The Huntington argus. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1872-1905, 1872-06-08

Was compromised
Il have been reading Madame Sevfgne's
correspondence, said she "and il strikes
me that you resemble each other in pos
sessing the secret of fine letter. writing
when most people run into twaddle
81 don't know how to bear myself un.
der such burden OF praise. feel that il
7 Is undeservei.'
3 ''ln order 10 convince you Of its truth,
! perhaps had better allow Won to reperuse
n few specimens that have from one Mr.
Berthold Greaterex See here they are. {"
unlocking a cabinet ard show ing II good,
I parcel tied with ribbon
did | write you all thoseY' said Bert.
aghast Let me see them.
What are they asked Caroline, with
drawing her attention from the STYLES tor
AN instant "Oh, love letters3'
Lave lettersg' repeated Maria al don't
know: Were they, Mr.. Greaterex?' aside.
81 don't remember, said Bert Let me
read them, and IN decide"
Il don't dare trust you People have a
way of burning up their old letters it they
can lay hands upon them. Now, perhaps
] IN silly and sentimental, but mine are
worth something to me. BY the way, MIR
Greaterex, did you ever 60 into court when
I there was breach ofpromise case on2-
erome took us in once when they were
/ reading the love letters, and it was so fun
nyl Everybody was convulsed. They
were very nice letters, too
Bert turned little pale. lie vaguely
remembered that at different periods he
had believed himself seriously "s,nitten"
with Marias charms; and had, no doubt.
written in strain becoming a lover, but
how ariently or explicitly he could not
u Il. IL
breach OF promise case away back in the
experience of one of his ancestors: and
/ though the case had not gone against him
yet he had never fully recovered the tone
of his sensibilities which had receive /,
such a shock
Give them to me- said Bert, reaching
his hand for them.
"Will you give me anything in return Of
equal value? Will you give me the nose
gay in your button hole2'
1T is beginning to fade. No, Miss Up
tor"
Come into the garden and will give
you fresh one
/ Thanks"
! lie followed into the garden, where she
made a selection, and throwing Mrs
Smalls gift aside, put her own in it's place
When she had finished he picked up the
. faded flower and pressed it into his pocket
book.
"Oh, said Maria, souvenir Of some"
/ The words broke Off in her throat WHO
( gave it To your abruptly.
THE Widow Small" said Bert, smiling
/ Come, you are easing me You sha' n /
see single letter. and they are so inter
estingl'
"How could they be otherwise when you
were their subject?
And then Caroline called to them that
she was going home, and the conference
ended.
So it happened that Bert temporized.
with that dreAdt al hint of his letters being
read in court Tor the diversion Of 80 towns
folk hanging over his head Had uc been
quite certain Of their conteuts h. nigh,
have defied them: but he was aware that
young man in his first enthrallmeut Of
fancy allows his enthusiasm to run away
with his prudence But all this did not
prevent him from going daily to Mrs.
Small 4 Tor his bouquet which, by the way,
he sometimes carried to Maria Upton. a
sacrifice to Nemesis; and these daily calls
at the cottage in Lovers Lane became Ii Ike
daily bread TO the hungry lie lived Tor
them, counted the hours till il was time TO
set forth, prolonged them till the hostess
was 1ain to spread her little tea table and
invite her guest to drink nectar from Chi
ma and to taste ambrosia homemade. -
Sometimes when the nights were warm
they took tea in the little arbor with roses
nodding in Mt the archway, and honey
suckles climbing the lattice, and minouette
splcing the dewy air; and there the moon
would find them, listening to the sleepy
notes OF thrnshes in the hedge, or talking
of the dim, delicious future rs il il we're
some enchanted land toward which they
were jSurneying together
One evening, az she babe him good night
on her doorstep, he felt her hand trembe
in his
What is ii2' he asked. "Did Won see a
ghost amonl the plum treesy'
Something startled me saw tho,
saw a face among the shrubbcry."
"Whuse iace?'
"Or, perhaps ! was M. istaken. Il was a
shadow projected from my fancy, may be- %
You are getting nervous, little one
You must not live here alone.
And the next evening, when Mr. Great
ereH loiterod 70 the cottage, he found that
she had followed hi advice. the doors Of
the house we're closed, and placards. TO
Let" were DO the windows The Widow
Small had vanished like genius in a fairy
story Mr Berthold Greatsrex was beside
himself, and ready 10 brave anything in
Maria Upton's power Whatdid a breach
OF promise signify in comparison with los
ing his lover Let those laugh who win.
Somebody had seen person answer. ny
TO the description Of Mrs Small take the
noon train for New York that dav Bert