The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-11-06

anu dDbUl MISS L lillulfDu.
Miss Efiing is charming girl" said
Fred, quite young and ready to believe
anything bad of a lover her uncle condemns.
Being an heiress and beauty, she has al
ready received several proposals, but all
have been rejected in consequence of the
suitors having had the egregious folly to
pay more attention to the niece than to the
uncle.
So then the uncle was the only real diff
| cuIty.-nOt very grave one, | thought -
AT all events, f0rewarned was fOrearmed,
and | inwardly vowed tc tax my patience to
the utmost for so great stake. At the
moment it did not occur to me how remark
ably well informed Clayt n appeared on all
that concerned our future host. ! was only
too glad to find him so we'll able to advise
me, and perhaps little relieved that the
great result did not involvs much courtship
or attendance on young lady.
We were not long in arriving at the sta>
| ton, where dog-cart was in waiting to re.
ceive us, and after rather cold drive of a
couple Of miles we reached our destination.
Mr.. Merrick's, or Miss Et6ng's house
for did not know to whom it actually be-
longed-was a large, handsome building,
situated in fine park, with unduIatcd lawn
and welI-planted trees-so much was able
to preceive in the growing darkness.
Our arrival had been herald by a har d.
some pointer that we found reposing on the
terrace; and on allighing, we We're ret by
Mr.. Merrck, who treated mo to a long and
most uuequivocal stare, and after greetings
and introductions, hurried us off to our sew
eral apartments to prepare for dinner.
shall never forget that dressing. | had
heard so much of first impressions, be-
lieved in them so implicitly, that my desire
to produce the proper effect almost amount
ed to frenzy, and | coild have strangled
Fred Clayton for his coolness and equanimi-
ty, when he good -naturedly came INTO my
room to accompany me down through the
ordeal of a first appearance in drawing
room.
Miss Efing was there's and the moment |
saw her | understood the failure Of all for
mer suitors; | realized the almost superhu-
man effort that would be necessary yoIun-
tariy to resign such cOmpanionShip for that
Of the superannuated uncle, and resolved to
to steel myself by the constant recollection
of my predecessors fates. Graceful, witty
and lively to degree, no wonder the old
man dreaded to lose the sunlight of her
manner towards himself
With exemplary fol>tude | dashed at my
task, and before the evening was over found
myself to my great surprise, established as
the companion of Mr.. Mcrrick. listened
with admirably -got-up interest to long,
dreary anecdotes of his past experiences,
comprising minute details of the dates and
even hours at which people, long since
dead, had been horn-thc memories of thsse
old peoole are always prodgious! and Sub
mittod to an aae3unt Of ms present devotion
to the collecting Of minerals, which now oc>
.cupied all his time, except during the shoot
ing seassn, for the old gentleman was. very
proud of still being able to carry a gun.
Of course Immediately protessed myself
an enthusiast on the hject of mineralogy
and was forthwith carried off in triumph to
a large cavernous den to admire what he
called his specimens.
TIE examination of these hideous little
bits of tin and stone lasted. t appeared to
me, about two hours, and when, ultimately,
we returned to to the drawingtroam, hu-
man nature asserted its rights, and uncon
sciousy | stole over to the pilno. where
Miss Ei1ing' fair fingers wandered liStlc sly
over the keys, while Fred Clayton stood be-.
fore her looking through some music, In
mcdiately warning glance from Fred re,
called to me sense of danger, and turning
in the direction Of Mr.. Menick preceivrd
an unmistakable sCowl upon his face as be
watched the party fastening to his side,
succeeded partially in removing ii, by the
proposal of a game of chess, which absorbed
all his faculties, and agonized all mine, till
the general move was made for retiring.
As | approached Miss Efling to wish her
good night, overheard the old tyrant res
mark condescendingIy, to Fred, Your
friend is an intelligent fellow; we sympa-
thize, and like him; rather superficial in
mineraogy, but we must try and remedy
that by making the most Of our tina, as
your stay will not extend beyond few days
In fact the young man quite interests me; |
wish you had his tastes, Frederick. "
SO virtue was rewarded, aud | had made
good impression.