Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-11-09
Mistettanp.
From, the Atlantic Monthly.
BEAUTY AT BILLIARDS.

| For three days she had sat opposlt'
me at the table of the pleasantest o
White Mountain resorts, (of course
give no hint as e which that is-taste'
differ land I had gradually become EN-
thralled. Her beauty was dazzling, anc
her name was Tarlingford. For the
first of these items was indebted to my
own intelligence; for the second to my
hotel register, which also informed me
she was from New York.
1, too, was from New York; coinci
dence too startling to be calmly over
looked.
Our acquaintance began oddly. One
morning, at breakfast, was musing over
hard boiled egg, and wondering if l
could perforate her affections with any
thing like the success which had fol
lowed my fork as it penetrated the
shell before NE, when | felt timid
touch upon my toe, thrilling me from
end to end like telegraph wire when
the insulation is perfect [ looked up,
and detected pink flush making its way
bro Sward on the lovely countenance
across the table.
II beg your pardon" said I, with
much concern,
at was my fault, sir, excuse me, .
said she, permitting the pink flush to
deepen resily.
''Shall L pass the buttered toast?'
said I
"MuHins, if you please, " said she, and
so sweetiy that | was blinded to the alb
sence Of sugar in my second cup of cof.
fee
l was confused by this incident
Many men would by an afectation OF
sudden appetite have concealed their
disquietude, or by bullying the waiter OF
by abrupt departure from the scene. ]
did neither. [ felt I had right to be
confused, and gloried in it.
Very soon Miss Tarlingford withdrew
and l experienced an aching void
within, which chops and fritters had nc
power to replenish.
| opened chambermaid' s heart with
a half dollar, and the treasures of hel
knowledge were revealed to me. The
beatty and her party were to remain a
fortnight. Among her companions
there were no males except youthful
responsibility, Erulten,ur.
Later in the morning | heard the
tinkling of the pianoforte. Music has
soothing charms for me, though 1 have
not savage breast. l drew near, anc
found Miss Tarlingford trihing with tn.
keys-those keys which lock togethe
so many chains Of human sympathy
She rose and gave out demonstrations o
impending disappearance. [ inter
posed
"Pray continue. [ am furnished 70
music, and came especially to listen
1T is hardly worth while''
GLOW eau you say SO? 1t is I VIII
knowest Nha; [ need"
81 will play for you then"
And she did. This was wonderful
Usually long and painful struggle pre-
cedes feminine acqnescence on such oc
casions. Repeated reinsals, declaration
of incaPacty, partial consent vouchsafe
and then waywardly withdr& wn, pouting:
head d-tossing, feebIer murmurs of disin
clinations, and final reluctant yieldin
form the fashionable order of proceed
ing. The charm Of it all is, that tn
original intention is the same as the u
innate action. Whence, then, tn
folly? Having been many times bore
by this sort of thing, I was now CORES
pondingly sladdened by the contrast.
Miss Tarlingford played we'll, and
said So
"Pretty WE'LL" she answered frankl.
''but not so we'll as could wish"
Shock number two. 1t is customa1
: in good society for tolerable performeI
to disavow all praises (secretly Year,
ing for more) and to assail with inve
: tive their own artistic accomplishment
/. Here was a young lady who playe
we'll and had the hardihood to acknow
edge it. This rather took away n
breath and a vacuum began to come u
:, der my .waistcoat.
} For three blissful days Miss Tarlin
ford and [ were seldom separated Ii
sister pale sedate maiden of amiab
appearance, and her brother, a small ru
boy of intrusive habits and unguard
speech, l consentend to undergo, for Il
sake of conventional necessity. To Il
mother of the Tarlingfords addition
respect seemed due, and was accorde
7, Three blissful days of sunshir
meadowy rambles, forest exploration