The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-04-22
Miscellaneous.
&
The Wrong Picture.

"A pretty face-a pretty face indeed ~
TUNED the little photograph upside
down, held it off at arms length to get
perspective view, and scrutinized it
closely with my eyeglasses.
Henry Wallis looked pleased; man
naturally likes to have his fGnce duly
adjured and appreciated. f tso'
$50 th s is. the Bessie Armitage have
heard so mucn of; really, Wallis, she
does credit to your taste. A blonde,
suppose?"
Fair as lily leaf. with blue eyes and
the sunniest golden hair r. .
"Ahi well, Il must say I prefer the
brunette style. so far as my individual
taste goes; but then, fancies differ, you
know"
1t was all very well for Henry Wallis
to go into ecstasies about the pallid, fair
haired Bessie Armitage; he had never
seen the glance of Cecilia Vernon's mag
nificent dark eyes. What did he know
about the true type offeminine beauty?
"As you say, fancies differ" Wallis
returned, lightly. "But 1 wish you
would select handsome frame for il
when you go to town next-blue velvet
with a gold rim on the margin, or some
such tasteful arrangement"
"I'll see to it," said, depositing the
picture in it's envelope, and returning it
to my inside breast pocket.
"Y1f'll be very careful of it?''
"Careful? OF course shall"
/ smiled little loftily at Wallis So.
licitude and we parted. sry
After all, Henry Wallis was better off
than / WIS, for he was securely engaged
to the dimpled, yellow-tressed little OBJ
iect of his affections; while 1 was yet,
as it were, outer darkness, uncertain
whether my peerless Cecilia returned my
ardent devotion, or whether she secret
ly inclined toward that unprincipled
fellow, Fitzhugh Trefoil. A score of
times 1 had gone to the Vernons with
the very formula of declaration on my
lips, and as often had the words died
away unvoiced and unspoken.
If faith had only gifted me with one
thousandth part of Fitzhugh Trefoil's
off-hand audacity don't think any
thing short of the Deluge could check
that fellows cool telf possession; an
earthquake wouldn't and / don't think
that the millennium couldl
However, love inspires the fesblest
heart with a sort of fictitious courage,
and was new man since Miss Vernon
had smiled upon me. What was the
use of doubling, hesitating and trem-
bling9 Why not decide my fate at oncea
Henry Wallis serene contsnt exercised
a stimulating influence upon me. 1
would fail. have been even as he wasl D
"Thsre is no sense in procrastinating
matters any further" said half aloud,
as 1 walked up and down the rather
limited domains of my little law office.
''sI have been'a doubling fool quite long
enough s, ~. .,r,.r. s..,, ,.,.,r 4t
I'm afraid I wasn't very amiabte
member of the domestic circle that af-
ternoon. '4"a
81 think Paul is growing crosser eve
ry day" said my sister, struggling her
little plump shoulders. "Mamma,
wish you'd speak to him." '... ...., ~ ~ :
: But my mother, bless her wise old
soul, knew better than that. She only
looked at me over the rims of her spec
tacles, and went on darning stockings,
sPaul isworried with business mat.
ters, suppose" she said, apologetical
lS.; "'Paul will do well enough, If you
oply let him alone,", ,ssssls siH .h.o
"a went mp to. my room after, dinner,
fand madean elaborate toilet; butailthe
pains 4 bestowed upon it served only to
highten the general effect Of awkward
ness. -liiW af i1lu II
"Pve two minds to wait until to-mor-
row." quoth to myself, abruptly stop
ping, with my cravSt half tied. sl y
No, might 5e'a coward, but was
not such an unmiugated poltroon as
that. I had begun the enterprise, and /
| would carry it through, if it cost me the
| last drop of my heart's blood. Moreov-