Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-06

gxsctly fiaf past, Ten when we got under
way, and II was Twelve o'clock before we
reached Aylmer han, aud by that time the
lfun was raging fast and furious. , ~
OF course [ was bound to dance with
the Misses Fanshaw directly we got into
the BALL Immediately on obtaining my
release from the other Miss Fanshaw 4
went off on systematic search Tor Mar
guerite, and just as entered the ante
room, saw my lost love approaching me.
I did not notice her partner. who immedi-
ately disappeared to get her some tea, but
greeting her eagerly, and pouring out APP
ologies for my non-appearance before, l
solicited the honor OF a dance. To my
sstonishnsent, she received me as if she
had never seen me before, and regretted
her inability TO confer on me the desired
favor, as she was engaged for the rest of
the evening Just then her partner re-
turned, bearing a cup of tea, and to my
establishment accosted me with "Halo !!
Charlie! how are you ?" and there was
twin brother, whom | thought safe at
Montreal, dressed in the rifle brigade uni
form. and evidently carrying on flirta-
ton with my love. aa
why. when did you come, and why
thus got up ~ questioned.
..ToO long a story to tell you now, old
fellow he replied, and murmuring some
thing about lost my uggage-borrowed
your coat-rather alark. rushed forward
to relieve Miss Duval of her empty cup,
and taking her upon his arm again in an
other minute, had disappeared from the
room. leaving me in a state of mind in
which mystification, anger, and astonish-
ment struggled for the mastery.
a!laI betook myself to distant part CT the
garden to collect my scattered senses.
j The fresh night air mad the desired effect.
My brother, who was always up to some
lark or another, and took an especial de-
light in mvsterfying people with our ex-
traordinary resemblance, had certainly
succeeded with poor Marguerite. 1t was
not pleased idea to think Of the mistakes
she might be guilty of in taking him for
me. 1t was evidently impossible to en-
Tighten her, respecting the delusion she
was under. and with laugh at so ridicu-
lous q. dilemma, l determined to 90 to
Z her parents and explain the matter to
them.
~ found my little friend Eunice doing
Mall-hower between her father and moth
or, looking rather disconsoate, and being
received with one of her prettiest smiles,
l carried her of, nothing 10th, to dance a
8 quadrille As lnck would have it, her
sister and my brother were vis-a-yis, and
Marguerite, when she saw US, colored up.
"That's my twin brother, Mile Eunice, ;"
| said at last. ''Isn't he like me ?"
'sOhv' she exclaimed, Il never But
does Marguerite know? She takes him
for you. really do believe, for that gen.
tleman metus st the door. and she laughed
and said, '.Punetual, do really declare"
~ .''And what did he say ?" asked.
asa .Ok, something smart about such an
inducement, you know, and then Mar
guerite thanked him for her flowers, and
oh what deceiver he must be He
said, They were the best he could get. :"
saw it all now, and / was furious.
When the dance was over | took Eunice
for little walk. and told her what sus-
pected ;othen scrawling a note to Marquee
rite, explaining the trick of which she and
had been the victims, gave it to the lit.
tie sister to give her. This she promised,
and having restored her to her parents,
went Oft to the barracks to prepare tre-
'mendous burst Of wrath against my BROTH
er and his colleagues. Johnstone and
Hood, who were evidently both in the
plot. had been caught in trap, pur-
posely, prevented from proposing by
tombstone, purposely detained from keep
ing my appointment by Hood. and pur-
sonated by my brother. need not trouble
my readers with my note to Marguerite in
~ detail; TWAS merely exposing the trick,
and concluded by offering her my heart.
When l woke from my troubled sleep
the following morning, foupd q note
awaiting me, mot from Marguerite, as it
was as follows: rrv
RESPECTED Sir-My daughter desires
me to express the deep sense she has of
the extreme and unmerited honor you
have done her in offering her your hand.
but she feels that with your habits of un-
punctuality she could never be happy
with you, and although far from merce-
nary, she feels that she is not one who
could exist without the amenities of life
that is to say, on love alone. She con-
fesses that she allowed herself to become
temporarily attached to you, sir, believ-
ing you to be one who could bestow on
her the position her beauty should gain
for her. She finds she has been deceived,
and that your brother is the future pos.
SCISSOR of the title she had reason to fancy
would have been yours. Sir, she feels
sure that. such being the case, you will
resign all pretensions to her hand. | en-
tirely endorse my daughters sentiments.
and beg to subscribe myself,
Your obedient servant,
ALFONSO DUvAL."
My brother was most agreeably aston
ished at his hearty welcome, when he APP
peared in the course OF the morning. |
handed him the elegant effusion above
described, and on mastering its contents
he laughed till was fearful of the conse-
quences. fg 4nesf
He then, by my request, told me the
whole .story-how he had received
frantic note from Johnstone relative to my
foolhardy determination TO fall into the
trap laid for me, how he had run down to
Agnesville, and he, Hood and Johnstone,
had laid their heads together to save me.
Knowing that l was supposed by the
Duval family to be the eldest son and
heir, they arranged that he should per-
senate me until he had become sufficiently
acquainted with Marguerite to find out
which way the land lay. In the course OF
the evening he had quietly told her that /
Oil "a l. la