.
"Why, what's the matter, Rachel?" asked Martha, who noticed herwoe-begone expression.
"I ain't long for this world," said Rachel, gloomily. "Death has markedme for his own."
"Don't you feel well this afternoon, Rachel?"
"No; I feel as if life was a burden."
"You have tired yourself with walking, Rachel. You have been out twiceto-day."
"This is a vale of tears," said Rachel, hysterically. "There's nothin'but sorrow and misfortune to be expected."
"Have you met with any misfortune? I thought fortune was smiling upon usall."
"It'll never smile on me again," said Rachel, despondently.
Just then Jack, who had followed his aunt home, entered.
"Have you got home so quick, Aunt Rachel?" he asked. "How did you enjoyyour walk?"
"I shall never enjoy anything again," said his aunt, gloomily.
"Why not?"
"Because there's nothing to enjoy."
"I don't feel so, aunt. I feel as merry as a cricket."
"You won't be long. Like as not you'll be took down with feverto-morrow, and maybe die."
"I won't trouble myself about it till the time comes," said Jack. "Iexpect to live to dance at your wedding yet, Aunt Rachel."
This reference was too much. It brought to Rachel's mind the Daniel towhom she had expected to link her destiny, and she burst into a dismalsob, and hurried upstairs to her own chamber.
"Rachel acts queerly to-day," said Mrs. Harding. "I think she can't befeeling well. If she don't feel better to-morrow I shall advise her tosend for the doctor."
"I am afraid it was mean to play such a trick on Aunt Rachel," thoughtJack, half repentantly. "I didn't think she'd take it so much inearnest. I must keep dark about that letter. She'd never forgive me ifshe knew."
For some days there was an added gloom on Miss Rachel's countenance, butthe wound was not deep; and after a time her disappointment ceased torankle in her too sensitive heart.