American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-10-17
AM MERICAN TELEGRAPH
Marrying a Fortune.

searching up money matches for themselves,
until the other half has done with holding the
money. That is fixed fuct, which no one will
attempt to call in question.
Tom Iurnabout was one of the penness
ones. Not that it was by any means the fault
OF his own, but it merely happened to be so /; it
was . In his stars" to be poor. And what made
the matter worse, beside being poor, per Sc he
was poor barrister--a situation rendered by
all odds exquistely distressing; for a briefess
barrister is always short of everything, from
soap to suits. H.uH.
! Tom was, withal, an individual of more than
ordinary personal attractions--so far as the
! opinion Of the majority Of the other sex went
and upon this opinion he early determined to
found pretty much all his future. With his af-
fable and excessively social manners, it would
have been no wonder at all if lie did not have
to undergo many pang in the measurement
of his living by his circumstances
AT last, by one of those most fortunate throws
of the dice of chance of which we read or hear
but rarely, Tom Turnubout was married, and
that to a lady of fortune. 1t seemed to him as
if the fortune was accumulated for his use and
behoof alone. And on his wedding day no
man was anywhere to be found who could make
show Of n larger share of enjoyment in pros
pect. ..
Matters went on well enough for time-as
well, perhaps, as ought to have been expected ;
for the " brietess barrister' was now possessed
of comfortable home, and assured of an ex-
cellent living, with young and pretty wife ;
for Mrs. Euphrasa Turnabout, as every lady
SAID, was very pretty young woman. Her
hair curled, her eyes were of jet black, her
hand was delicate and lily white, and she knew
how to dispense the most gracious and bewitch-
ing smiles: how could she be otherwise than
pretty? And if pretty, likewise amiable?
At least SO thought for a time Tom Turn
about, esq, who esteemed himself her liege
| lord and master.
But there was one thing that seriously trou-
bled Tom, and that was, how to broach the sub
Ject OF coming in due possession and manage
ment of his wife's property. For this he had
married. could it be that he was no better off
now? The thought alone made him giddy.
He went round and round the subject in his
mind for long time, at each revolution becom-
ing the more perplexed. At no single time
dared he to nerve his courage up to the effort
necessary to be made in order to have the mat
ter completely understood between them. Eu-
phrasa had never attended to the subject of
money, simply going ahead and managing the
household as if she had fully resolved to count
at least one in its management and classihca-
| ton. Tom had repeatedly limited to her about
"deposites," bank stocks" taxes" and all
the other minute appurtenances to the posses
sion of fortune, but hitherto to just no pur-
\ pose at all; she made neither revelation nor
explanation-least of all did she betray her
native acuteness by taking hint.
Such state of affairs was worrying Tom
into fit of desperation, if not into his grave,
and lie finally made up his mind to come to an
understanding, in some way or other, just as
soon as practicable
So long as it was necessary to keep the en-
bers Of hope alive, he had sedulousy avoided
all his former acquaintance, lest lie might too
suddenly give a shock TO the delicate nerves Of
his wife, and thus lose his chances altogether.
But as soon as he found that disguise helped
him not whit, he screwed up his courage to
yenuring bold push that should settle all.
He finally became convert to the sentiment 50
cpigrammatically expressed by the poet
"IIe either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts small
Who dares not put II TO the touch,
! To gain or lose it ALL"
Accordingly he laid himself out to bring mat.
ters to a head ut once.
"Dick," said he to companion Of his, on,
afternoon, as they sat together in little oftic,
Of the latter, "Dick, I'm in quandary!' -
"a quandnry"
Yes"
"About what?"
! - want some money.
4" You want money! Why, how much did you
marry, pray?"
More than shall ever get, fear"
"Well, that's good one But what's the
troube?"
"Do you keep secret?" asked Tom in a
whisper
"Try me, and see"
"I married money, you know"
! " Everybody says so, you know. I"
"And everybody thinks so, but me! There's
a plenty of money in the case but unluckiy
there's none to be bad can't lay hold Of it! .
I" Ha! la ha!' laughed Dick, in his face.
"You laugh, but what would you do ~
"What would o."
eyes; what shall do? ?"
\ "Nothing is easier" replied Dick.
al hope not" said Tom, "but how shall go
to work ?"
Have you broachcd the subject TO your bet
ter.half?"
Haven't dared to; she won't let me, in
fact"
"Then run up n bin or two"
"Thcn whaty' asked Tom, earnestly.
"l Have it sent Mt such u time to the house
and he sure not to be Mt home"
"l never thought Of that"
"Shc will either pay it or blow" continued
Dick.
But what il the latter?
"Then you have got at the core Of your sub
ject, and you can 60 ahead after that as circum-
stances will best allow"
"Tll try It'll act on your happy sugges.
tom"
"True; what will you have? Shall we &c
into Cartcr's and get one of his incest teams,
and take drive on to Spkevie?"
"You co uldn't have hit the nail more exactly
on the head; let s 60 at once !" said Dick.
That was fast afternoon--the remainder o.
it--and IL began new era. To be sure it was
a step in the dark, but Tom hoped that it woulc
lead to happy results and plenty Of money.
In due time the bills began to come in.
One morning the door bell rang; it chancet
TO be about nine O'clock The seryant answered