Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-11-25
The ladies bowed ami Withdrew.

And so that evening spent at Mrs
| Dunresdy's- But on my way there
Was obliged 10 pass Mr. Budderfirs and
there Oh the piazza was Medora and heI
| friends, Miss Pinman and Miss Clintoe,
surrounded by Brown, SmitheIs and
Black. 1 touched my hat to the ladies
and passed on, and thought that Me-
dora-fiust have experienced sense ol
relief that one OF her admirers had with
drawn, for one evening at least.
found Dunready and the ladies as
isembIe,bon the lawn ia front of the house
fengaged IN a gaEie Of crOquet.
.1,AhrJopienes,p peried DGnready, ''you
are Just in season to commence the game
with u.s.
"Leda was Just wishing you would
come y said bis wife, with lnischievous
smile at her fair friend.
The widow blushed as much as it was
possible for q widow TO and locke down
knowing perhaps that hereyelashes were
quite long and really worth showing.
'.'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark
Our coming, and look brighter when we come, -
: I quoted jestingly.
"I am glad that you think such knowi-
edge is sweet. shall begin to have
hopes of you, notwithstanding L have
hitherto considered you such an incorri-
gable old batchlor," said Mrs. Dnnready
driving her ball through the first
wicket.
Ol4 bachelori How could she be so
cruel to me when q handsome widow
stood within the sound of her voice. l
was certain that looked much younger.
but that expression would carry the idea
that was much older than l really was.
have always been very reticent upon
the subject of my age, and as l am not
4 native of Larragonia, in fact, had only
been q resident there about ten years at
that time, therefore no one knew how
long had been an inhabitant of this
terrestrial sphere, and L was certainly
not only young looking man, but rath
er good looking, too, if L do say it.
But Ihad secret, that if known would
have materially affected the general i'm
preston regarding. the number of years
that had circled over my head, and con-
sequently whenever the slightest allus-
ion was made to my age / trembled and
turned pale. I did not color my hair
o no, their isn't a silver thread to be
found in it. My hair is my browning
glory" All the ladies pronounce it
beautiful / fancy the widow admired
it.
SPY the way, Mr.. Jonjones, suppose
YOU have heard that the ladies are to
hold a Fair here in about fortnight?"
"Yes, 1 was called upon to contribute
some time ago" croqueting DunTeady's
ball.
"Well, We are 10 have tableaux, and
want you to take part"
Mel why, L never appeared before
the public in my life"
."What of that? All you have to do,
will be to show yourself" said Mrs. Dun
ready.
"And who, or what am l to representa-
Captain John Smith. Mr.. White will
Powhatan, and Leda Poca-
.hontas. l spoke to Mr.. White about
it this afternoon; and now Mr. Jonjones,
can we depend upon yOu?
'To be esure we can" cried Mrs. vast
ings shooting one of her irresistible
gIances at me and with those eyes upon
me could not say no, and SO with the
best grace possible, 1 consented.
We went into the house soon after
where we passed a pleasant evening"
Mrs. Vastings played and sang,s sweet
ly and feelingly that l am positively
certain, madam, that if l had not been
already in love with Me6ora, the widow
would have carried my heart by storm,
for although [ had reached the age OF
forty unmarried, l am, and always have
been very susceptible to female charms
and, as you know, Leda was one OF the
most charming of her sex.
B Ifeel it my duty to tell you beloved
reader, that prior to this time, had
upon several occasions been just upon
the point of foffering myselfas sacrifice
anon the hymeneal altar, and but one
thing restrained, That was my terrible
secret. 1 did not dare to reveal it before
marriage, and it would have been cruel
to have married any woman, leaving
her to discovered it afterwards.
l returned to the store that night II
have a sleeping room therein great per-
turbation. AS I have said before, was
very mvch in love with Medora, and L
would have given worlds If could have
called her mine II hadn't great many
worlds on hand at that time, TO be sure).
But what hope was there for me, While
there were so many younger and more
agreeable men already at her feet? And
then my secret! All, no, no. loved
her but l would not marry her. That
would be too cruel. Neither could the
widow ever be nly widow, unless upon
hetter acquaintance / could summon
courage sufficient to tell her my secret,
and felt sure that | never could. But
at least I would try. And in her socie-
ty, might possibly conquer my love
for Medora-
For the next two weeks l kept away
from RIr. BHdderfii's although L was a
constant visitor at Dunready's. Twice
during that time met Medora on the
street. The first time she bowed coldly,
but the second time she did not notice
me at all. What did it mean? Was
she angry because I had deserted her for
Leda, and did she care something for
me, after all? wouldn't allow myself
to be so egotistical as to think so. Pshaw
L was old enough to be her father.
Well, the night of the fair came. L
accompanied Mrs. VastingS to the hali,
which was already crowded. The youth
and beauty of Larragonia were assembi-
ed, and something less than Thousand
hearts beat happy" (wenev could raise
such crowd as Brussels), and l was
soon to appear before them as the re-
doubtable John Smith. | doubt if the
real Smith felt more tremulous than L
did as began my preparations for the
character.
At last all WAS in readiness. | had
lain myself down at full length upon
the stage, with my head resting upon
lthe fatal stone. Powhatan alias White,
dressed in full Indian costume, and look
| iug like veritable red man, held his
club aeady to strike, while Pocahantas
! far more beautiful than the original, with
her eyes turned bessechingly upon the
face of the 'sstern parent" protecsed me
from his impending wrath. Gathered
around us were a score of young men,
arrayed as children of the forest. -4.. :
"furn your head a little more this
way. Snithy,n said the fierce P5whatan;
Ithe curtain is going up" ~
| did as directed. AS gazed around
among those terribly ferocious looking
savages, a pair of dark eyes met mine
| knew them, and 1 recognized the face