Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-12-05
HOW HE LOST HER.


knew Margaret was engaged, but told her
that loved her.
~ don't know what you mean, sir y she ex-
claimed. with expressive lift Of the ietty eye
brows but the liquid olbn beneath avoided
mine, and that encouraged me to be saucy in
turn.
at il OF no consequence but you don't I'M
agine that you were going to nirt all summer
with fellow of my stamp, and get OF unHinged
yourself.
"Why not - she laughed, lyon don't seem
seriously damaged
Bat | am. My heart is elriyeed crisp az
wafer"
"RealyP Well, | don't know what can be
done about it,
Il am going 20 show you" Aud on, for
half an hour. We spoke jehtingly both OF ur,
but the laugh with each other covered deeper
feelings.
She was beautiful, my Margaret fond of hom
age-as what woman Id not aud accustomed to
receiving it.. IL was not her fault after all. that
! loved her, but her glory, as an honest man =
love is always II true woman's glory and Mar
garet was true woman though had called her
frt.
She was promised in marriage to Ross Bent
ly before she ever me; long enough. lie
had stopped horse which had been run
ming away with her, and 40 saved her life
When he asked her to give him what he hal
saved what woman with gratitude and whole
heart would not have said ''yes, III she did
Besides she loved him for anght knew. had
seen him, and he WAS handsome enough man
to win womanH love, If beauty would do it.
A handsome couple, but somehow, seeing the
two together they did not seem TO be fond of
each other and no | took courage. Certainly.
Margaret never locke ut Ross Bently when
WAS by, as slle had looked ut me many time
that summer hs we TWO SlrOlleu along inc
beach.
Ross Bently once stayed a weck, and went back
to town. He was man Of business, keeny de-
voted to money making, fonder OF thai Il fanced
than OF the beautiful woman he had won, and
upon that imagining | hung another hope.
Margaret was an heiress. II Margaret had been
doweress, fancy that Mr.. Bently would never
have wooed her. But how TO prove It,
Margaret and did not relapse into the old
'ashion of strOlling about the beach by moon
light after Ross Bently had come and gone, and
we stopped talking nonsense, Watching each
other fnrtiyey. | felt confident that Margaret
was wondering if l had anything to do with those
moods OF pensiyeness which had come upon my
dark eyed queen OF late.
one day found her upon the balcony, with AL
open letter in hand.
II am very fortunate girl" she said glanc-
ing At the letttr. "Dd you know that CLARK,
Vernon II Co., the bankers in New York, had
failed last week 2
! had heard of it.
''rhe bulk of my fortune was in their hands
at one time. did not know but it was still. My
guardian writes to tell me, however, that he re-
moved ii months ago.
| came forward eagerly at that, extending my
hand.
Permit me to congratulate you, Miss Stone. "
Margaret laughed rather confunedly as ne
put her little hands III mine. l saw That slte was
surprised at my eagerness.
Miss Stone SAID |, "did you believe me
when said that loved you, somewhere about
month ago y
Margaret cOlored vlyidly, al she gave me
doubling look.
back nowY' she laughed.
mot l. But in consideration OF my great al
fection for You. want you to do favor FOL
me
'Name it," she said, looking puzzled.
al am going up to New YORK to morrow, vii
you humor me by permitting me to be the beare
of letter from yourself to Mr.. Bently y
"This s an odd request.
~ am aware OF il. Will you write to Mr. Bent
ley letter, asking him to enquire into this mat
ter of tho bank failure, and lot you know how
serious Il business II really ia p
''But don't caro- about knowing.
II do"
"Why not inquire yourself thenY'
"Ho has 80 much better facilities for inyesti
gaton The truth is, Miss Stone, am yer
much Interested in this failure, and MIR. Bentle
can lind out all about it for me. But don't lik
to ask him TO do much for u comparatlN
Margaret looked doubtful still, but she wrot
the letter, and took it TO the city the next day
Ross Bentley grew slightly pale an he read
III suppose You know that the bulk of Mlr
Stones's fortune was in the hands OF Clark, No
non Co.." carelessy observed.
81 was not aware OF H., Bently sald, lonln
another shade of color.
"Oh, we'll il was. Can anything he saved ol
OF the crash, do you suppose =
Not anything, | am very sure,' he stan
mered. And thinking he might like to medltaI
upon the aspect OF affairs, took my departure
saying that | would call before | went avs
AGAIN to take any message he might IKE
send.
When called the next day he gave me a le
ter for Margaret; but he looked anywhere b
at me AZ took it,.
| caught a glimpse of Margarets blue DIRE
on the piazza az We drove mp To the hotel NJ
without waiting TO go to my room hrst, Ina
tened TO her, aud gave her the letter.
Then, much as would have liked to NJ
until she had read it, had no excuse for doh
so, and therefore left her. waited wi
something more than curiosity for her appea
auce at dinner time, but she did net come ut a
ate nothing myself, and spont the evening =
eng the piazza with my cigar, and Watching y
window. But not 30 much M a sladow Oh VII
watched for crossed my viHiol
Remembering Bentley's face as he gave me :
letter, could imagine that he might have WI
Ten something unpleasant but even was u
prepared for tho contents OF the misHlNe Mi
garet placed in my hands the following MOI
lng, coming suddenly upon me where loung
on the shore.
~ suppose that was what you went to to,
Tor. she sad, with an angry scorn, under viii
quailed for felt guilty and WINGED again.
The zeOundrel more dlsgraceful eplstlt
never pelllsed. II Margaret had loved him e'
10 dearly, this would certainly have ended
lie dissolved the engagement without 40 mi
sn saying "by your leave lie did, iudeed
something abOnt hastening to speak while th
was yet an uncertainty as to how seriously
failure had involved other people. But Il
was The merest gloss, and only gave Maiga
the clue to the selfish REASONS for this extraor
nary conduct
folded the letter, and gave it back to
without remark.
Well" she asked 'really you have .nothi
to ssy?H