Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-05-09
HOW 1T HAPPENED.

x
son and Barton do look at me so oddly
when | meet them, as if they had mis-.
givings of my sanity. Everybody thai
knows me looks sharp at me, as if they
were trying to make out something
And yet L have tried to hold my head
up and carrythe thing off like man
have thought that after awhile they
would think it was all right, or that il
was none of their business, anyhow.
But somebody else might get into
the same fix. 1t seems to me one OF
the easiest things in the world. now.
never used to have any idea of the
number of deaf unmarried women
there are. But 1 hear of them all
around us, and always with sigh and
a shudder of foreboding and sympathy
for somebody. Isuppose they all mean
not to miss proposal, whatever else
they fail to hear, just as
But 1 anticipate.
could not possibly make up my
mind to sit down and tell the boys
about it. | knew they would laugh in
my face, which | could not stand, OF
try not to, which would be worse yet
And | don't think there is any danger
that Henrietta will get hold of it in
the newspaper. Whatever peculiari-
ties she may have, I'll say that for her,
that she is not one of those kind Of
women that spend their time reading
papers, magazines and novels. She at
tended to to her clothes and her back
hair most of the time, and gets herself
up pretty we'll, too, considering that
she is
But [ wonder again.
| don't just know how it happened
that | called at Browns that day.
didn't think about going in, but | was
going right by the door, and remem-
bered how pleasantly the old gentle
man and his daughter had spoken to me
at a party few nights before, and
asked me why l did hot come in as
used to, and invited me to call often in
future. Besides l knew that pretty
Fannie Stuart, Browns ward, and the
daughter of his step-son had gradual
ed at school, and would be coming
home to stay in a week or two, and il
would be well enough to go in once be-
fore-pshawl What am l talking
about? | went to Browns that day
because it was my fate. No man can
resist fate.
sent up my name and Henrietta
came into the parlor, looking exceed
ingly pleasant, and was very sociable
.ooJ 60 ool fbaro b,,t h. i N r,ono.
eral idea that she was a nice kind OF
an old girl on the whole, though rath-
er dressy and fussy, and youngish act.
ing for her age, (Thompson; who
knows everybody's age, had said she
was past forty), and [ thought it was
pretty well to have her like me pretty
we'll, in case [ needed a friend in future
emergencies.
Well, acted glad to see her, quite
glad. And she seemed pleased with it
| knew she was hard of hearing, but
Ispoke up loud and plain, and she
seemed to understand what | said
about the weather, and the new Park
and how full it was at Long Branch
last summer, and so on. Pretty soon
she said something about how long il
was since [ was there last.
| said, Yes, it was a good while
though not so long as it seemed, either
But hope she did not think I'd for
gotten my friends. if did stay away. .
Tried to forget? And why, Mr.
Parker? Itcertainly does seem long
time" she murmured, looking down
Il haven't much time to call my
own" | said, trying again, aud over,
looking her mistake. Ihave to make
the best of it, and I cannot go so often
as would like to see people"
"She looked down again, and hesi-
tated, and fdgeted, and | thought she
blushed. Pretty soon she said, rath-
er archly, Are you sure it was max
ing the best of it to stay away and try
to forget me? How was l to know yor
wanted to call me your own?"
/ tried again, beginning to feel sorry
for her. None of my friends like
it." 1 said, that I am not devoted
and attentive to business, and see then
so little at their own houses. 1 an
sorry to offend them, but l feel it ne.
cessary to see to my affairs pretty close.
" just now.
Henrietta simpered and hung hel
head. and looked so very conscious
and gratifed, that | knew she had mis-
understood me again, before she open.
ed her lips.
She lookedas if she expected some,
thing more, some way, but after a mo
ment she said in her sweetest tones
We'll. dear Charles, if your devotion
is so great [ don't think your friends
ought to be too much considered. Al
| YOU say. it is really none of their bust
ness, and you are capable of attending
to your own affairs, and if they dom
invite us to their houses, why, hops
we shall have pleasant house of Oul
own. my dearest.
How should / make her under
stand that | was only talking of com
monplace things, and making love t.
her?
| began again, desperately. II diC
not expect to see your father the othe
evening. Twas pleased to find him 81
we'll aud cheerful. When do you ex
pect YOUR niece, Miss Stuart? ?"
"Yes. | think father will bepleased
I have no doubt you can see him thil
evening. As for Fanny, she is onl
a little girl, you know, but l think sh
will like it. She always seemed t
think a great deal ofyou, and wouldn'