Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-03-21

IIeu HON iedi' Upu l. tuluh IL FOulC
make any difference to you !''
"Neither do l." answered Nettie,
simply; San engagement seems to be
about as serious"
ooh! of course" interrupted Sophy
with an impatient wave of the hand
"that's all very nice in theory, you
know. but in practice It's so dreadfh1ly
stupid. Do let us have something a
little more spicy to begin With. Dc
you suppose a young man likes to sit
down (even if be is sober and steady
as your John, which, thank Heaven
Morton isn't)-do you suppose, I say,
that youth enjoys sitting down with
his hands folded as soon as he's en-
gagged, and feeling that all the delight
full excitement is over that the bird is
caught, and has no notion of flying
away again, even if he should open the
cage door p
This shaft struck home, as the young
lady meant it should, for there is moth
ing so certain to affront the gentlest Of
women as an insinuation that any one
wishes to dispense with her affection
81 am sure, Sophy," replied Nettie,
with some spirit, "that John never
complains of want of excitement.
And | think it would break his heart if
l treated him as you treat Mr.. De
Witt"
"Break his fddle-sticks p exclaimed
Sophy, irreverently. "Bless your dear
little soul, there isn't one man in five
hundred that has any heart, and even
that is made of India rubber. Men
have died, and worms have eaten them,
but not for love- Let me assure you
that there is nothing of which men tire
so soon as calm monotony of affection
| dare say that John thinks it is ali
very nice now, but very soon he will
begin to have q lurking suspicion that
somehow or other ycu are not quite so
interesting as before you were engaged,
and then he will begin to be little
bored, and you will find it out, and look
miserable and that will bore him still
more, and SO things will keep on getting
worse and worse all the time"
och dear!'' said Nettie, rather over
powered by this doleful picture. but
what can | do ?"
"Do ? Why do as I do, to be sure, -
answered the energetic Sophy, and i'm
mediately detailed q long list of little
contrivances to increase the "felicity'
Of Mr.. Morton De Witt, whereby that
unhappy gentleman was kept in hot
water for the greater part of his exist
ence, and only vouchsafed for occasional
glimpses of the paradise of Miss Sophy' S
love as were judged requisite to pro-
long his struggles How she tease .
and coaxed and badgered him how she
went up and down in and out of the
whole gamut Of feminine moods in the
course Of oftwenty-four hours. How she
was so bewilderingly sweet to him st
one moment that be was on the very
pinnacle of bliss, and the very next
time she saw him was go chillingly
polite that ne was driven to the verge
of desperation. All Of which maneu-
veFs Miss Sophy averred greatly in
creased the dramatic interest of the
situation. Nettie listened with won
dering admiration not unmized with
fear.
"But, Sophy," she yentured faintly,
81 could not carry out this sort of thing
at all. What would be the use Of MAX
ing believe | don't love John, when he
knows perfectly well that [ do ?" for
which ridiculous plea I am happy to
say she did have the grace to blush.
At this preposterous assertion Sophy
came down upon the enemy with all
her forces. She piled her well with
grape-shot, round-shot and canister !;
she attacked front and rear at once, in
most surprising manner she formed
herself into hollow square, 80 to speak,
and performed other miracles of evolu-
ton ; in short she utterly routed the
confused and bewildered forces of her
Opponent and established herself tri-
umphautly as mistress, or rather master
of the situation
That evening John Marshall appeared
as usual. Instead of the impetuous,
demonstratiVe, bright and restless Nettie
of heretofore, he encountered a pretty,
exceedingly polite young lady, who call
ed him her "dear john" and said she
vas $50 glad to see him., and sank back
into the depths of her rocking chair,
and rocked-a very dangerous symptom
to one who knows the ms and outs of
feminine nature.
John was not like most other men,
but be instinctively felt that something
was wrong. There sat Nettie, as pretty
and fresh as ever; but somehow the
sparkles had died out of her bright
brown eyes, the dimples no longer play
ed bo-peep in her cheeks, aud although
she answered all his questions and re-
marks with the most scrupulous polite
ness, still her presence, instead of being
refreshing and inspiring as usual, was
as oppressive as wet blanket on July
day.
"Nettie, what is the matter ?'' burst
out John at length, worried past endur-
auce by this extraordinary effect.
"Matter, John," said Nestie with in
nocent surprise; "Why, nothing
What do you mean Z"
"Why don't you laugh and talk as
you generally do, and why don't you
come and sit By me On the sofa, instead
of perching yourself up in that horrid
rocking chair? ?" growled John, slightly
;,,{o Il rnucS ha confasSad