The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-08-19
ONLY FOR ONE WEEK

with us at our quiet parsonage-house,
since the beginning of December. l had
known her ever since her widowhood,
which dated back some FIVE years before
the time of which / am speaking, and
both my husband and myself felt great
regard for her. She was much admired,
only twety-nine years of age, and fond OF
gaiety Contrary to our usual habits,
which were somewhat secluded, we had
given different entertainments to enliv
en- her visit, and on the evening before
which was New Years Eve-we had ia
ken her to ball at the house of some
friends in the neighberhood. She was
unusually silent the next morning, and
iincied that she was overtired with
dancing, OF that the weather had affected
Der spirits, for the snow which had COM
menced falling the day before had not
ceased, and the sky was the color of lead.
We had every prospect of being kept
prisoners to the house for time, which,
as we we're five miles from a railway
station, and had finished all the sensation
novels sent us from Maude's fortnight
before, was by no means an agreeable
one.
You doubtless imagine that the drear
mess of the weather has given me the
blues remarked my friend; nothing of
the kind; / assure you that it l am
little bit Thoughtful this morning, 1t is
quite from another cause. Last night a
gentleman asked me a question which
took me back seven years into the past,
for Just so many winters have gone by
since the same question was put to me
OIL the same night of the year. have
often been on the point of relating to
YOU an adventure which happened to me
when was girl, but which l have as
yet never spoken to any one ont of my
own family Twill no longer be reserved
OH this subject with so true and valued
friend as yourself. But, before
| tell YOU what the question asked was,
must give you some uninteTesting pre-
liminaries
made mp blazing fire, before which
we drew UP our easy chairs; and Con-
stance began her story Inever conld
listen long to anything, however inter-
esting, in an uncomfortable position, and
should have been very restless being
had lived in those days when all the
seats were uneasy-though the Yankees
may keep their horrid rocking chairs to
themselves as far as | am concerned, for
the swaying caused by the slightest
movement, reminds ME always of being
OIL board a ship, which | detest, even
when the sea is as calm as possible. Here
is luy friends tale in her own words:
When I was just twenty-five, went
with my parent to fancv-ball on New
Years Eve, at lady LIS. | had many
4 10, hall . ha .,Lt .ha,,
soon after supper, friend ofmy fathers
introduced gentleman to me whose
name could not distinctly hear, iii the
the confusion of voices around me-, and
the striking mp of the baud for the next
dance Hurriedly engaging FAY hand
for the next quadrille, my prospective
partner disappeared in the throng
had time to see that he was about TWEEN
ty-two OF three years of age, Wore Il plain
Lo,niuo, and that the look OF anxiety
which sat upon his features was strange
in SD young face. Nevertheless, had
forgotten his existence by the time he
came to remind me of my promise. He
led me to my place and We commenced
dancing without his once addressing me
At the end of the first figure, turned to
reply to some remark fancied that he
had at last ventured to make, when !
met his perplexed- looking gaze, and per-
ceived that he was talking to himself for
he said:
Yes, it may do: tall, the same name
too, then suddenly to me, Pray, Miss
Fortescue. do you consider yourself tall ?
What may be your heightF
Not little surprised at this brusque
manner of opening conversation, and
thinking would answer him some way
in his own style, ! replied 1T may be sew.
en- feet but is not
But scarcely under five feet eight
inches he resumed; have yon any rela.
lions in Canada2
answered in the affirmative, and
though with naughty tone, yet must
have looked amused, for he presently
added,
1 see that you are more diverted than
offended by the extreme audacity of my
mode of addressing you, which perhaps
strikes you as less eccentric, in the
midst of this motley crowd, than it 9th
erwise might; but assure you that
have no wish to appear original or i'm.
pertinent am actuated by very differ
emit motives Before entering the ball
room received letter containing intel
ligence of most perplexing and annoy
ing nature, and which has thrown me
into state of the greatest anxiety /
am placed in "a position of some difficulty,
and without assistance from you, I feel
l can scarcely extricate myself Howev-
or mad you may or must think Inc to be,
with this in veiw, venture to beg your
permission to ask you two more CUES
tons They will no donbt strike you as
odd ones for perfect stranger to make.
But you have the option of choosing to
listen to them or not.
By this time our quadrille had come to
an end, and Heading me to where my
mother was sitting my partner said,
Make your decision, and tell me of it
when You waltz with me, as trust you
will when the next dance is over
agreed to this, aud he left me. When
he came to claim my hand as the first
notes of the denxtempts struck up, my
curiousity urged me to grant hisrequest,
and he put question the first to me,
after the first round
Your Christian Nance
Constance