Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-08-17


the half conclusions Of the say hefOre-
that he desired to balance the past account
which made up pretty sum total ofsugar-
ed speeches and half uttered declarations,
There was I'm air of Indifference about him
which she greatly mistrusted but she
wund not allow him to slip through her
fingers 80 easily. Publicity of private
affairs was the bughear of the Greaterex
soul, hal she not received: d:enough fragrant
notes aud letters from Bert to answer her
purpOsci Not that she would descend to the
vulgar necessity Of breach of promise,
hut where WAS the harm o. making him
understand that he was compromised
81 have been reading Madame Sevigue's
correspondence, )" .aid she; "and it strikes
me that YOU resemble each other in pos
srssing the secret of fine letter writing,
when most people run into twaddle."
81 don't know how to bear myself under
such burden Of praise. feel that It is
undeseryGd."
"ln order to convince you of Its truth,
perhaps had better allow you to repe-
iusc few specimens that have from one
Mr.. Berthold Grruterex Seel here they
are;' unlocking "A cabinet and showing
goodiy parcel tied with ribbon.
"Did write you all those - said B'rt,
nghast Let rue see them "
"What are they r. asked Caroline, with
drawing her attention from the styles for
an instant "Oh love lettcrsi"
"Lovc-hter> ;" rep ptcd Maria. Il
don't know We're they MIR. Grutcrexl"
aside.
4 don't remember" said Bert. Let
me read thcm, AMI III decide"
81 don't dare trust you. People have II
way Of burning up their old letters it they
canIlay their hands upon them. Now per.
hHps Pam silly aud sentimental, hut mine
are worth something to me. BY the way,
Mr. Greaterex, did you ever go into court
Whtn there was breach OF promise case
oni Jerome took us In once, when they
were reading the love-letters, aud it was
So funny Everybody was tonyulsed.
They were very nice letters. too"
Bort turned a little pale lie vaguely
remembered that at different periods he
had believed himself seriously "smitlen''
with MaTid's charms, and, no doubt, writ -
ten in strain becoming lover, but how
ardently or how explicitly he could not re-
call. He knew that there had been n
brcach-of-promise case away back in the
experience of one Of his ancestors and the
case had gone against him, Vet he had
ueyer ally recovered the tone of His SEN
sihililics, which had ceiyed such ii shock
"Givc them to me-" said Bert, reaching
hi, hand for them.
"Will you give me anything IN return Of
equal value VIII you give me the nose
gay in your bulton-hole :"
at is beginning 10 fade No, Miss Up
ton" "Comc into the garden, aud I viii
give you fresh one"
'rhanks."
lie followed into the garden, where she
made selection, and throwing Mrs. Smal's
Gin aside, put her own in Its place. When
she had finished he picked up the faded
flower and pressed it into his pocket book.
"Oh, "said Maria,a souvenir, somc--''
The words broke of in her throat. who
gave it to you! abruptly.
"Thc Widow Small" said Bert smiling.
Come, you are teasing me. You shall
not see single letters and they are ever
20 intcIe-ting,'
GLOW could they be otherwise when you
were the -uljccti'
And then Caroline rallied TO them that
she was going hone, and the conference
ended.
Soit was that Bert temporized, with thai
dreadful hint OF letters heng read in court
for the diversion Of the tuwns-fplk hang.
ing over his head Had he been quite GER
tain OF their contents he might have deied
them but he was aware that IL Young man
in the first enthralment Of fancy allows
his enthusiasm to run away with his pru
dcncc. But al this did not prevent him
from going daily to Mrs. Small's for hie
hoquet, which, blythe way, he sometimes
| carried to Maria Iuton's sacrifice tC
Nemesis and these daily calls at the cot
tagr in Lovers Lane became like daily
bread to the hungry. He lived for them
counted the hours til time To set forth,
prolonged them till the hostess WAS fair
tn spread her little tea table and invite he
guest to drink nectar from china and I,
taste anhrosia homemade. Sometime;
when the nights were warm they took Iei
in the little arbor, aud with roses nodGinl
in at the urchway and honeysuckle
climbing the lattice, and miguonette spic
ing The dewy air; and there the mool
would find them, listening to the sleep!
notes of thlushes in the hedge, or talking
Of the dim, delicious future as If it wen
some enchanted land toward which the.
were iourneying together.
one evening us she bade MIN good.nigh
on her door step, he felt her hand trembl
in his.
"Whnt is it - he usked "Dd you Sc
ghost among the plumb-trees ?"
Something startled me. ] saw
thought saw II face among the shrub
berry"
"Whuse face!n
"Oh, perhaps ! was mistaken. 1t Wa
shadow projecting from my fancy may
hap"
" You are getting nervous, little on'
, You must not live here alone"
And the Lest evening when Mr.. Grcatere
loitered TO the cottage, he found she Ia
followed his advice the doors of the hous
were closed, and playcards ITO Let
were IN the windows, The widow Sma
, had vanished like the genius in a fail
story. Mr. Bcrthold GreatereX was besi
himself and ready to brave anything
Maria Upton's power. Whgtdid promli
10 signify in comparison with losing his low,
Let those laugh who win.
Somebody had seen person answerlr
to the description of Mrs. Small take Il
d noon train for New York that day. Be
followed without more delay, wasted
a week In hanging about the city before
bctook himselft to the house of his frieI
Il Mr.. Aherutth, in the suburbs. One aite
D" uoon,a IA he was turning over somr.rngra
u ings In the p4rlOr with Kate Abernetl