, 1869-07-23
SAVED BY AN ~oLp MAIp.n

don buried her head among the sofa cushions
with all the abandon of q spoiled child.
"What ever made you ask me such q ques-
tion, Does Philip Dorrance love mer Why,
auntie, he sdores the very ground l walk on /;
and i. is such fun ! The way twist the
poor fellow around my finger is a caution
and then, auntie, you see, the greatest fun
of all is he can't bear firtations, and of
counsel must frt until am married. You
would laugh yourself i'll if you could see the
sorrowful look he gives out Of his beautiful
eyes ! Phil. has got glorious eyes. You
see, he never dares to look me straight in the
face when | am making some other fellow
bslieve the moon is made of green cheese,
because he knows 1 should laugh at him.
Heigho! l shall postpone the wedding day
as long as possible. Mamma says hirtations
after marriage are decidedly out of charac-
ter; but what humdrum life married life
must be, to be sure think you are wise,
Aunt Mary, never to have tied yourself up
to any especial masculine. 1 suppose it
would kill Philip if should ever alter my
mind"
Aunt Mary as Bella famil:arly called
her-winced little under the remarks Of
her companion. She had arrived at the age
of twenty-eight without ever having been
courted, and was believed by all her friends
to have been disappointed or sOurei by some
love affair early in life. She was very ats
tractive, however-very entertaining, and
possessed good fund of common sense,
which SO far had been able to derive more
comfort from single life than from marri"
age for the sake maintenance, or because Of
the odium attached to au old maid.
"You will probably think me very inquis-
tive, Bella, but you have answered my other
questions so readily, that perhaps you will
pardon me for asking, if you lore Philip
Dorrance ?" aud Aunt Mary's face flushed
crimson as she waited for the coquette's reply.
"Oh, pshaw, auntie That isn't half fair.
Philip Dorranco is very rich, very handsome,
and very aristocratically connected, and he
adores Bella COngdou What could girl
want more? 1 shall have my own establish
ment, and my own carriage, and my own
way, for there isn't bit OF TIE autocrat
about Phil. Tonight, at Mrs. Lelwyn's re-
ception, just want you to notice him when
1 get we'll flirting with somebody. Why,
auntie, be don't dare say his soul is his own
l expect marriage with him will be compart
atiVe bliss. It's such hard work, generally,
for husbands to know their places p
"But you haven't answered my question,
Bella; do you love Philip Dorrance ?" COM
tinued auntie, determined to receive reply.
"Would you marry him if be was not wealthy
and arstocratically connected, as you term
it "
"WOuZd 1 marry poor man ? Why,
auntie, what an old goose you are, to ask
such disagreeable question Certainly y not
1t is respectable to be married and l have
got good chance don't believe that love
should be brought into the matrimonial cons
tract at all.
"Your future husband has my most heart
felt sympathy, Bella" said Mary, in a griev.
ed voice. 81 did believe until now, that un-
der this conventional crust throbbed the
heart of a true woman; but, Bella, you
haven't the first womanly attribute. l have
never seen your intended, but do hope he
will have bis eyes opened to the horrible
fate awaiting him-a fate infinitely worse
than death-before it is too late. L have
sounded you to-day, Bella, and find that you
are SouLleSs."
"Old maids are funny, that's fact, and
so awfulIy funny, too. Perhaps it would be
we'll for YOU to inform Mr.. Dorrance of the
dreadful fate awaiting him ! Who knows,
now, but you are neglectiug a duty if you
hesitate ?" and the laughing coquette arose,
danced TO the mirror, rearranged her hair,
madc profound bow to her companion, and
with "Pll introduce you to Phil. tonight
and tell him that you have something espes
cial 10 communicate, and then give you q
chance to be as confidential as you please
but L warn you that he will never credit a
word you utter, if that word be to my det>
riment," attempted to leave the room, but
just that moment servant announced:
"Mr. Philip Dorrance."
"Why, Philw exclaimed Bella, iu q de-
lighted tone. "Who ever expected to see
you, this afternoon? Where did you rain
down from Mr.. Dorrance, Miss Sheldon.
Do you know, Phil, we were just at this MOS
ment talkiug about you ?" and Bella flashed
look of saucy intelligence in Aunt Mary's
direction.
Miss Sheldon gracefully acknowledged the
introduction, and wondered as she scanned
the gentleman's face, how he could ever be>
come infatuated with such butterfly. No
bility of thought, intellectually, soul, were
written in the plainest letters, in every line
ament Of the speaking countenance; and
tears filled her eyes, as she reflected how ter.
rible must be the waking up to such a man.
"Did you come to take me to ride, Phil ?"'
querried Bella, placing her little hand fondIy
on the gentleman's coat>sleeve.
"That was the original intention, Bella"
replied Philip, in a strangely-altered voice,
"but, as L have been an unintentional lis
tener, for the last fifteen minutes, to the con-
versation between you and your friend, 1 SIM
ply come to make little explanation. The
servant, supposing you were in the front
parlor, admitted me without an announce
ment. heard my own name handled very
freely, and listened. Nothing more need be
said, excepting, perhaps, to thank Miss Shel.
don for being the means of disclosing the
precipce upon which have stood and from
the depths of thankful heart l confess my.