The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1873-05-24
2Jniscel(ameous.
The Bachelors Dilemma.

HOW MR.. vERLEY WENT TO MEET HIS NIECE.
"And don't you know when you will pass
| through this part of the country again, Mr. Yer
ley?"
mo, l DON'T" said the old bachelor, decided
ly.
He was something of a bear to answer so crust
lily, when Barbara Smith stood in the doorway
with the shadowy lashes dropping over the soft
brown eyes, and the roses deepening into deep
carmine on her rosy cheeks, until her dress was
plain in comparison. Such pretty, big-eyed
| loving little Barbara as she was, in all the
blonde freshness of her eighteen summers, and
the soft sigh that futtered from her lips as the
one horse carriage drove away, was checked in
stantly. Barbara had no idea of becoming
victim of unrequited love, though she fancied
Mr.. Verley during his brief stay at her fathers
house.
Mr. Verley drove away through the rustling
green draperies of the summer lanes, whstling
sadly as he drove.
81 shall be in very good time for the 1880
train,' he meditated to himself. "Punctuality is
the soul of happiness, and l never was one of
the behind tribe, thank Providence. Besides,
l think it was becoming dangerous to remain in
that place any longer; for I am thirty-nine to-
morrow, and that is just twenty years too old
for me to go making fool of myself"
"Fancy me getting married No you don't
Joseph Verley, my frend!"
AS he settled himself comfortably in the
crowded railway car, and opened letter, the
subject again occurred to his mind with curious
persistence.
""The letter of my poor brothers executor
came just in time, or I should certainly have
fooled away more time than would have been
sensible, or at least, profitable"
"Poor, dear Harold don't see what on earth
possessed him to fall sick and die on the way
home from Venice, and leave his daughte
never did understand a woma"''
: ~--LO4l
at Speedville and take her home W..
OH" groaned Mr.. Verley, despairingly, "M Lat
am to do with her there, I'd like to know. 1
suppose she's great creature with ringlets and
ribbons and has, just like as not, an Italian
lover, talking sentiment to her-a creature that
pencils and chalk. I'll send her to boarding
school-that's what I'll do with my neice. Per-
haps when she has graduated there, the school
master can suggest some means of getting rid of
her. of course she'll have dozen large trunks,
and bonnet box, and parrot cage; that's the
way women travel, believe. Pm glad am
out of the way of Barbara's destinations now.
r. &C fba mi,
sort of calm desperation at the prospect be-
fore him.
"I suppose she'll want piano and poodle
dog, and there's no knowing what else. do
not see why Harold wanted to die and leave his
daughter to my care just now. Speedville sta
ton, twenty-seven miles father; I wish it was
twenty seven hundred miles, that's what
wish.''
And with vindctive statement in his mind
our hero tied red handkerchief over his head,
and tried to lose himself in a series of brief,
troublesome dreams, wherein the vision of
tall, nice young lady figured conspicuously.
"Are we here already?" he stammered, start
| ing to his feet, as the conductor growled out
| "Speedville station!" and seizing valise and
| travelling shawl, with the bustlng bewilder-
ment peculiar to people just aroused from sleep,
| he alighted.
| Speedville was rather large-sized village,
situated at the junction of several railways,
with an imposing American Gothic structure
for depot. Into the building Mr.. Verley walk
ed, looking right and left for the young lady
whose guardianship he was to assume.
"Of course he responded mentally, "she'l
be on the lookout for me; women are proverbi-
ally curious"
But Harold Verley's daughter was not on the
lookout for her uncle. When the crowd incl
dent to the evening train had subsidized, and the
people had gone their different ways, the only
remaining occupants of the depot were Mr.. Yer
| ley, lame old man who sold peanuts and ap-
Piles, and decent colored woman with br'
Madras turban on her head, who took care
building. Verley, after pern'axe'
addressed himself to the.
was busy polishi.
of crumpled newspaper.
"Ahem! l was to meet my
don't see her."
"Your niece, sir; what is her name"
"Verley."
90! yes, sir; she has been here these two
hours, bless her dear heart, she is asleep now."
"Asleepw grasped Mr.. Verley, but the stew
ardess answered him by bursting iuto the inner
apartment and bringing out what appeared to
be compact bundle with pink face at one
end and mass of trailing embroidery at the
other.
Joseph Verley recoiled as far as the angle Of
the door would permit him.
"Why-its a baby
"To be sure it is "said the woman, "and as fine
a little girl as ever saw, bless her sweet blue
eyes,"
"But isn't there nurse or some such person
here who could take care of her?"
''There was nurse brought her on, sir-a
queer looking thing, with yellow skin and hair
black as night, and gold hoops in her ears, but
she talked something about the next steamer
Il couldn't understand her lingo, strand
went right back to New York by the o'clock
train"
Joseph Verley looked aghast, staring at the
rosy baby as it lay in the woman's arms, and
wondering which of his lucky stars he should
call on to aid him in this unlooked-for emer-
gency. A full grown niece would have been
bad enough-but baby
$50 this is my niece" he muttered. And
what am going to do with herr"
He turned suddenly to the woman.
"What time does the next train leave for Will
ield"
"In an hour, sir"