Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1865-03-29

uuul6 WIN u HOuS5CehCO ab OAlC NOfCAG u STU
There was no doubt about it, the fello
was tiptop rider, and soon made hin
self a marked man in the field, both o
account of his tact and judgment, and tn
quiet, gentleman like way in which h
did the business. The liyery-stable keeI
ers besieged him with offers of their bes
horses; he might have them for half pric
may, believe for nothing, if he'd onl
ride them to sell. Vincent had as mucl
of it as he wanted, and when our fellow
quizzed him for not buying a couple 0
beasts for himself, he said with laugh
' I'm waiting to get Hetherston's whel
he's tired ofthem." Box heard the joke
and didn't like it; he was beginning tt
get little afraid Of the quiet lieutenant
and, moreover, the heiress had noticed
the new rider, and poor Box was as jeal,
GUS as a modern Othello.
December came in, and Vincent gave
no signs of wishing to alter his quarters
nay, he publicly stated he was very jolly,
and that he'd not miss the February
hunting for all the leaves in the service.
The case was getting serious; so was the
eourting at the bishops, Hetherston evi-
IDENTIFY watching an opportunity to make
the grand cheok; the lady, to all appear
anoe, willing to accept the mate
Yet, anxious as the state of the matri-
monial speculation may BE- supposed to
render the captain, certain figures in a
little Rssian leather pocketbook began to
become disagreeabIy prominent The
yedr was upon its last legs Charley
Vincent was showing no signs of tiring
of the jokes perpetrated upon him; in
deed, like the eels, he appeared not only
to have got used to them, but there SEEM
ed a sort of pleasant excitement and un-
certainty as to the next move which suit
ed him; and Hetberston began to think
he had been a little rash in booking so
many figures, which, when reckoned up
(in case of the wors0, came to a much
larger sum than was convenient, to say
nothing of being bca+ea-a humiliation
the captain did not relish at any time.
A dinner party was to come of at the
bishop sa few evenings before Christmas;
all the big-wigs and county people were
to be there; a select few Of ours
Hetherston Of course included-were in
yited, and we made up our miuds-though
upon what grounds Heaven only knows
that Box would pop the question that
night The lady was just in that tender
lreamy state which betrays the awaken
ID heart, and gives the lover courage to
AXE the irrevocable step. The bishop
ooked the very pattern of fatherly pre-
ate, and had a mischievous, kno,g-alI-
r5out-a sort of twinkle in his eyes, as, in
pairing off his guests for the important
ceremony of going down to be fed, he
old Hetherston to take Ny daughter. "
t was my luck to follcw the couple, and
spoiled my dinner, for I had been fool
nough to take the odds against the match,
nd it was pretty evident 1 should lose.
"Take you 4 hundred to ten he'll do
t tonight" whispered Harry Fulton as
re Streamed down stairs, the happy coup
2 being directly in front Ofus, and look
ng abominably foolish, as is the manner
{ people at such a crisis
Ozone, said I, involuntarily ;, and then
lentally cursed my folly.
The dinner passed off as such dinners
sually do; the soup was bad, fish good,
oints ditto, all the other things horrible,
lving the dessert, which, being fresh
'Om dame Nature, can not be easily
ooiled. 1 had taken down a ponderous
ame belonging to some one of the coun-
y families, who happily devoted her at
ntion to the business before her, and,
.eming to be under the impression that
is impossible to do two things well at
nee, left me to devote my time aud fas-
nations upon an exceedingly pretty girl
no sat on the other side of me, and
hom, to my surprise, I discovered to be
sister of Vineent's, then upon a visit. ,
f course we had plenty to talk of, and !
e the dinner was over I began to think 7
incent one of the incest fellows knew, L
d I spoke of him quite atfectionately, I +
sure you. The important business of d
ting was over, and the servants retiring,
len a servant marched up the room,
rrying a plain white deal box, which
deposited upon the ground behind the
ptain's chair, saying, in distinct and f
lphatic voice.
" A little box for you, sirw il
He then quietly made his exit, though Il
t before I caught glimpse of his face, h
lich, in spite of powder and false whis- a
rs, looked uncommonIy like Vincent's, s.
d made me hold my breath in anxiety Il
see the result, convinced that the joke, i
latever it was, would be a clencher.-
IF was I wrong; and amidst the buzz s,
inquiry and polite curiosity that the c.
vent Of deal box in the midst of a