The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-02-14

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You shall not do it, sir. Ifcousin Jane is
to have the story, | will tell her myself" !"
and t.'en after pause, she said-"when
we arc alone"
=" You shall do no such thing, Mad
ame May" was Charley's laughing re-
sponse; "you shall do no such thing
This time [ shall have my way, and
cousin Jane shall not have her curiosity
excited any longer, without being salts
fed"
| saw there was to be discussion on
that point, but ] knew that in some way
Charley was to come off victor; so |,
merely saying that | would be back in
few minutes. stepped cut of the roou,
and walked about the garden until felt
sure that the point was sertled, when |
went back and found Charley and May
looking as happy as birds, and laughing
the old laugh, as usual. As | entered
Charley drew up the rocking chair and
after seeing me safely deposited in its
depths, said:
Now, cousin Jane, shall tell you
the story about how | first net my
wife:
ut was just five years ago this sum-
mer that | was granted exemption for a
month from nv desk and went down
with my chum Horace Hyatt, to his
home i'll old Monmouth, the garden of
that unjustly abused State, New Jersey.
| should never have forgotten that visit,
even though had not met with an ad
venture that had its influence on the
whole future OF my life should remem-
Der it for the real, true hospitality, the
solid, old-time comfort of the farm, aud
the C,uiet way in which within couple
of days after my arrival was put in pos
session of it, and made to feel that it all
belonged to ne to do just what pleased
with. There were plenty Of fish, and
we fshcd plenty of woodcock and we
shot All this shall be sp 1ken with a
provso. | sag we-by which, let it be
understood do not mean Horaces twin
sisters, Carrie and Nettic, as having par
ticipated in all these sports. They rode
to be sure, and charmingly they did it !;
they fshcd, and | am obliged 10 confess
they were lackicr than their guest. But
they did rot shoot though | should not
exult over their lack Of this accomplish
ment-they were charming enough with
out it. am sure that with one exccp-
ton, which shall not mention here,
Carrie and Nettie Hyatt were the most
charming girls that ever had seen; and
was just hcsitating as tc which of them
! shculd fall desperately in love with,
when my calculations were all disturbed
by an accident, for | suppose must call
it so, though seeming like special Prov
idence. What this was, shall tell you
in the best way know how.
+" For some days after my arrival at
the farm, my curiosity had been much
excited by the occasional panegyrlcs Law
ishcd by the Young ladies upon a once
schoolmate Of their own, May Stevens by
name, who was, according to their highly
coIorcd account, the most perfect thing in
the sh. Of a woman then living. | tried
to persuade myself that nothing in that
line could surpass Nettie and Carrie; but
still the reputation of this May Stevens
haunted me, and came like a shadow
across my new born passion. | formed,
at last, an imaginary May Stevens; and,
do what | would, the figure was with me.
At last | worked myself into an agony of
curiosity and t-embcd with some great
purpose which should bring before me
the object of my thoughts and Of the two
sisters continued conversation. In what
this would have ended it is impossible for
Inc to say, had not heard one morning
as | entered the breakfast room the start
ling words from Ncttie:
And SO she is coming at last. Oh,
I'm sv glad
Whether it was that the train of my
thoughts was upon that point at that
moment, cannot say, but knew directly
the whole matter. ! saw Carrie with an
open letter in her hand, aud coupleing it
with Ncttie's words knew that the hith
erto only heard of May Stevens was about
to become a reality. ! had no need to
ask questions. All the information was
proffercd. May Steycns-tbe iacompar-
able MIay-was to spend a month at
Hyatt's. and they were to expect her at
any moment, though, as the letter read,
she might rot be down for week to
come. A week lit was an age, cen
tury and | was in a futter of excite
ment. Ny long standing passion, of
nearly two weeks duration for Carrie and
Nettie, was forgotten in an instant, and
my whole mind was absorbed in making
the best figure possible before this new
queen. With this idea | began to look
into my wardlo obe. | had come down
with sufficient clothes to answer all ordi-
nary purposes, including, of course, Car
ri1a nj Nattin hut b., ~ u 1rnld.,sc