The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-03-19
EEAlTlECI SITI AHlnN

u us married, ana Wlia dear, Kind father
equally as anxious fer her 10 enter tn.
glorious state of ma;rimony, which woult
crown her with : halo Of fslicisy-and no,
lover to be net with. .
Thus soliloquised a Young girl of fifteen
as she sat looking over the wide domains 0,
her fathers chateau, apart from the work
OF Paris. and oh. most strange to add, in 1
part o. the country rs vet virgin Of ANYTHING
ike railroad. All this .or, of rererie j.
deiie'ons-a!i these dreams of the halo ei
teiie!ty crowning marriage are beautiful a
fifteen, but few years later, and how yer,
Ike crown of thoEns the halo looks.
Jenny diierbecourt was very much to be
pitied. There was no iuexorable father u,
cruel guardian, nothing was wanting I,
complete her felicity bu, u mere ,rise4th,
man, and the man sorely puzzled the voune
ladF's brains. Where was he to he -founs
in thae Isolated spot, Gully visited By lam
berlng diligence.
The good father was going to be married
AGAIN 10 cousin Of her own, one Aglae-s
nice. GOOD ereature-aad she too was anx.
ions tor Jenny to marry. Was ever any.
thing SO provoking as all these consents
without the assent OF some dear unknown
Asiae was staying at the chateau, and hard
indeed must be the heart which would no,
teei for Jenny, when she behe.d the charm.
ing trousseau Of her future step-mothe,
arrive.
Some one shall APPEAR sighed Jenny,
after a conversation with her cousin Ar,ae,
the sor, of one to inaame girls head, if
not her hears-all about laoes and cash.
meres, orange flowers, &c. Most unsor,un.
ateiy there was not young man in the
neighborhood g free and able" (Jenrv re.
served TO herself to make him 'sxillinr." ~
unt!l-oh! blessings on minds given 10
speculate "a company sent down Young
engineer to survey the land, with the view
of commencing railway. Gustave Delva,
was the son Of an old friend of her father,
who had met the young engineer in the
country surveying the land, and discovering
who be was, insisted upon his leaving his
hotel, and taking up his lodgings ut the
chateau.
a mouth had he been domiciled there,
and assuredly if he was irst-class ensin,
eer be was third-class gallant. He didn',
seem to know that there was Young grl
within miles of him-his heart was as hard
rs the rails he was about to lay down. aud
all this coldness made the iron enter into
Jenny's soul! All day long he was making
his calculations, while she was speculatinc
about him.
One day she pretended to faint. Gustave
few to the rescue; he was forced to look
into her face, and discovered that she wns
charming, fresh and bright rs the land be-
fore his horrid railroad cut it up.
Still he went on with his parchment. So
Jenny went into his..ofFice and carried off all
his instruments. &C., and locked them up.
In vain he implored.
'You are looking very ill., she said, sanJ
l shall insist on your only working SO many
hours day."
Again he looked into the facc Of one so
anxious about him, and yielded. She KEEP,
the key of his Office.
THIS left him several hours a day undis-
posed Of. What could he do with them
Jenny solved the difficulty. and together
they surveyed the surrounding country.
and It's beautiful walks, as yet not Gu,
up.
One day the engineer forgot all the plans
he had land down on his own road of action
not to fall in love with Jenny, not to be
led into IA path which he imagined
would be perhaps harder to cut through,
than rock. If it were but that Half
our lines run through the like, but he fel,
that her heart would be harder than apy
granite, and Jenny did not like, in maiden
modesty, to tell him she knew better. SO
oil to her stcp-mothcr she sped.
'Gu>tavc loves me = she cried sbut would
you believe it Of IA Parisain? he is timid.'
Something must be done to overcome that.
So agreed her step mother, but a girl like
herself.
Il have thought of something, Ay,ae,
SAID Jenny at last. Stay in the next ro ON,
and call papa there on some excuse. Gus
tave Is certain to follow me hither, leave the
rest to me-
But twill be a snare exclaimed the other.
'One with which he will gladly be tax en-,
believe me- answered the wiIc-awake Young
lady. And if It's for his happiness 2
True, | overlooked that
SO Jenny remained alone, and soon, rs
she had forseen, the wandering engineer.
without the aid of his compass, discovered
the clod of earth, called Jenny d'IIerbe-
court.
Il want the key to my Office, madamoislc,' ;
he said, must work.
| want YOU TO oblige me first, Monsieur
Gustave.'
'Willingly, madamoisclle.'
'You see, continued Jenny, 81 am to play
Il part next week in Il charadc. Will YOU
rehcarse it with mc?'
81 don't know it: but command me, will
do my part
a young man is to make me declaration
nf 1ayn Van sf rluy Tho.
TOO willingly would |, bu. how in the
charade.'
$50 down on your knees UIc does it. J
'Now grasp my hand.' (Fondly he press
ed it,
Excellent. Now attempt to kiss it. But
must draw it away [Accomplished to
the letter.
'Oh! charmiug!' cried the young lady,
clapping her hands, and at the signal in
rushed Aglae, followed by the unconscious
father. Gustave sprang to his feet, and in
the utmost confusion assured the indignant
parent that it was only an innocent joke.
Aslae and Jenny had fed, but they were
listening.
At the word Joke Monsieur d'Herbe-
court few into violent passion, and to
prove how little our theory and practice
ever agree, he, who bad written pamphlet
against duclllng, challenged Gustave.
At the idea of..fghting, the ladies thought
it time to interpose. Aglas followed
Monsieur d'llerbecourt, who had quilted
the room to prepare his arms, and Jenny
rushing in, loudly upbraiied GastaTe with
wishing to kill her papa.
'Do not alarm yourself, madamo!sellc,
be said, Il will not raise an arm'against your
father: he may kill me ?
As If that was her purpose in this little
scheme, of what earthly use would =
dead lover be? She who had so much DIFF
fculty in discovering this living one.
\ pretty expcdient,' she cried, 'as II
there were not another way Of arranging
the affair."
see bu, one,' responded the engineer,
one that would fiji my heart with joy. bu,
dare scarcely name il for fear Of d,spIeas-
lag you.'
Never R1Iui--Dame it,
To solicit your hand IN marriage
On. that does not displeasc al ALL she
exclaimed. .'Tis far better than killing or
being killed. 60 aai ask papa
At that moment d'Herbeeourt entered
with an orniuous looking case 0s pistols
under bis arm; he vas frowning in a most
determined fashion. AgIas was following
h4s footsteps, and without a word spoken