The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-01-12

W DOING - AcntuCky OsiFl-lhe silent
Worship Of a Wealthy Old Bachelor
The Girls Unexpected Ofcr-Throv-
ing Dice-S100, 200 Against n Lady's
Hand.
A Louisville correspondent of the
San Francisco Chronicle says:
There lived on - street, in an
unpretending establishment surround
ed by trees and flowers, young lady
who was celebrated for her beauty and
accomplishments. She was a blonde,
with blue eyes, white teeth, and heav-
enlv smile; had the prettiest hand and
foot that was ever seen; and was tall,
1.-THE, and elegant Her wit was deli
cate, pointed, and sparkling, and her
mind as superior as her person was
lovely. The town was at her feet, and
her suitors were as importunate, il not
as many, as Penelope's; like whom she
was continually wooed and never won.
In the midst of her successes came the
war the end of which found her family
impoverished, and herself reduced to
want for the necessaries of life.
But she was still the same proud, i'm
perious mistress of hearts as before,
and she refused in quick succession
the many offers of marriage that were
now made to her. She had not thought
of matrimony as resource, but had
other and different prospects in view.
She proposed in fact to teach school.
A fellow townsman, gentleman of
wealth and position and bachelor,
had long been a silent worshiper at her
shrine. He had houses and lands
estates in tne country and lots in the
city stocks, interests and investments
wherever they would pay and his prl-
vate establishment on--street was
simply palatial. Seeing how the case
stood with her whom he loved with his
whole soul. he resolved, after many
self-communings and much reflection,
to ask her to be his wife.
"Sir," she said. in answer to his
proposal, 81 do not love you, and l
cannot marry you"
"Think the matter over, my dear, :"
said he, land in one week from to-day
give me your answer
Upon his return on the day set she
said to him:
"Sir. you have wealth, and 1 am
poor; you live in palace, and l, as
you see, in a cottage; you are desirous
of having my hand, and 1 would like
very much to be rich l will make you
a proposition. I will throw the dice
with you-my hand against hundred
thousand dollars Is it bargain!'
cit is" said he And thereupon
they pledged to each other their words
to bide the hazard.
It was arranged that but three per
sons should be let into the secret; that
each should select q friend; and that
the two selected friends were to choose
the third. Miss named the Hon.
Mr.. =, prominent member OF the
bar. as her friend; Mr. chose the
Rev. Mr.. -, pastor of the fashiona-
BILE church on - street, as his; and
these two made choice of Dr. =, an
eminent professor in the medical col
lege, as the friend of both parties
BY these gentlemen the preliminaries
were arranged, and the programme was
this
The doctor was to give party at his
house on a certain specified Friday
evening, at which were to be present all
the best people in Louisville; the Hon.
Mr.. - was to have license in blank,
ready to be filled at moments warn
ing, and was to hold Mr.. IS check
for 300, OOO and the Rev Mr. was
to be in waiting to perform the marriage
ceremony, if called on to do SO. The
dice were TO be thrown in the Hon Mr.
IS study, whence the quintette were
to proceed to the party, where, if Miss
- lost, they were to celebrate the
wedding, and if she won, they were to
mingle with the guests without remark.
At precisely nine o'clock on the
eventful evening, the players and their
friends met in the Hon. Mr.. IS
study. By agreement of the parties
themselves, they were to throw poker
dice, and to cut cards for the first
throw. The gentleman cut queen and
the lady jack, and now came the tug
of war. He was cool, calm, and pale !;
she was statuesque, imperious, and col
lected. His lips were compressed; hers
were formed into an extended arc, span
ming the whole mouth and completing
the bow The twain sat on opposite
sides of a small table, and the umpires
stood overlooking them.
The dice box being set before him,
Mr. placed his fingers over the
top, and with the thumb clasping the
side, he gave it shake he threw two
fours and two deuces. Putting aside
the fours, he threw again, and threw
another four. Then, throwing the two
remaining dice, he threw two fives. He
had thrown, therefore, a full hand
three fours and two fives.
! And now came Miss IS turn 1t
was thrilling moment, and the rustic
! of her silk dress in the stiffness of that
room sounded like thetree tops in the
wind. She began by drawing off her
right glove, exposing hand of exqru-
site beauty, and delicacy, on the fore
finger of which sparkled a diamond
Then, taking up the box quickly, she
I gave it long shake in the air, and
turning it down upon the table, she
/ threw-nothing A cloud thereupon
passed over her face, and the arc of her
lips assumed more bow-like curva-
ture.
/ But nothing daunted, she at once re-
I took the box and threw again-this time
turning up four deuces. and the fifth
dice cooked Terrible mischance
Miserable luck Again she threw, and
threw deuces and two trays. Putting
all the dice back into the box, she had
but one other and last throw upon
which now rested her only chance. For
I the first time since she sat down she
spoke, asking for glass of water.
Having drank tumblerful, she sat fol
moment, pressing together her eye
brows, between her thumb and fore.
finger, and then, all of a sudden, she
snatched up the dice-box, and threw
three fours and two skies, and won
And did she take the money! you ask
me. answer most emphatically-she
did.