The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1860-01-31

and had been O heavy purcnaser nrom
their tables at several charity fairs. They
soon after cut me for declining lin oonse-
uuence of impecuniosity) contributing
to the society for the instruction OF the
children at the Five Points in the knovll-
edge Of heraldry.
Also his uncle, Washington Jefcrson
Sponge, who, after holding Tor several
wears corporation Office with q moeler.
ate salery, became q heavy owner OF real
estate and the occupant Of q Fifth Ave-
nue. mansion. Is ..sse
And his cousin, Mozart Shakespeare
Sponge, the eminent musical and dra-
matte critic ~,
relieved my friends casual pecuniary
embarrassments (he had that careless ness
about money matters that is character
istic of such noble naturss) by successive
loans, until my little available c'ipltal,
saved from the previous years salary,
was exhausted. 1t never occurred TO him
to repay me, but | was quite satisfied to
have loaned my money to man OF such
honorable sentiments.
After my resources were exhausted,
observed that on several occasions, when
straitened for funds, he woulol pay visit
or address q note to some one OF his nu-
merous lady friends--no man was more
admired by the fair sex than he-,ana
would afterward be temporarily supplied,
Whether the visits and notes had any
connection with the supply must remain
matter for conjecture.
But approach the tragic al termlnation
Of this memorable friendshil,'
IT had been my blissful fort, me, q few
months before to become engage q 70 MISS
Arabella Weeks, of Madison Square, the
loveliest of her sex, the least o her
attractions, in my estimation, being her
fortune of fifty thousand dollars.
1t was necessary to complete my satis.-
| faction that Mr.. Sponge should see and
approve my choice. l accordingly sought
aud easily obtained permission to intro
duoe to her the dear friend Of whose yir-
tues and accomplishments had already
often spoken to her.
I saw with delight that he approved
her. lie conveyed to her that assurance
| by those graceful and aattering express
sIons of which he was master. He sighed
as he assured her that he envied my hap
pier lot He sang duets with her---a fine
voice being one Of his many accomplish
ments, and one Of which L was deplora,'
bIy destitute. Ho conversed with so much
fluency and eloquence that in the whole
course of the evening l scarcely found op-
portunity to open my lips half dozen
times. ~ 's lae
| I saw with qualification that ho pro-
duced a most favorable impression on Ar
abella, and felt no little pleasure at hay
ing shown her that I was the friend of
such man.
confess to a mOmentary pang OF leal-
ousy at the "empressment" of her man.
ner to him as we took our leave and her
comparative Indifference to me. | men.
toned this to him as we walked away
"Ahl my dear fellow" he replied, turn
ing his fine eyes upward, "the man who
would even in thought tamper with the
affections thas are the plighted property
of his friend, would outrage not only the
sanctities of confidence but all the finer
feelings of humanity"
grasped his hand in full reinsurance.
/ will not dwell on the successive de-
grees Of coldness and estrangement which
Arrbella after that evening manifested
toward me. In my distress and bewilder-
ment at these unaccOuntable phenomena
and the failure Of my own eloquence to
remove them, one day sought the advice
and intercession of Mr.. Sponge. These
were promptly given, but with no salts
factory result
On the contrary, Arabella informed me
the very next day, with many regrets,
but in tone of unalterable determine
tion, that she had become convinced we
were not "eongenial," and wished our
premature engagement to be annulled.
A terrible suspicion flashed across my
mind.
"Bella," cried, "you love another"
"Yes,' she replied proudly, 81 do love
another. Within few days | shall be.
come the wife of your friend Mr.. Sponge.
You certainly can not judge me harshly
for this choice, after having 30 often your
| self praised to me his noble and attract
i've qualities"
made no reply, but rushed away in
search Of my false friend.
It was q singular circumstance that
long and intimately as had known MI.
Sponge, he had never invited me to his
place Of abode, nor even informed me
where twas. 1t was equally mystery
to his other acquaintances.
] had, however, by accident discovered
it, having, in course Of a solitary walk, in
the dusk Of the previous evening, seen!a
figure that ! took to be his, stealthilysen-
tering a small boarding house in retired
locality.
10 that house | now FASTENED, and
bribed the unwilling servant girl to show
me to his room.
The door stood open and L entered
He was not there. 'F
II was pleasantly furnished room, but
my attention was particularly attracted to
his large and handsome library. recog-
nized there fome familiar objects, which
proved to be the books l had loaned him.
| On examining the other books Of his val
liable collection, found written on the
ay-leaves a great variety Of names--but
never his own.
Among large assortment Of umbrellas
in the corner, I found the one had for
4 merlu loaned him spl ~,