The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-02-13

the fiarry and hurry, means simply that
they want to drop me from their list Of
friends. Well, they shall be accommo-
dated. But there is one friend that
'sticketh closer than brothcr,' size will
not desert me There's great consola-
tion in that"
So saying he fastened to sec her He
found her in tears For the first time
since engaged in trying his experiment,
he felt like 4 very mean man. He would
have confessed at once what great liar
he had been making of himself, had not
the confession been arathcr awkward
undertaking.
"loa have, no doubt, learned" said
he, "that have met with sudden re-
verse Of fortune Your father tells me
that the only honorable course for me is
to offer to release you from your engage
ment. And while doing so, permit me
to say, that il, after being released from
your engagement with Spriggins, the rich
man,you will plight your faith to him as
a poor man, | shall he the happiest man
on earth. | want to be an honorable
man, and so give you your freedom"
Miss Dulcina sobbed convusiveIy but
finally succeeded in speaking so as to be
understood
"You are very kind, Mr.. Spriegins," "
she said. 81 am very sorry that our en-
gagemeut must he broken off, for | did
like you so WE'LL
And so the hopes that Mr.. Spriggins
had entertained were dashed to the
ground. His Dulcina liked him very
well, but liked his money better; and so,
when she imagined that was gone, she,
100, left him. Without another word lie
strobe from her presence, different, but
by no means q happy man.
$50, so!' he muttercd "Thc engage
ment on her part has been a mere mat
ter of money, an as good,and a good
deal wiser"
"You are right said he to me. "This
world is humbug! There is not a wo-
man or a man, among all my friends,
that is worth pinch of snuff. But |
will be revenged! l have a plan in my
head that will spite old Smith delight
fully"
Mr.. Spriggins seemed to have been
struck with new thought. He left me
abruptly, and | saw him no more for
several days. Meantime the news spread
around that Spriggins was not insolvent
that it was all hoax
The next time | saw him he told me
with sort Of malicious pleasure, that
he ha0 got about even with his friends.
Said he, Il know of an investment that
will pay, without doubt, at least fifty per
cent. / called on Mr. Smith and explain
ed the thing to him. He was highly
pleased and offered to 90 into the affair.
But" said you are 'ercessirey short
I've called on the rest with a like result,
and now I'm revenged"
Mr.. Spriggins laughed, but it was
rather disagreeabls laugh.
II met" said lie, ''the father of her
whom l once intended to marry He
was very friendly, but | told him I was
in hurry, and couldn't stop to talk, my
uhe DeinS 100 precious ana every
time those false,hearted friends smile on
me SO pleasantly, l pass on,and tell them
I'm in hurry"
l suppose Mr. Spriggin5 has had his
revenge, but he is very sad mau now
He is an old bachelor, and VOWS that
girls care more about money thar a
good, true heart He says, too, that the
love stories scattered over the country
are without any foundation in real life
Poor Spriggins! He has learned at great
cost the truth, that
.,Mhere Ignorance is bliss lis fallx to ha wixe