American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-07-05
THE WORST MATCH OF THE SEA-
son.
.iir as By EDGAR FAwcETT.
IN HIS VOICE.

l. .EE ~ BY EDGAR FAwcETT.
/ :el
IN HIS VOICE.
It is certainly very nice of Mrs Heath
| And by the wav, 1 was prepared for til
| fla6revefse ofbenevolence from her hands
| | believed (when L took the trouble to be
| lieve at all on this subject that she midi,
| loathed me- thought she had never for
| gotten certain event or two connected
with the past-the dear irrevocable day
whenI hadn't lost my money and stoot
1 forth the crown and flower of marriageabl,
| New York bachelorhood; when, also, sh,
was poor little Fanny Chichester, and M
coming millionaire, like Archibald II cath
ESQ.,. had as YET cast his shadow before
Doubtless behaved with more or les.
villainy then; it certainly is mean spirited
to trif1e away girls time under such cir
cumstances-time that is money to thu
sweet industrious creature. = II is Just like
putting ones hand in ones pocket while
a pathetic looking .mendicant stands by
and then Withdrawing the hand empty, to
the mendicant's painful anlazement 2
But most surely all satire is illtimed
which may presume to level agains
Mrs. Archibald Heath We have changed
places, she and-I, since those departed
days. Her end of the seesaw has gone
majestically up, mine disheartingly down
Doubtless ought to feel grateful enough
for being asked here to this lovely Laurel
wood by lady whose Invitations are often
grovelled for and then not gotten and
perhaps if belonged among the scram
blers and the elbowers, my exquisite
triumph would be like receiving new
sense ff E.,--- 40
Well, as it is, am grateful exceeding.
ly: A nature that can forget an injury, or
rather remember it well enough to return
it with a kindness, comes nearer to that
human state which merits canonization
than in any other instance lean hit upon.
This seems to. be precisely the. case with
Mrs. Heath. I am asked to Laurelwood,
and among the three other people
who are asked contemporaneously
there is certain Miss Lillian Martel, a
relative of Mrs Heath's husband.
Thisevening, after have been having
a rather endurable talk with the girl and
have been languidfy making up my mind
to like her as long as L am here "a lapse of
time whose duration yet remains among
the futures mysteries), what should oc-
cur but a sort of little private interview
"How do you like herr" Mrs, Heath
wants to know, lingering spray of moon
lit honcysuckle as we stand together on
the spacious piazza, this peerless, placid
colored July night ---F
/ am in a sort of absent mood, and don't
answer at all precipitately. A little in
sidious moonlight has pushed itself
through the dense honeysuckles, and is
tinging my companions large, full-mould-
ed arm till the firm clear flesh looks like
sculptured pearl. I am thinking how
once, in an impassioned youthful moment,
my lips-well, well; the arm is a finer
specimen now than it was then.
" How do 1 like herr" l repeat lazily.
"Her? You mean Miss Martel?n
'Of course" with a dash ofimpatience).
ooh, certainly" (while l am waking
myself upl Every much; that is, she
talks rather 7nicely,sI think. We. dis
cussed croquet mostly" r1- 81.
q "YOu must have exhausted the topic"
states Mrs. Heath with light laugh,
considering how long you were together.
Don't you think her pretty?"
"She has nice hair; so bright and wavy.
I mean in 'front.' of course. / make a
point always to ignore whatever dimly
resembles the back of a woman's head; it
is usually such a stronghold of deceit, not
TO say extravsgance-" - ..r.s. -f...,..
"What a sweetly amiable ideal Do you
know you're getting to be terrific cynic
now that" dividing her sentence with
saucy laugh you've lost your property?
\
me occasionally to sit in it? But about
Lily Martel. Do you think her clever?
Archie says she is, and Archie knows,
you know" .-.
docs he? / suppose that if John
Stuart Mill talked croquet with. Carlyle,
there wouldn't be much resultant bril-
liancy in a conversational way" 49,.
which means that Miss Martel- didn't
interest YOU l am sorry. TO hear it. She
has been out so little, and 1 wanted her to
have success next year, ifpossible. A
real success, l mean; not mere stupid
belleship founded ON the fact of her
..-..-tT .t
perperate, an effete cough. People
are apt to use a cough as an ambuscade
for some sudden amazement. Her
presently repeat, enough on
my guard again to attempt a little hypo-
critical unconcern. II didn't know about
it." w
Mrs. Heath raises astonished eyebrows
!" You haven't heard? You don't tell me
thought nearly everybody knew"
More dainty communication with the
honeysuckle9 "Oh, yes; very rich in
the way" (sweeping my face for a second
with keen eyes), ''these tidings are not GO
ing to dam the current of your future
civility, trust. Some men are so NOR
bidly afraid of being thought fortune.
hunters. And ifyou're not Just as pleas
ant to Lily henceforth as you have pre-
ViOusly been, l shall feel that have done
her quite a serious injury by throwing
you this little apple Of Knowledge
After that our interview is more or less
concluded. That woman has grown to be
he very sultana of diplomatists. Could
anything have been more delicately put?
The blow to my dignity and the balsamic
salye of healing were offered simultane-
ously. In those few strong words, too,
she fOrgave me for all the past-she who
can SO well afford to. forgive now! Her
benign finger has pointed for me path
10 prosperity So many q finger similar
ly circumstanced, would have withered in
its socket rather than perform any such
piece of digital benevolence Bless her.
she has taken the noblest of all revenges-
1t will be best for me to gain a little
time with Uncle Crawford, r conclude,
about that Cleveland business he offers
me-. Let there not be any out-and- out re-
fusal of the proposition; let there be only
q polite demur, a gentle procrastInatiOn
After all, | still further deliberate, few
days will decisively settle matters. I am
too old veteran not to understand a final
repulse. when il Is final. No doubt, in
deed, the repulse will come. am decent
looking enough, have perfect enough
am Yet distant enough from the
seignoria1 domain Of forty although it is
true feel the pangs of premature decrep-
tudc to the extent of at least one averaged
gray hair per fortnight, each being pallid
little ghostly avenger, suppose, of some
separate sin, pecadillo, indiscretion, late
supper, brandy -and-soda of the past; and
astly, when / get up my best energy
Oward the putting together of words, my