Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-27

come the next day and dine with him, the in
vitation being cordially seconded and thirded
by the ladies'
Now, was ever a man in such a fix, WAS
positively in love with Mrs. briggs, In love
with my friends wife 1 had never seen a
woman VINO came so near to my ideal She had
All the bloom OF the country and all the grace
OF the city. She was intelligent, refined, and
had no doubt accomplished Her hands, to be
sure, were rather large, bat their whiteness was
raylshng: And then, too, what q neck, and
what teeth! Such expression, too, Her smile
instead of being confined to her lips, indeed
eye and lip, brow and cheek, all contributed to
IL; and when 1t grew more and more animated
until ut last it broke out into clear, ringing
laughter why, it seemed as if her happy soul,
no longer able to contain itself, had broken
loose and flooded her whole countenance,
As tor Miss ThOrp, hardly gave her a thought
L really had not noticed her enough to know
the color of her eyes. / don't believe looked
her fair in the face once the whole evening; the
Idea that she was single, perhaps free, and that
possibly my friend briggs imagined she would
do for me-" prevented my taking :he least
interest in her. The only feeling that had in
respect to her was that she ought to have been
Mrs briggs, and that Mrs. briggs ought to
have been Mrs. Crawfsb; and | pitched into
the Fates that it was not SO. What right had
briggs, dull, unrOmantic creature to up and
marry an angelic, seraphic being like Kate
1hOrp! Who would dare talk to me after this,
about matches being made in Heaven?
Twice wrote to my friend, pretending that
eircumstances-"c circumstances over which |
had no cOntror'-would deprive me of the
pleasure of dining with him, but in neither in.
stance had tho resolution to send it. The fact
Is, was conscitn ticken. Suppose a second
sight of Mrs. briggs should make Inc love her
sill more-shouid g feed my guilty passion,''
as the novelists say.
But was it my fault that loved her the mo.
ment saw her? Didn't briggs probably do
the same thing? Again if am so made that
a certain combination Of feature, a certain air,
certain feminine makeup, in fine u certain
style OF woman, sets my heart on fire, am to
blame for 1t !! To all which conscience replied,
Fool that you are, do you not know that you
love that woman only because she is another's
That If she were single and attainable YOU
would not, perhaps deign to look at her? That
In truth her beauty had nothing to do with the
matter, and you had ought to cure yourself of
tins terrible propensity of cOveting what is an
other'sH' But | appealed to conscience to an
swer me if Mrs. briggs was not the most beau
tlful OF women? If briggs himself did not
Introduce me, etc. But it was no use the lit
tie monitor stuck to its text, and l stuck to
mne-and went to briggs to dinner
To tell all that passed that afternoon and
evening would require three volume novel.
Driggs shOne as he had never shone before
and ho seemed to be the bappiest man in the
world. Why should he not be, / asked with
such wife After coffee we had singing.
L had heard Jenny Lind and Grisi, but what
were they to Mrs briggs? verify believed
she would have sung either of them off the
stage. Miss Thorp sang also; but to be
frank, L took her powers for granted, s1d re-
tired to the other parlor with Mrs briggs
And there for hours $50 the clock said but
1t seemed Incredible, besides being improper
We talked about every imaginable subject
about the weather, the country, the city,
about the opera, the fashions, last new novel,
about poetry, and sentiment, and love-until
at last one Of my hands without the slightest
consciousness on my part (parote dhonneur)
had slipped into hers, and the other verify
believe was about to clasp her to my heart
when in came-Driggs' My hands were trans
terred TO my pocket in q second, and l shrunk
from my friend as if had been stealing his
silver. had not said word to his wife $50 al
least she has told me since) which was not per
fectly proper, but felt as if was the black
est villain in the world. Judge however, Cf
the state of my brain, Of my utter bewilder-
ment, when stepped to the window to hide
my emOtion-Or to jump out if it were neces-
slry-l overheard the lady saying to my
friend
" MY dear, what a charming man Mr. Craw-
fish is : How intelligent, He has read every
thing. And then how beautifully he talks;
and how afectiOnate he seems. All If had
husband like him, would be perfectly happy
This was terrible! had made her discOn-
tented with her husband. 1t was too much to
bear; seized briggs by the arm, hurried him
into tho hall, owned up my villainy, asked him
thousand pardOns, promised never to cross
has threshold again, and then rushed for my
nat. when, with the most impertur babls cool
ness he walked between me and the door,
looked me quietly in the face, and said
fsh ha al -;tI,
me into the garden, and let US settle the mat
ter at once"
Settle the matter What, fight with nv
old friend briggs, the dearest friend have in
the world, and tight with him on his own prem
| ses! Never. own up that 1 have grossly
outraged you, and beg your pardon if necessary
on my kness. Moreover, if you require it, ID
- tell you again my dear friend, keep
cool"
By this time we were in the garden, and
briggs forcing me into a chair continued thus
Now Crawfsh, be quiet, and listen to me
while L, too, make a confession. l have a Sc
cret to tell you. All right!''
lhe words, :" all right" relieved me i'm
| mensely but what manner of man was this
who could use them under such circumstances!
The mystery was soon solved.
Ny good fellow" said briggs, in tone
| severe but kind, 'do you really fancy you love
Mrs. briggs? Don't be afraid to answer: tell
| met her but twice, and it may after all be
| nothing but caprice"
My dear briggs, you are cruel. Why tor
| ment Inc thus Have not made clean breast
| of it and confessed all %
. Then you do love her? Good l believe
you. Listen now, and hear my story. sym
pathlZe with you most profou ndly, for L. too,
cold as appear, know what it is to love, and
to tell you the truth DO this moment love-love
with my whole soui-the lady to whom you
have hardly spoken a word this evening"
What, Miss Thorp. Impossible Com
pared with your wife, she is not worth a thought
Why. She"
Hold, my friend, not so fast. You may
praise your own love as much as you please,
but not word against mine, for you know
not only love that lady, but she loves me, and
in fact is my wife. F"
YOur wifei'
Yes, you Ounce, and any one but a crazy
pate like yourself would have discovered it