Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-08-18
yntuestng- Storg,
THE HAIR MING
WIDOW.

"You must come with me tonight
Shirley, aud | will show you one of the
most bewitching little widows you ever
beheld, | am sure, woman hater though
you are, you will own yourself conquered
at once. Say, will you come and see my
beauty 2"
mo, I thank you," replied his friend
! have something to employ me, especial
ly to night; but if | had not. Ellery, I
should be off, for | have all of old Well
er's fear of 'vdders.' | look on them as
a most designing race-with their woe
be-gone voices, and ever ready tears for
the dear departed" If should lose nv
senses so far as to marry one, | hope she
at least had the honor of having her first
husband hung; as | believe that would
prevent his virtues being brought up in
comparison with my faults"
"Ha, ha,p laughed Eilery "All this
TRADE against widows drawn forth by
my luckless invitation, But you are en-
tirely too verdant, my friend on the sub
ject. | will bet you something handsome
that you will fall in love with a widow
yet. But good evening; | must go and
make myself killing; for besides the wild
ow there will be lots of pretty girls at
Mrs. Emptons to night, and | always, for
The honor of the buttons look hand
some."
This conversation was held at Shirleys
room, where he was sitting. lazily improv-
ing on the guitar. when Ellery gave the
invitation. Though not a woman hater,
as his friend had stated, yet from his re.
firing habits he did not seek che society
of ladies. When released from official
duty, he preferred enjoying himself with
books, music, and male friends, and thus
induced some Of his brother officers to
bestow upon him the cognomen of wo-
man hater."
Where is the friend you promised to
bring?7 inquired Mrs. Martin Of Ellery.
" | must confess that | have quite a curl
osity to behold Lieutenant Shirley, after
all that you have been telling me of him.
+" regret exceedingly not being able
to redeem my promise" he replied, but
a prior engagement prevented me from
doing so. How | do wish you would en-
ter into a little plot Of mine against him
for a week or so. Say yes like the
child's bargain, before l tell you"
mo, excuse me, Mr.. Ellery-I shall
do no such thing. Tell me what is your
plot?"
"Tell me, too, Mr.. EIIery," said a
young lady Of about twenty, who ap
preached. and whose merry eye betok
ened a kindred spirit to his own-"tell
me, too, and | will answer for it that sis
ter Juliette enters heart and soul into
your plans, whatever they may be-"
Il shall be a thousand fold indebted to
you Miss ~Jeannie," said Ellery. We'll.
now for my plot. or rather the outline OF
it if you will accept my arm 20 lead you
to that cosy seat; for I must confess
should like some woman wit to perfect
my ideas"
None Of your plots and conspiracies
for me; I'll have zone of Them" said
Mrs. Martin, the widow, as she left them
to obey her aunt's previous request for
music, and where we must leave her,
seated at the fine toned piano, discoursing
most excellent music, and holding her
audience enthralled as if by magic. AS
for Ellery and JEANNE, they had no mu-
sic in their souls"-at least for the time,
and were therefore the better fitted for
'treasons, strategems,' andgplots; in that
we leave them engaged.
am sure, reader, had you seen JUL
cite Martin, you like Ellery would have
called her a 'bewitching creature Her
delicate form, large beautiful type of
light hazel, her brown hair, nearly ap
preaching ~faxen, needed not the cherry
mouth, nor complexion like the sunny
side of a peach, to set her down at once
as a beauty. Then her manner, too, was
soft, so insinuating, that you could not
choose but to love her. She had married
at her fathers command, a mar whom
she highly esteemed, if she did not love
him with a young girls romantic furore,
and whose sudden death had left her
with an infant daughter, and a compe-
tency alone in the world at the early age
Of twenty-one. Many efforts OF mar.
rage had already been refused by her
although she never asserted she did not
intend marrying again.
JEANNE Martin, her husbands young
sister was now on a visit to her; she re
sided with her aunt, Mrs. Empton, and
from her gay, cheerful disposition, bad
rendered herself a favorite with every
one Of their social circle.
The plot discovered by Ellery was moi
entirely revealed by JEANNE to her sis
term law at bed time; although she OBJ
tanned from her the somewhat reluctan'
promise of allowing her to ~personate the
widow for a few days, the farce beginning
the next morning with an excursion plan
ned to the country.
II do not ask you to 6b, sister Juliette,'