The Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.T. [i.e. N.M.]) 1851-1854, 1854-01-07

Just given utterance to is Of such grave
nature, that | really must beg Of you to
refrain from pressingme for an answer un-
til tomorrow evening, when | shall not
only he better able to give you a more
definite and decisive answer, but also to
pay as proper regard for your own fee
lings rs what | shall do for my own. !
shall be at home from seven until ten
o'clock
And you wentl'
OF course. When | entered | found
three or four large trunks in the entrance
hall, and one or two large carpet bags
also lying about-while the house itself
looked as though it had completed all
its arrangements in order to clear at the
earliest noticr- | entered the pallor, and
had barely seated myself ere Ida came
in, She was dressedin a dark tight-ft-
ting travelling dress; and you may be-
lieve me, Ned, when | say that | never
beheld such a superb looking creature
in all my life as she appeared in that
costume and at that moment.
4 eagerly rose to greet her, and ex.
tended my hand. Without offering her
own, however she bowed stifly, and beg.
ging me to be seated, she sat herself
down, and thus began
MIR. Aylmer, lam now about to throw
myself upon your generosity, and to beg
your forgiveness for having, in a most
gross and mean manner, imposed npon
your credulty.'
4 was thunlcrstruck at this begin.
ming.
'You may well look surprised, SIR she
continued, guessing my feelings from the
expression Of my features, 'but you will
be more SO when have related all. You
have hitherto supposed me to be Miss
Ida Maxfield, the daughter of a south
ern planter, aud the possessorof immense
wealth. In none of these instances, how.
ever are your suppositions correct; Miss
Maxfeld being now, as for some months
she has been, staying with friend out
west. lived with her as q companion
but having by a certain occurrence in.
cured her displeasure, was by her dis
charged, with the threat, too, that should
| apply to her for character to ena.
ble me to get another situation, should
be refused.
4 determined to be revonged. We'll
knowing that she was not known at all
in New York, and that Mr.. Clayton,
Senior, her sole surviving executor, was
now in Jamaica, | conceived the bold
plan Of passing myself of as her, being
well aware that her name would com.
mand me plenty Of funds. But this was
not all the advantage expected to reap
rom the assumption of her character
10 cnsnarc some wealthy suitor, and fl.
nally, a husband, was also an important
item in my plans; and thus, by a union
with him, at once place myself above all
dependence.
None but fortune-hunters, or brain
less cxquisites however, offered them
selves until at last | met you in company
with your friend, at the opera. will
not conceal from you the fact that at
first | regarded YOU with no more affec-
ton than | had yom predecessors; but
afterwards, as the real nobleness of your
nature mtoldel itselfunto me, and the
pure. disinterested fervor of your afiec-
ton becamcmorc palpably apparent, there
was gradually aroused in my breast feel.
ing which it had never known before
that OF love. Yes | loved you sincerely,
devotedly, but the false position in which
| stood in regard to you, hermetacaly
closed my lips from ever revealing the
fact unto you in words. How could II
Would you not have spurned me from
you as a wretch unworthy the regard of
an honorable mana wretch only fit for
the vileStpurposes9 No! could not do
it, neither could tear myself away from
your sweet society. The dream was of
too exquisite q nature to be thus rudely
dissipated,"
/" Last evening You brought matters to
a climax by asking my hand in marriage;
but base as am, and have been, | could
not carry on the deception further. Come
what might, ! determined to reveal the
whole matter to you and then { as you
will have noticed the preparations on
coming in leave the city. Mr.. Aylmer,
| have asked you, and again repeat it,
will you, can You forgive mel
"You know what | said at the opera,
Ned, about my marrying Miss Max.
feldW
'Idon't recollect.'
'Isaid that if married her it would
L. T.. Al .a1la..n. - l. l.