The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-02-25

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your sisters are In. Almost respectable
man, too. If he is not young. He spoke
to me on the subject yesterday he
should have offered himself before this,
lie you had not beenso shy and cold. 1T
would be shame for you to refuse him,
If he did ask you" Ia
"I certainly shall refuse him, papa
Ia pretty husband hol Would make for
me-ffffy years old at least and a pretty
wife should make for him-marrying
him for nothing but his. money! I'm
not afraid of being an old maid" sr. l..
''You'rea fool, Bertha Clark p ~
"Dear papa, you don't compliment
| yourself when you call me fool; eve-
rybody saysI resemble your 9elS ;'ar
And the saucy young lady imprinted
kiss upon, her irate fathers cheek, and
left the room, s'oa p !eopd eay
y N .'I.. 'sl.I....a5'. ,isuo.
swell. Peter, what is itf'
"a gen'l'man in the parIor, miss, ask
tingfor you" -, .,,.'cis '',, ,.., 'l, ,o.'-
"who is 1t, Peter2v y. ss5fiai y
Z "That oldish gen'pman, miss--what's
his name, now? 6Oh, Colonel Grainget
l-Grainger r. -.-g.'..s, ~ ..a.i',;7 ~.
And Peter backs out of the room with
many spinal curvantures and dental
| displays. Is. ~ ''''. .''' (,
Colonel Graingerf What pityt l
know papa has encouraged him to this,'
said Bertha, to herself, much annoyed.
"But, after all, the man is ent titled to de
cent treatment, suppose I'll go down
and il he asks me any questions. 1 can
but ttanswer them, and end hissuspense."
So she tripped down to the psrlor,
where she found her visitor alone. She
had never found herself tete-a-tete with
him before She had never noticed how
geDtlemanly, and even winping, he was
in his mafihers. She should like him
extremcly well, she thought, but for the
fact that he had proposed'for her to her
fattier. He talked q good While upon
4 different subjects, displaying much tact
and good sense, as well as general infor-
nation. ~, ~ -
4 Bertha, began to hope the dreadsp
lquestion wss u0t tv--h~ asisad lba- =
the course of the conversation, he allud
ed 10 his having visited San Francisco
AS he spoke the name. a slight blusl
came to herface which he evidently no
ticed.
i "By tie way" he said, al know |
young man there, friend of your faith
| DI.sl L., r,-.ix, .l j.
"Did you, indeed ?'' she asked, trying
to conceal the interest she felt under tbs
} mask of indifference. 70 2 + g"
"Yes," he replied. IA very fine
young fellow, but not very successful--
Only about one in hundred succeeds
out there" "h'l-.
| He seemed to her 70 watch her face as
he said this, to mark the effect of his
words. Her pap", she thought, mus
have told him something. 81
Presently, he said, moving his chair
nearer her own, "Miss Clark, am q
comparative stranger to you, but have
been in the army, have also been a
i successful speculator, and have prov
ed to your father my respectability.
am rich--so rich that it is impossible to
enjoy my riches without some one "a
spend them with me. I could not rea;
sonably ask young and pretty woman
like you to fall in love with an old gray
headed fellow like me; but if you could
like me well enough to marry me,
should treat you so we'll. that believe
love might come afterwards"
She look at him gratefully.
"Your offer, made without pretence,
and without requirement" said she, ais
one that commands my thanks. But,
though like and respect you, cannot
accept it. could not marry one whom
1 did not love-" 90 ''
"ABd you do not love me the least bit
in the world-you are quite suref"
"a gentleman generally takes mo- for
az. answer" e H
"But I'm not going to take mo- for an
answer" In moment gray wig and
false beard lay on tho carpet at her
feet, and Phil Travers stood before her.
sand yet. 1 think 1 am a gentleman"
"Oh, Phil how could your" ~ ~,
"I wanted to try You a little. Bertha.
1 wanted to besure that you loved me
still-poor as might be-"
"What, do you suppose care for your
poverty2 Was you faith in me so slight,
as to need confirmation Of this kind %
"Bertha, don't be angry but tell me
that you love me, and forgive me-" he
pleaded.
"of course, I love you, miserable
doubter! And, ofcourse, must forgive
you'll So you have come back as poor as
you went ?" she said stroking his ebon
hair, and smiling. ro y. n,ii-s ta
He returned her smile with interest.
awe can work together, can't we
Bertha7' ...
"Of course we can. But how come
yov to call yourselfa colonelf"
"fhe better to stifie suspicion on your
part" ln41 .e-.sr
He sat and held her hand in silonce,
for awhile. looking into her happy eyes.
BY and by he said, "What a pity this
lily hand should be soiled by labor p' s
-'rhat is what hands were made for, 1
take it." said she, gleefully.
mot such a hand as this" said he
kissing it. ''Such hands were made to
wear diamond rings s'.1i r..
81. '-Iaff - .IIls.I