The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-06-17

struck me. Mabel had said that every
reply of mine must be-" None of your
business!' Surely / was notprecluded
from asking questions myself So l
commenced lively conversation with
the lady, which / should have enjoyed
heartily, had / not been trembling all
the while with fear lest she should ask
me a question. One came at last,
which / answered in French. Isaw
at once that she did not understand the
language, but was too proud to admit
the fact. / looked at Tom. His eyes
blazed like fire. He was as familiar
with the language as his own mother
tongue. A moment more and l bowed
myself out of the room. Toms fiery
glance followed. He was possessed
of high temper, and / felt anything
but sure as to the way the affair would
terminate.
Decidedly uncomfortable in my feel
ings, / made my way towards the home
of Miss Reeves. You may. Judge of
my joy, my happiness, on being told
that the lady was away! With one
bound 1 cleared the steps and landed
on the sidewalk. l have always felt
thankful to her for her timely absence.
walked briskly up Broadway con-
graduating myself that my trials were
nearly ended, but yowing in my inmost
heart that would never bestow another
tender thought upon Mabel Annis.
A little beggar-girl crossed my way
and asked me if 1 would give her a
penny, and l thundered out my answer
to her, at the same moment dropped
silver coin in her thin hand. "Icould
say None of you business to the
king" exclaimed, looking resolutely
"How are you getting along?" sound
ed a pleasant voice at my elbow. /
looked around to see the roguish, laugh
ing face of Mabel Annis. .-..
"None ofyour business !''I answered
with marked emphasis.
At two O'Clock, p. NJ, / reached
home sick and disheartened. / had lost
a lucrative situation, as well as the con-
tidence of tried and esteemed friend
L had insulted a woman; and treated
with levity and disrespect the teach
ings of a minister of the gospel, be-
sides making myself ridiculous in nu-
merous other instances. There was
nothing left for me now, but leave the
city. If L remained in it, / should
always be notorious. ae
With an air of sullenness and pride,
l sought Mabel in the parlor, and told
her all my exploits as well as / could,
unit Pes,s-0i g i1s1tot.
ter.
"After you have called upon Miss
Reeves, we'll talk about" commenced
Mabel.
"Then You will never have that
privilege!" l said strenly, interrupting
her.
"Just as you please" returned Ma,
bel, with pretty toss of the head.
"That / have acted the part of a
foolish, inexperienced boy, I'll admit
Mabel" said. "That you have made
my love for you weapon against my
self, you are well aware. But am
stronger now, than l was this morning.
1 do not think if you had cared for me
even as a brother, you would have
aided in making me appear ridiculous. +"
"But indeed, Charlie, 1 didn't mean
any harm; it was SO funny that /
couldn't help telling You to do it. You
were always telling me to test your
love, you know"
"Test my love, Mabel? Why did
you not tell me something to do that
would have been an honor to you in
the suggestion, and to me, in the per-
formance of it? Why didn't you tell
me to be brave, true man, true to
myself, and true to you, instead of send
ing me out on mean mission to dis
grace myself, and make my best friends
my enemies"
els it too late for you to be true
man now, Charlie? Won't you try to
be one if / ask you ?"
looked into Mabers face. Great
tears were running down her cheeks,
and her red lips were quivering with
emotion. My heart smote me for what
had been saying. After all, / loved
Mabel better than any one in the world.
l began to feel a strange, choking SEN
sation in my throat, and rising of
tears in my eyes, which in my new
strength of manhood / would not have
had Mabel seen for the world, so |
turned slowly away from her and left
the room. l thought it was unmanly
to weep.
Until six o'clock in the evening /
busted myself in my room packing my
trunk. When my task was nearly COM
pleted, / was interrupted by low rap
at the door, and on opening it Mabel
stood before me her eyes red and
swollen with weeping.
&C l am going away" / said, as she
glanced inquiringly about the room.
Il have done all that can, to repair
the wrong l did you," she said; / shave
called on Mr.. Allen, and he said that
the situation was still yours, and that
you were perfectly excusable. Mr..
Langley, laughed uproarously, at my
explanation, and said that he did not
blame you. And parson W, though
harder to convince than the other gen.
tlemen, said that when he had an op-
portunity of conversing with you, he
didn't doubt he should fully exculpate
you from all blame. That is all, and
she turned to go.
"No, no, Mabel, you shall not go