Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-13

DINAH PRITOHARD."
II my first feeling was simply horror a
the daring fraud which Ponsonby had prac
ticed on my aunt's susceptible nature, ant
the outrageous effrontry with which he hat
involved me in his falsehood, my secont
thoughts strayed away to specializing on th,
bliss should have felt had the story been
true one, and had indeed possessed the un
speakal,le happiness of calling Katinka my
own. So much more powerful was my
imagination than my sense of shame-st
much stronger my love than my reason
that almost forgot the deception in the de
| light the vision of bliss evoked
The mere idea that, if it were true, wha
life would he mine, suificed to obliteratt
all memory of the unworthy artifice which
had worked upon my dear old aunts feel
ings, and brought her back to the young
days when she had "lived and loved.
From this delightful dream was aroused
however, by that piece of crisp bank papcl
which lay before me- and where the words
"Pay to Robert Considine, Esq, or to hi.
order, the sum of two hundred pounds,
gave distinct character of fraud to The
transaction of which there was no escape.
To touch that money was clearly mposs
bic, and 10 return it with the reason which
forced me to restore il was at once to dis
honor Ponsonby, and TO recall the trus
which had pledged myself to repose in
him. My rashness in the unqualified way
/ had placed myself in his hands did moi
diminish--on the contrary, 1t greatly in
crcased-my anger against myself. o.
course, however, there was but one thing tt
do, cost what it might. Rupture, quarrel
or anything else with Ponsonby, mus
write to my aunt, send hack her cheque, anG
tell her, as well as | might, that the whole
was jest-in the worst possible taste, il
was true, but, which would be infinitely
blacker if carried out to an actual fraud.
sat down to compose my letter in nc
pleasant humor. 1t was to sever the last
tie that bound me to that kind old woman
who had rescued me so often from my diff
cutics; and it was, as felt, to prepare to
stand alone in the world.
began.
my DEAREST AuNT,-As il is now GER
tain shall never dare to address you again
after this letter, as it is the last opportunity
shall ever have of acknowledging the deep
debt Of affection owe you, and of assuring
you that OF all the benefits you have bcstow-
ed upon nae, none have ever had for me the
same value as the love-"
As got so far the clatter of post-horses
entering the porte cochere, and the thunn-
dering noise Of a carriage passing in, startled
me. Almost in the same instant my door
was thrown open, and Fred Ponsonby
bounded into the room, and came towards
me with all the cordial warmth of his genial
manner. l cannot tell really know moth
ing of how either my looks or my gestures
responded TO his greeting; can only re.
member that he stopped short and cried
out
What's the matter, man? What dc
you mean by that sublime air of austerity p
'Do me the favor to read that" said I,
pointing to my aunt's letter, which lay open
on the table.
He snatched il eagerly, and ran it over fol
an instant. "The kindest, dearest, best old
damscl in Clristendom. l only wish | had
half-a dozen aunts OF the same callbre, and
you'd not see me cantcring over the Cont
nent with white leather bag under my
ARM"
"Thats all very well" said l, testify
''but it's no excuse for such letter as you
wrote to her-a deceit she never will, never
ought TO forgive"
g Blow off the steam, old fellow, and just
tell me when the boilers getting COOL" said
he, dvesting himself of his fur pelissc and
his heavy travelling mut1ies.
I'm not angry without cause" said |,
slightly moderating my tone.
Bring some breakfast cried Fred tc
the waiter whom he had summoned to tho
room "a griilied chicken, bit of fish, al
omelette-anything else you like-and good
coffee for one, mind. Mr. Considine viii
take pomcgranate ice.
"Chaif is well enough when one has moth
ing serious on his mind" began l, as tht
waiter moved away.
"Chaff! What do you call chaif? have
simply prescribed cooling regimen to you
because you are blazing away there like
Vesuvius. Ifyou'll only condescend to come
down from your hot-crater mood, Iii be al
methodical and commonplace as a church
warden. You arc angry with me just as the
man was angry at being saved from drown
ing by being dragged out of the water by hi'
whiskers! Like him you wanted to be ia
ken up in soft blanket! There's the whole
of it. But you are not the only fellow
have met who expects that he is to be pulled
from beneath the wheel OF bus without a.
\ much as stain on his white trowsers!
"Your aunt Dinah was going TO endoN
an hospital. You saw the news in the pa
pers, and read it out to me. You know wei
enough what that meant disinheritanct
pure and simple! There was no time to b'
lost. To hold her hand was the first neces
| siy ! h'iS Nhe ptcoious' hou s"iu tha
you were simply in another scrape-had fbs
some hundreds at play, or done some simi
lar folly-it would have been, as l wei
know, perfectly useless. Her natural re
Election would have been, 'How right am
TO endow charity, rather than squande
my fortune amongst set of spendthritts.
l saw must touch cord which had vibrat
ed once more. must try if it will not still
be sensitive to the old impression. Tha
dear loving heart will not have lost its sym
pathy with those who love, thought /, ant
so married you-married you TO the sweet
est, loyelest creature in the world, with
dowry of thousand francs in Serviai
sthrees.'
81 know well enough you would be in
precious rage with me when the whole wa
discovered. was prepared for some rath
er bad language, and some very high an,
weighty airs. You have favored me will
the latter, and if ylu will only give mi
twenty minutes to swallow my breakfast
you may have your wicked will of abus
of me till dinner-time I"