Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-08-29
Stones Love Affair.

1t was agreed on all hands that Ned
Stone was a very practical follow. He
had been very poor at one time i'll his
life, and had to work hard. His in
dustry had in the end, however, met its
due reward. At middle age he was in
comfortable circumstance. When he
announced to his friends, therefore,
that he thought of taking unto himself
Il wife, it was thought generally that
the step he meditated WAS Il prudent
and proper one. And when he further
stated that lie had made an offer Of his
hand to one Georgiana Warren, the
daughter of wealthy merchant, and
that his offer had been accepted by the
lady, we of course fastened to tender
our heartfelt congratulations on the oc-
casion.
Ned Stone spoke Of the matter in his
own sober, simple way:
Well, you know I'm getting on, y
about time 1 should think of setting
about it.
You've been very kind. I think |
shall be very harpy-in fact L don't
doubt it-as happy as n fellow has
right to expect to be. One has no
right to expect too much, of course.
But I'm quite fond, iii my way, OF
GcorGiana Warren, and / think that
she, i'll her way, is fond of lie she is
not too old not too good-looking, nor
yet too plain she is sensible and ac-
why she would not make Il good wife,
and similarly don't see why | should
not make Il good husband. Perhaps
I'm not very fond OF old Warren, the
father, and perhaps he isn't fond of me-
Bat ] don't know as that may matter
much | dare say We shall understand
each other better by-and-by; in the
meantime | must try and make the best
OF the old mans humor, and not run
counter to him more than l can avoid.
and it seems to me that the old fellow
would want to marry his daughter than
he is Of me. You see it is our affair
--Gcorgiana's and mine-anu not his
though it is hard to make him see it in
that light. But | dare say it will come
right in the end. That's what l tell
Georyiana when she takes up with
rather gloomy views of her fathers tenn
per. She has good sense, and, think,
looks ut the matter very much as l do
only of course she can't help feeling
he is her father, whereas | thank good
ness he isn't mine.
1t will he seen that Ned Stone was
not lover to " sigh like furnace"
AS for writing woful ballad to his
mistress eyebrows, L don't think he
could have accomplished such feat
even if his life depended upon doing
so. The thermometer of his love stood
Mt temperate, with no tendency of an
upward rise. 1.-The marks of love-"
as they are generally understood, were
not discenable in him.
He never said a word as to the ari-
tated state of his feelings. He did not
regard Miss Warren us an angel or
goddess.
Probably he would have been the
first to contradict an allegation that
might have been to the effect that she
was anything of the kind. Miss War
rem appeared to him what she seemed
to everybody elsc--a nice, sensible Eng
lish girl. l called on Stone one even
ing. He was alone. He looked a little
grave. and held q small sealed packet.
We discussed various Indifferent sub
jects; then l inquired concerning Miss
Gcorgana.
"Oh, you haven't heard" he an
swered. " But of course you couldn't
have heard. The affair is oft. Our en-
gagement has come to an end"
You don't mean that?" I asked in
surprise.
" Yes 'the things broken off, as poo
pie say"
&C It's bad job, and I'm sorry for
it, but it can't be helped"
Had the lady resented his serenity
and discharged him? asked myself.
AS though he had heard the Ques-
ton, he went on {" It's the old mans
doings. hope he's satisfied now. He's
the most unreasonable and disagreeable
old fellow l ever had the misfortune to
meet with"
But what did he do?'
Well, we fell out about tho settle
ment; that was where the hitch arose.
I'm sure | did all could to please him.
l gave up condition after condition,
quite in opposition to the advice of my
solicitor. L told him to settle what
money he proposed to settle on his
daughter-it wasn't much after all
just as he pleased; l didn't want to
touch penny of it. He might settle
it, told him, just as he pleased, or he
might settle nothing at all upon her, if
he liked that better. 1t was his daugh-
ter l wanted, and not his money. As
for my part, I'd take care of my wife
and l would never come to want. I
undertook to insure my life for large
amount, and to assign the policy to
trustees for her benefit in case of my
death; convenanting, of course to pay
up the insurance i'll a regular way. L
thought that q fair agreement. but II