Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-09-21

9 ITO what do you allude, James r
she asked, as be took one of her nth
cred hands in his, and T-s'N his n
gagged arm te r.e'ty much L
suppose as he did when he was courting
her, embraced her waist.
why, Nancy, to what else but the
folly of Miss Elbridge-to her conduct
on the day we were married.
'Ah, poor Harriet she replied
Yes, yes, James; but I don't think l
would say anything about it to the
children 1t was sad affair, and l
know l was not to blame, however much
Harriet may have thought So
''To blame, Nancyp responded
grandfather. 'Ah. you little witch,
you forget what firt you were in those
days. Yes, children, your grandmother
there, who looks so very demure and SO
old, was one of the greatest hertbreak-
ers that ever lived. Why there was no
enduring her, she had SO many beaux
at her heels; and l do believe that if
il hadn't been from sheer spite she
would have been some other peoples
grandmother this very day instead of
being yours
. For shame, James, cried the dear
old soul, you know-you know
THAT he interrupted, you al
ways thought more of me than anybody
else. Oh, Nancy he added what a
tease you used to be, to be sure. Why,
children, your grandmother he added
in railing tone Of voice, was the beau
ty of the whole neighborhood, and many
a poor fellow she used to turn up her
nose at, just as some of you will in your
day when young men whisper soft non
sense, as | used in hers, into your ears.
But the story, grandfather a
dozen of US exclaimed, as we gathered
around his chair; do tell the story
there, now, that's dear good grandpa. ,
And in our anxiety to coax him into
compliance. we came near smothering
him with kisses.
'There-there,' he cried, pretend
ing to push us away, why, I am sure
you il take my breath away. | suppose
in self-defense l must tell you the story
that is, if your Grandma Nancy don t
very strenuously object
''You see,' he commenced, and he
gave a sly glance at his wife, you see
children, when ! was young man not
more than twenty-five years old, there
was a certain young lady living on a
farm not far from fathers named Ell
bridge, who was famous for her great
beauty
That was grandma, cried curly +
| headed little Nancy. ..tr
''No it wasn't, you poor guesser,
laughed grandfather Her name was
Harriet, and | am sure that is not
grandmother's name. Well, Miss Ell
bridge, as l said, was very lovely, and
grew handsomer and handsomer every
day. But for some reason, which l
will not now attempt to explain-al-
though her father was well-to do, and
she an only child-she had few lovers !;
and what is more, didn't care to court
the society of the neighborhood. The
girls of her own age hated her because
she was SO very good looking, and the
young men thought she was, as they
said, stuck up. Now no one could
deny the loveliness of Harriet, and she
wasn't stuck up-that is, she was not
proud. She was, [ admit, exceedingly
reserved in her manners, and relied
very much on herself for whatever
pleasure she enjoyed. Invitations to
parties she invariably declined, unless l
accompanied her TO me she was not
reserved On the contrary. she would
seemingly open her whole heart to me !;
and when rallied her upon her habits
of exclusivepess she would quietly smile,
and reply that it was her nature-that
she could not really control her feelings
In me, she would say, she had every
confidence, and would only go abroad
when | accompanied her.
Now this, of course, was very fiat
teriug to my vanity; but notwithstand
ing her beauty and her avowed prefer
ence for my society, I never thought of
falling in love with her. My heart was
disengaged, and had it been half as
sensitive as some are said to be, it was
my bounden duty to have laid siege to
hers aud carried it off in triumph
1.-The fact is there was something in
the expression of Harriet Elbridge's S
eyes "a sort of repulsive magnetism,
SO to speak, and yet that does not des-
cribe her pecuharity of expression
that made me keep at respectful dis
tance from. her. Not being, as / have
said, an over warm admirer of the lady,
and finding in the society of others that
which was more congenial to my nature,
1 seldom, after time, visited her.
When | did | was invariably received
with warmth of feeling, and at the
same time gentleness of manner, that
made me angry with myself-knowing
as 1 did that, unaccompanied by me,
she rarely went into society but once
1 passed out of her sight would in
voluntarily recall the nameless peculi-
arity of which I have spoken, or rather
the impression which they left upon
my mind, but then for seasoL forget
her. ....
'sNow I cannot say that Miss Ell
BRIDGES eyes were not handsome. Far
from it. They were really beautiful
soft and tender as those of gazelle ];
and yet, somehow, repulsive. baa .dsi
-ssT have not now doubt that Harriet
loved me. The sequel will show. Did