Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-03-25


introduced. He was a really gond lookin
a man with pleasant frank counteaanc
worthy the favorable Judgment the youn!
ladies Immediately pronounced upon him.
q Dancing was to be the principal amuse
ment of the evening and the second set wa
, on the foo- when Mr.. and Mrs. Benton ant
a Miss CASTOR were ushered into the parlors
Clarence who was dancing with Miss TEN
pie at the time of their arrival glanced to
ward them, but Immediately afterwards wa'
all attention to his fair partner.
The set over he and Miss Temple saun
tered towards the newcomers.
"Miss Gaston-Mr. Cooke" said Miss
Thompson, in the usual city directory style
of introducing people, and then she added,
be is newcomer whom we shall ask your
assistance ia welcoming to Bayneville.
"What assistance can render shall I've
cheerfully rendered for old acquaintance
sake said Miss CASTOR, bowling.
"After SO warm welcome from all it only
needed well-known face to make.me quite
at home, responded the lion of the eveMing.
And now that it seemed somebody really
had known him before, he ceased just that
far to he IL lion. II half dozen had known
him he would have been OF but little conse-
quence.
Miss Temple exclaimed, $50 you know
each other" to which Netlie responded,
eyes, have met Mr.. Cooke few times in
the city,
Miss Temple here left them "to talk over
old times" as she said, and went to attend
TO some of her duties as hostess and was
soon busy arranging an awkward squad into
set to be ready to take the floor when the
gallop should cease.
| Mr.. Cooke and Miss CASTOR walked and
talked through the next set ard then the
band-for Bayneyillc boosted string band
struck up waltz. But few couples took
their places on the floor, country people as
rule, for some reason not appearing TO
care for that most delightful of all ''round
dances" plain waltz.
Conversation became general and Mr..
Cooke and Miss CASTOR stood apart talking
earnestly. This surprised no one as it was
known to all that Nettie had always refused
peremptorily to dance any round dances.
Some of the young ladies were beginning
to think she was monopulizing too much of
Mr.. Cookies time, when she accepted his
arm and commenced slowly to walk around
the room, when suddenly, to the astonisli-
ment Of all, Mr.. Cookies arm encircled her
waist and the two were gracefully gliding
over the floor in the very poetry Of motion
to the delightful measure of the waltz.
As it was, s" it continued to be; the in
limacy so suddenly commenced was actively
kept up. Mr.. and Mrs. Benton were re-
leved from duty, and Clarence Cook es-
corted Nettie everywhere she went, and
seemed to spend nearly all his evenings in
her society, and it continued thus week after
week, and month after month.
Bayneville was at first astonished; then
curious; and thcn-it commenced taeo-
rlzing.
There was hut one theory which prevented
the gossips from concluding that Clarence
Cook was the young gentleman from whom
Nettie had been so violently torn by her
stern uncle, and that one thing was that
Clarence Cooke was soon on the most
pleasant terms with Mr.. Bayne.
Baynevile must have theory to explain
matters, however. That Clarence and Net
tie were in love with each other, was evi-
dent to everybody; no theory was necessary
there. But when did they get in love
Here was where the theory came in and was
what 1t explained to the satisfaction of its
originators 1t was, that they had fallen in
love at Temples party. Though they had
known each other before, Nettie had, of
course, then been in love with the myste-
rious young man from whom her uncle had
separated her. Her romantic devotion to
hcr first love had kept her free until the
meeting with her old and attractive friend
had shown her it was only sentimentaliiy,
and not real sentiment she had cherished,
and the faded image had been put away
more perfectly even than her uncle had sue
ceeded in putting away its object.
The theory was a very good one. and
seemed to fiji the circumstances very well.
Men have been hung on theories which have
met the facts developed on their trial no bet
ter than this theory met the facts in this case.
The theory ther, being satisfactory, and
the actions of the parties continuing to be
in accord with it,and reasonable and sufli-
cient time having apparently elapsed since
the commencement of this most assiduous
and successful courtship for it to have re-
si,lt.d IL, MARKHAM Ravpav;ila I,aua,, o., h,,
impatient for the consummation of that
which had so well begun, or at least, for the
formal announcement of the engagement.
But this seemed no nearer than in the begin
Ming, and so everybody wondered why Clar-
ence Cooke did not marry Nettie CASTOR.
CHAPTER II
SOME THINGS BAYNRvILLE DID NOT KNOW.
We have told the story of the lives of
Clarence Cooke and Nette CASTOR as for the
good people of Baynevile knew 1t, but then
Bayneville did not know everything, and it
is quite possible tor events TO transpire dur
ing few short years ofsufflcient Importance
to affect whole lives, and such events had
occurred during the few short years of Net
ties absence from Bayueville.
To get at more thorough understanding
Of the peculiarites in the conduct of this
young pair, which so exercised the curiosity
of Baynevile,-that is their open intimacy
which showed no sign Of eliminating in
marriage,-we must go back few years
from the date at which our story opens.
Henrietta Bayne CASTOR came of thrifty
stock and ripened early, though this was
probably as much due to training and
circumstances rs to natural causes.
Left early an orphan, herself and her not
inconsiderable fortune fell to the care of her
uncle, who, though her mothers own broth
er, was greatly that mothers senior,
She had been petted and spoiled, and had
no small responsibility thrown upon her by
whim of MIR. Bayne's who insisted that the
only way to teach girl to manage house
was to let her manage one, and so when