Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-09-24
THE FATAL PIN.
A Pin, Pini My Kingdom for n Pin

for she was to be my Belinda. In short, |
was engaged to be married TO her but this
anticipation of proprietorship is a privilege
gracefully conceded followers. All that, how
ever, is now thin air. / can talk of 1t calm
". "Thats right" friends say to me fre.
Guently, ''you won't care pin about it," A
pin The word gives me a prick like the
thing ii stands for. 1t was pin settled It.
She was the most delicate-minded creature
in the world, Belinda. A being more highly
sensitive II was impossible to conceive Such
words as ''stout,h "appetite," "healthy."
.leg," climb" stomach, ''sea-sick," She
could not let near her. mean, of course
in a metaphorical sense. Such delicacy of
mind ii was impossible not to admire and
praise II signided world of future poesy
but then 1t made ones position almost preca-
rious, and on more than one occasion some
unguarded allusion of mine went nigh to
shipwrecklng everything. She told me in
deed candidly, ''she thought was the most
refined and spiritual being she had ever met"
This was little exaggerative, for | cannot
claim to more than my fellows In this depart
ment, and to say the truth, rather enjoy a
good rough speech. But ltill had TO walk
wariy.
We were about to make little expedition
and the train was to stop at particular sta
ton where Belinda and her mamma were to
come in. Shall own it? felt not little
nervous at this meeting, and made my toilet
with singular nicely. II was the first occa-
sion, too, on which l 'spOrted" Ito use a
popular phrase) little prenuptial cadeau,
which, considering that it touched rather
nearly on a district marked dangerous, sur
prised me not a little. allude to a set of
handsome gold studs, sleeve-linlxs, etc en-
blazOned with my personal initials, which
er, after the approved fashion. But consid-
ering that the locality of these ornaments is
not so far off from one of Belinda's obnOx-
ious words, it seemed strange choice. She
no doubt looked at them in sc, as they nestled
inlheir blue velvet case, like litter of new
ly-born puppies for her they were simply
studs with no ulterior purpose.
] was alone in the carriage, and, as | say,
little nervous 1t was the first occasion on
which had been admitted TO such intimacy
as to be cavalier or protector. Here was a
new responsibility, you see. | felHlost, and
subject to that physical emotion attendant on
heat, which | would not so much as have
dared TO whisper in her presence. | was
glancing down my figure, taking in the gen
eral coup dGil, from waistcoat to boots, then
feeling what could not see, when | became
conscious of certain slackness, something
Tapping about the region of the throat. 1t
was very strange, but all was loose some
thing, in sea- phrase, had gone FASTENED
to reef all in, when 10! my nervous fingers
seeking the centre, the stud ON which all de-
pended, found that it was gone.
Slipped down, no doubt | investigated,
entered on that sleuth-hound chase, which yet
defies the explOrer-shook all about me-but
1t was not there. | was down ON my knees
in an instant, cropping all over the floor. II
was lost-a substantial loss, for the neckstud
is the most solid and handsome of the collec-
ton. II was to the others as the ''main
sheet" is to the rest of the ropes. How vex-
atiOus But there was worse than that loss
here all was Stacked away, collar open and
dropping like two horns, breast of the snowy
shirt all apart and all abroad. The ship, in
deed, near the fgure-head, all breaking up
and going to pieces. What shall do 7 how
present myself TO the Over-fastidious maiden
was being hurried to meet her. That feel
ing of relentless impulse, as though a man
were being swept away to execution by steam
or machinery, made the situation almost hor-
Tible, from sheer nervousness. What was
TO dor Present myself in this state, my
throat in this draggled condition? Why,
even TO the ordinary Doors of the street it
would be source of vulgar mirth. / could
not present myself, trying to keep altogether
precariously with one hand. There were
four extremities, it will be recollected; no
finger could cOntine all at the same point.
The awkwardness too, even II ii could, of
going through social life with one finger
pressed upon this slippery balance! One of
the four if not two, would be certain to get
free; there would be nothing to reveal the
escapade, as the eyes could not command a
view, and the fingers would have to be gro
ping nervously 10 see that all was right
Why not pin? The female reader will
have at once suggested the remedy, smiling
that SO simple cure should not have oc-
Cured at once. / had thought of that long
before, and searched desperately in every
part of the human figure. Being of a we'll
ordered smind, everything was made fast by
legitimate agency-button and buckle every
where did the work One desperate chance
kept for the last beneath the coat-collar,
seat of many boquet, there was certain to
be some stray pin contining the stalk on the
under-side With these recurring flowers
some stray pin must surely have fingered
With trembling hand | turned back the
collar. II was blank. The careful servant
had been at two much pains to remove 1t
What 1cds to be done? Ha brilliant
thought-substitutc one of the smaller studs
an idea to be dismissed almost as soon as
thought of. They were OF the class that
were no bigger than seed-pearls-little pops
as II were. Ih6y would nOlu nOlnluB' %
that must be dismissed as futile sham. The
only thing left, on the stoppage of the train,
was to fly precipitately, and lose forever the
prospect that was before me. dared not
present myself, the human throat thus disar-
ranged. Stay here was the train stopping
slowly-not at a station, for we had still half
an hour to travel. We were stopping on a
deserted portion of the line, always desc
late proceeding, and appearing sort of
physical persOniticaton of agonized uncer-
tainty. Instantly heads were out of the win
dows, and the guard walking along the line
was cal cd on to explain. "Only luggage
van in front" But he was to be mine more
than theirs. He was to be my rescue.
"Guard !" l said.
'Well, sir!" he answered, walking on and
unrolling his flag.
''Just come here" did not want all the
ears outside the railroad carriage to know my
dilemma
"Can't attend to you now, str; must sec
that we aren't run into. And he hurried on
waving his bit of red bunting, This was
fIetting and harassing. There was benev'
olent-lOoking head that protruded from the
window close to mine stretching with great
interest up the line. The idea seized me
the very thing; would appeal to him.
''Theres no actual danger" 2" he asked.
''None in the world, but perhaps you wOult
oblige me with such thing as a pin my
collar has got undone-mOst awkward.
''Bu. the other express is due about this