The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-12-02
From the ..Nesc York Mercury.
y THE WAGER. esg
nv NJ. WARMER.

care you engaged TO marry Edward Leslie,
Emma? ?' asked Nelly Ray. q
"Pray, why do you ask that question ?" re-
torted Emma Lee, rather peevishly. .
81 asked merely for information !" replied
Nelly: asa3aa s5rI s=1@aasa
swell, what put such an idea into your
head? cannot guess who told you. | am
sure never lspea such thing - a..-,.s
E''Such is the current report, Emma. You
have not yet told me if it was true but mis-
tr,Ist 1t is % ID 10 agaaetaa4 .aaf.ae.gsli, H4 3.
"Yes, Pll own it, Nelly; though am
ashamed to" vs.sa. -,r,.sr1
"When are you going TO he married? or
don't you intend to be married at all ?'' n
81 told him that l would be married next
winter but 1 wont. am tired Of him al
ready" ~
emma Lee," said Ne ", twill yon prom
ise to answer me one question, if you csn?"
Yes; half dozen, il they are not ton
} foolishp' -
elbow many times have you been engaged,
then?"
"Upop my word, don't know. Twenty
times, ] guessp'
GAS many as that to my knowledge' said
Nelly.
.'Yesw said Emma, s'there was Charles
Stevens. He was such wit, that told him
would have him for the sake of laughing but
Isoon got tired of him and his folly, and told
him so. And Captain Lewis, with such beau
tiful moustaches! Inever liked him. ! only
engaged myself to him for the sake Of teasing
him, unless it was because no one else was
handy at the time. And then there was Mr..
Ellis, with most beautiful hand and foot but
found he wo tight Boots, and would not
have him. Who would? And young Spoon
er, who looked 80 sentimental, and always
talked Of love and moonlight! l concluded
he must be the man in the moon, and should
not like to live in moonshne always. And
there was Wallace, who looked so silly, and
never said anything worth mentioning in his
life. But never engaged myself to him. l
Airted with him until he made me an offer, and
then refused him. And Jones! Good reason
why refused him. Theonly question in my
mind is how ever engaged myself to him.
And Lawton-his father was rict, but 7 found
he was stingy. There is a host of others, but
am tired. They call me acoquette, bu. I
don't care. Iwon't have anybody that don't
like; and il find It out after beng engaged,
pll break off the match %
81 would not have any one that l did not
like either, Emma; but why did you not mem
tion Harry Ration in your catalogue7 l
thought he stood at the head?"
ssBecause l did not want to Nelly. don't
like to speak Of him with those fellowsp'
"But you were engaged to him, were you
not?" 5,3.,,.s' If.
eyes; we promised to have each other when
we were children, and renewed the promise
regularly once week, until he went away %
"Why lid you, then, break the engagement? !?
l ahould have thonghti 1t so strong no power on
earth could have done it p a. ..
81 thought so once but have grown wiser.
have found by sso experience, that vows are
light as air =,
"Rut you loved him once?"
eyes, and do so stiilp' s;.a
"Why did You refuse him then P"
s"Idid not refuse him, Nelly. The fact is,
that Harry Ralton's father was poor aud he
felt ii. Charles Danton's father was weslthy ;
he had Just returned from college, and fire.
qaentiy came to. see me, though for nothing
more thsn friendship, and because we were
j children together. as you know. Harry was
alittie jealous, and he hinted his suspicious to
me. was angry that he should suspect
could love any one more than he, and espe-
cially that I loved him less because he was
poor. told him, in pet, that il be thought
me 20 hckle, that he could bs released from all