The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-08-04
T w IN s.
BS y. i. DARLING.

IMET Miss Dudley at the house of
Mrs. Wheeler. She was visiting there
ut the time, and SO was !. | don't sup
pose any one would have called her Il
2Dretty woman. She had superb form,
tall and straight, rather full Il fine
head balanced above her sloping shoul-
ders; broad low forehead, looking out
from under heavy masses of dark brown
hair; brown, earnest eyes, that looked
you full in the face Il rather large, but
well, spread nose broad mouth, with
thin, scarlet lips, that opening displayed
II good substantial set of white, even
teeth !; and skin white and smooth as
polished marble.
She might have been twenty-five, one
would have said tblook at hcr-I found
out afterward that she was thirty. No
doubt she had had plenty of offers of
marriage; and then, too, she had such
grand, stately way with her that timid
men would have stood somewhat in
awe.
But Pm not timid man, especially
among ladies' and besides, when she
chose, Miss Dudley could be very fasci-
mating.
She drew me toward her by some
mysterious charm. | think it was Il
sort ofanimal magnetism strange,
mesmeric power that she exercised
over me.
Now at the time am speaking of /
was just thirty-thrce; but singular a. it
may seem, although / have always been
exceedingly tcnder-hearted, had never
felt the least twinge of the "grandc pas
sion" had met Il great many pretty
faces, quite a number Of lovely ones, and
one or two that We're decidedly beau
tiful.
Miss Minnie Dudley was neither.
Taken altogether, that is in form and
feature, one might call her superb; but
she was the last woman that most men
would fall in love with. They would
stand at u distance and admire her, but
as for claiming her as their own, it took
more of a certain kind of courage than
most men have; but as for me, why, !
j
had been unconsciously looking for.
may as well remark that am man
of considerable wealth. l own splen-
did establishment on Union Square. For
years it had been under the entire man
agement of Mrs. Greyson, my house
keeper. Now really felt that it was
my duty to bring home wife to pre-
side over that establishment. There
were many women that could have
done the honors well, but none with the
grace of Miss Dudley.
Therefore, you perceive I concluded
after mature delibcration that | would
marry the aforesaid young lady, pro-
viding she would have me.
didn't have n great deal of doubt
about that. Most women of humble
means would have probably married
me for my fortune; but imagined that
Miss Dudley was not one Of that class.
"She possesses Il noble soul, and if she
ever consents to be mine, it will be be-
cause she loves me-" | said.
looked out of the window Just then,
and esped the object of my thoughts
coming up from the garden. She looked
so grand and stately that | couldn't
helpsmilingat the thought of her ever
,condescending to love poor mortal of
the masculine gender.
Who she was | could not have told at
the time. had come down from the
city to visit my particular friend, Bob
Wheeler. Miss Dudley was there when
arrived. learned that she resided in
Greenfield with a married sister. She
had few housands-enough to support
her respectfully, and that was all.
A fine woman" said Bob, rs he lit
"A cigar. "If was marrying man,
1might-but bah! She's superb, grand,
doo grand-ne qUid minis" .
81 don't think So"
"Why, with your establishment,
Frank, she's just the woman to make a
display. You could trot her out on
state occasions, you know; butn manin
a small country town like this, for in
stance, would be in quite rs bad Il fix as
the man who bought the elephant, with
such woman for wife,
Strange she was never married"
"She had offers; but she rejected them
all. That's not strange, because she
would not marry II man unless he had
"a large quantity of brains, or Il large
share of money, which amounts to the
same thing, in this world, you know"
'"Do you believe that, Bob?"
"Of course. pmpretty wellacquaint-
cd with her. should aS quick think of
making love to Pow Vers's Greek slave as
to Miss Minnie Dudley. What dis
,lainful smile she'd give a fellow"