The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-05-28
Selected gllistrIlnnu.
4 MORAL SOUALI.

But Mabel"
''Not n word. sir"
~ an already too well assured
'But | can prove to you
Anybody can prove anything
Al least, hear me-
why should I when Thave seen you. '
But YOU might listen to reason"
'Oh, you know girls are not capable OF
reason. They are poor, simple fools, who
can be argued and battered ont of the evi-
dence Of their senses"
Have | tried anything Of the sort''
IF you have not. retorts Mabel. with
true feminine logic, 'itis because you know
/ am not one Of your meek, submissive
women, and it would not help you"
II should think not" cried Jack, with a
spark Of malice and anger in his eye. at
looks rather as ifyou would wear the breoch-
es."
THAT Is an Insult.
II beg Your pardon, said Jack, much
shocked at himself II should not have
said that you drive me to desperation"
''No, only to the door 81 and Miss Mabel
swept a low courtesy
That means"
"Good-moning, sir.
There is no use arguing with a lady in
such a temper, and picking up his hat Jack
departed. Mabel watched him, and was
strongly tempted to call him back. But
she was near crying. Besides, had she not
seen him The very remembrance made
her dry her eyes and clench her hands
hard, those hands that Jack praised ever
ior their defects. They were thin and dark,
but he protested that the thick, white skins
and pudgy dimples, so much admired, gave
him n shndder He, Jack, would as will
lugly take dough, or any thing else ar0u-
ing lack Of sympathy and refinement. into
his clasp; and on one Ofthese much praised
hands sparkled his ring, iorthis youngludy
was betrCthedtp the gentleman 10 whom she
had Just shown the door.
As for the gentleman, he certainly had
some reason to call himself the uuluckiest
OF men. Cassie. Imogcn. the hound Gel
ert, any OF the much injured and fatally
compromised characters of antiquity was
not more innocent than he. Walking brisk
ly down Broadway the evening before some
body called his name. lie stopped, aud
two little gloyed hands seized his arm
They We're very dainty gloves, trasseled and
pertumed, and belonged to q very pretty
little Sirl, who drew a long sigh Of relief,
and said,
"Oh. Captain Hilton! I am glad 10 have
met you ! was so frightened. Think of
IL / got on the wrong train, and came
here 10 New York. 1t was an express
train, and could not get ont at any sta
ton, an they landed me here with my
Trunk; and'-with q nervous Taught do
not know what 10 do with either the trunk
or myself ] have not a single ~acquaint-
ance here, for the Gregorys are out of
town, and ! never travelled alone i'm my
life. Oh! | was so terrified till / met your
BY this time Jack remembered her. II
WAS a pretty girl with whom he had danced
some dozen times, perhaps, at June-rOse-
vile, mp the rivera Miss Chanworth and
Of course he must see her safe, though he
had promised the evening to his cousin
Duke, and for that reason he resisted all
Mabels coaXing TO stay with her. All this
he rapidly reviewed; but there was no eyad-
ing the fact that he mrsi see tho younglady
safe. He could only hope, as he called 4
carriage, that q %satirical fate would not send
Mabel his way just then.
ls there q ~satirical Fate2 A sneerinR,
contrary, crossed-grain Genius Of cross
purposes, whose whole delight is 10 set
mankind by the earsf Mabel seldom went
out at night, and never without Jack, and
could have no possible business at st. Mich
olas hotel. So argued Jack, feeling hor-
nbly guilty because Miss Chanworth would
prattle so conhdingly; and the reasoning
would have held good for the other three
hundred and siIty-four nights in the year.
But Mabel "a only half Satisfied with Jack,
and restless on this particular evening
and at dinner she received a note from
Number Twelve of her bosom friends, stat.
ing that Number Twelve had Just arrived
at the st. Nicholas; and you see, Of course,
what happened. Her brother, On one side,
and our impish, sneering Genius of cross
purposes on the other, escorted her 10 the
st. Nicholas, exactly in time to meet JACK
handing from q carriage q young lady with
q killing hat, and q peach-blossom com
plexion, n lovely ourls all over her head,
and the dainty gloves aforesaid, that in
stantly crossed themselves on Jack's arms;
boots as daintyl-Rltogether q hourishing
and SNOWY, yet clinging and confding
young lady, with a vast noun of manneT
and eoqpetTy, looking mp in Jacks face,
and looking down, and hanging on him
OH now Mabel did hate her, between the
door Of tho carriage and that of the hotall
Jack was no coward. He took of his hat
and bowed bravely IN answer 10 Mabel's
freezing nod, and then gave his attention
before 10 Miss Chanworth. label look.
ed after them with checks like fame This
the engagement with his cousin Duke
which he had slighted all her coaxingl
And what impudent assurancel To walk
past her with that girl on his arm like that
Like old Betteredge, Mabel was oonstitu-
ti0nally superior to reason. To her mind.
i wa quite possible for Jack, ifhe chose,
TO shake the young lady from his arm then
and there, and turn his backron her. But
M sharpest sting of all lay Just where Jack
soald least have suspected III 1t was il
the blonde, plump beauty of the girl. If
sne mad been bruno, Mabel, who was dark.
~ e~phseqnenty held disparaging opinions
excuse for Jack As il was. she Ssnt ~
ina rage and when Jack called on bs1the
Following morning ensued the conysrsal
ton reported above.
Jack saw but remedy; to tell thu