The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-10-29

"Explain yourself y said Mr.. Singleton.
What do you mean? ?"
81 had no idea it would go so far" gas
ped out Willie. "I thought she would
have guessed directly taha it was joke"
"You must really explain yourself more
clearly" said Mr.. Singleton, sternly.
"Well Thought would play off a little
joke ON Eva; SO wrote letter, and got
one of my friends to copy it, and sent it to
her. and-and--"
"Go on, SIR" said Mr.. Singleton, icily.
I'll" stammered Willie, thoroughly
confused for the first time in his life. 81
put your name to it-just for joke, you
know" added he, timidly and depreca-
tingly. 81 gave it to waiter, who said
he did not think he could deliver it before
five o'clock this evening but he carried it
sooner, or would have reached there in
time to have kept that imbecle girl from
answering it. What does make woman
such fools?''
"Sir," said Mr.. Singleton, "you have
indeed acted most unjustifiably, both to-
ward the lady and myself. Most men would
deal severely with you. For the present l
demand that you preserve silence about
this matter. In the meantime / will see
what can be done to undo the mischief you
have occasioned."
But why was Mr.. Singleton so forbear-
ing? Why did he bind Willie to secrecy?
1t was not that he loved Eva, as lovers
love: he had, as yet, thought of her only as
a pretty and interesting girl. But he had
such chivalry and tenderness of nature,
that he was inexpressibly touched by the
innocent, guileless revelation of. her pure,
young heart He felt such pity for the
position in which she was placed. She had
been entrapped into laying bare the dear
est and most sacred secret of woman's
life. What shame, agony, and humiliation
would she suffer, on discovering how she
had been deceived and betrayed? He could
not read her letter without feeling of
chivalrous tenderness. There was now no
other image enshrined in his heart to bar
out hers for only the ashes of an extin-
guished and Inflated love were there.
Long he sat there, weighing the matter.
His whole life was suddenly, violently
revolutionized by a thoughtless, imperti-
nent freak of boyish mischief. The gloom
of twilight gathered around. Time passed.
Some action must be taken.
At length his decision was made. He
proceeded to the ballroom, where Eva was
with her aunt. AS she saw Mr.. Singleton
enter, her heart seemed to stand still, such
was its weight of joy. Her face glowed,
radiant with new beauty--the beauty of
happy love. She lifted her eyes to Mr..
Singleton's face, with shy, sweet, trem-
ulous smile. Inv.
Let us walk on the lawn, said he,
offering her his arm. .nt.,ea sa-
1t was not until they had left the throng
behind, and stood alone beneath the stars,
that either spoke. Then Mr.. Singleton,
skillfully avoiding all allusion to the letter,
whose authorship he could neither deny
nor confess, touched, as if casually, on her
answer.
"You have, indeed, conferred an honor
on me, he said, "in avowing yonr pref
erance--an honor which ! can never suf-
ticiently acknowledge" a3r" tnt4f
"Oh, Mr.. Singleton n she murmured.
g never was so amazed. l had never
dreamed that you cared for simple girl
like me, with all your talents and your
dignity too" d1 nl pt
Men often keep their thoughts secret, "
was Mr.. Singleton's oracular reply. ''They
admire women who are unconscious of it.
But, indeed, you rate yourself too hum
bly," ,asfmH
"I have never wished for the regard of
but one man, said she, artlessly, looking
down; "apd now it seems 80 strange, that
in world where they tell me there is so
much grief and disappointment, such hap
piness should be mine" sli +. l,,il eais
lie was deeply touched. oaas h
"My dear child, he said, 81 pray that
your happiness may be as great as you
hope. From this hour, my life shall be
dedicated to It," eH.'Iaaf
His decision was made at last! 9
They walked up and down the lawn,
betrothed lovers. Never was betrothal 80
sudden and so strange. It was impossible
for Mr.. Singleton to feign altogether the
language Of impassioned love; but there
was gentleness and tenderness In his air
and manner that went almost as far.
Eva thought that the reason he was so
unlike the lovers she had read Of and i'm