The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-07-19
MiseeIIaneons Selections
A SUBTLE SCHEME.

A SUBTLE SCHEME.
Il hear you are going to marry
my cousin, Emily Seymour, Mr..
Firmstone. Men are very tickle.
Scarcely two months ago you were
languishing at my feet, uttering vows
of undying constancy; and, when l
broke off your engagement, you
talked about hiding your sorrow in
an early grave, and nonesence of
that sort. Emily is a skillfnI angler;
she has caught her fish eleverly. I
fear the barbed hook, matrimony,
will hurt the poor creature, never
theless," said Maud Montague, adj
dressing a handsome young gentle
man, who had lunged into a picture
gallery.
Her pretty upper lip curled as she
spoke; her dark eye flashed, and the
tone of her voice was harshly un
! pleasant.
"a man has to steel his heart, oc-
casionally, Miss Montague. Some
disappointments are hard to contend
against, but a sensible man battles
them bravely down. You compelled
me to resign all claim to your hand;
afterwards 1 withdrew my love Of
nv own free will. Can you blame
me for so doing? replied Firmstone,
softly, but with calm dignity.
mo, 1 couldn't pity you now, if
you deserved compassion. You do
not understand Emily yet. When
the sunshine of her smiles gives
place to the tempest of her anger, SO
much the worse for your answered
Maud, sneeringly, as, with scornful
action, she swept from the gallery.
Maud Montague was the only
daughter Of rich merchant in New
York. Her mother was of Spanish
Iextraction; and it seemed as if the
fiery Castilian spirit had been inner
Iited by her daughter, for she was
passionate and jealous in the ex-
Itreme.
Mr.. Cecil Firmstone, was stock
Ibroker, who, by shrewdness, had
amassed a considerable fortune, and
by fair dealing and integrity, had
won the esteem of all those with
whom he associated. Attracted BY
the peerless beauty Of Miss Monta-
lgue, he had woed her for his wife,
land she had consented to marry him;
but soon her passionate and dictate
rial temperament caused a quarrel
between them. She gave him his
dismissal, and the bethrothal was an
nulled.
Maud little thought she would
loose him forever, or her action
would have been less hasty. She
imagined his love for her would be
linvigorated by temporary estrange-
ment, and that ere long he would
supplicate forgiveness for his un-
committed fault, and be still more
docile in the future. Therefore, she
was madly incensed when she heard
he was engaged to her cousin Emily
and her vindictive spirit prompted
her to revenge herself for what she
was pleased to consider his muta-
bility.
Emily Seymour, though of the
same age with her cousin, was OF a
very different nature. Sne was an
orphan, dependent upon her uncle,
| (Maud's father, her only Inheritance
being her beauty, and her sweet, gen
tie temper. She had much COM
junction, at first, in accepting the
addresses of Cecil Firmstone, fearing
her cousin might consider she had
supplanted her; but Cecil assured
her so positively that his old love had
died out, and that there was no pos
sibility of the breach between Maud
and himself ever being closed, that
she was fain to obey the dictates OF
her pure, warm little heart, and be-
troth herself to the man she had
long regarded with admiration.
"He shall not live to wed her. l
have loved him but now I hate and
despise him." murmured Maud, as
she descended the stairs of the pic
ture gallery, subsequent to her inter
view with her late lover.
In no very enviable frame of mind
she walked rapidly across Union
Square, maturing her plan for re-
venge, nursing the wrath in her bos-
ON until it fired and maddened her
Pursuing her way she presently
turned into by-street, and halted
before the door of a shop, the WIN
dow of which, being filed with stut-
fed animals and birds, indicated il
was tenanted by naturalist. She
read the name upon the sign, and
entered the place.
sEYou are the proprietor OF this es
adjustment, Ipresume, she said, IN.
terrogatively, to weazen-faced ole
man.
ayes, ma'am. What can 1 do fol
youp' he replied, glancing instinc
lively towards a wicket-basket con
tanning little Pomeranian papies
81 am studying iethyolOgy, and
Iwish to purchase a live snake" sale
Maud.
The old mans wrinkles twisted in
to smiles.
81 have some specimen ma'am
OF what species did you require
one?' he asked.
81 should like to see a rattlesnak'
if you had one"
The naturalist's ferret eyes openef
wide,