Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-02-07
AsHTABULA, OHIO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY (, 1874

of impulse, and l am a man of de-
liberation. You are powerful, Wig
orous, athletic, and a man of the
world; am a student. If we are
seeking, like honorable and intel
ligent men, after true wives, it is
preposterous that we should strive
to secure the regard of the same wo-
man. She must be entirely dissim-
liar to one of us, and l do not think
that we can both persist in our at
tempts to gain her hand without
doing gross wrong. You under
stand me. l do not say at whose
door this wrong will rest. / do not
say that you are blame worthy for
what you have done, and neither do
| admit that | am. merely insist
that that delicate, sensitive, and
thoughtful girl should notbe
subjected to the risk of entan-
clement in marriage with the one of
US two that is unfit for her. Which
one of US is the unfit one he him
self must decide, and l think in
plain words, that he, is the same of
all honor and manEness, must feel
bound to withdraw"
Nassau stopped and looked at
tentiTely at Willis, who still kept at
work. -. ~
"That is very fairly put" said
the other, refiectively.
Nassau's face lighted up with
sudden brilliant look. His ewes
sparkled, and the flush returned in
to his pale cheeks. .-T. /
'Then-then you will consider it.
| know hat l &m right" v. 3 f
Consider it? And 1 suppose that
you will"
Certainly l shall. But the trial
that one of US must be put to will
be severe one.
. eyes, undoubtedly" returned
Willis, calmly.
81 was about to say that myself"
The two men exchanged glances.
Nassau trained in the task of com
manding himself, felt that to say more
would be dangerous. Yet, at the
same time, he was convinced, by the
character of the look that he had
received, that he had made but lit
tie progress. 1t had been defiant
and almost aggressive. Still, he
forced smile into his anxious
face. .-s ....-.e ---..->. ..
1 will not ruin your pretty pic
ture there by interrupting you any
further" said he. 81 will 60 on and
take my walk, = ~lr
every well,' and I will go on
with my painting"
"And-and," added the Rector,
stepping away down the slope, "we
agree to think the matter over, do
we?" - -- .-
Yes, we agree to think the mat
ter over" replied Willis. aa
He raised his head, and looked
after the slender figure of his rival,
as it slowly moved down the gay,
befowered slope.
"Poor devil!'' reflected he; 'Gt is
lucky for him that he did not live
in the days when they won wives
at the point of the sword-he would
not have earned milk-maid."
Another week passed by. In 1t
Willis showed more mercy to Mas
sau. He opened his ports, as it
were, and declared himself to all
who cared to see.
With his strong voice, erect and
energetic bearing and glowing eye,
his habitual over-rode the simpler
and gentler man, and yet he gave no
cause for an out break. Where
Nassau would have been content to
sit in quiet beside his sweet mis-
tress. Willis talked graceful senti-
ment. Where Nassau would have
pondered and have answered grave
ly, Willis had something decisive to
say. Nassau was satisfied to avoid
prominence in manner and language,
but Willis always appeared in the
van, and beside each other they
were as gray and crimson.
The host, who was a little else
than a white haired boy himself,
clave openly to the stronger youth,
and Nassau, sick at heart, felt that
the ground was slipping away from
beneath him.
He walked alone over the hills
and dales, praying for means to
combat his enemy, bnt he thought
that he got no answer.
His little world grew dark to
him.
There was something increditable
in it all. There was an element in
the case that seemed so monstrous,
so fearfully wrong, that he often
refused to contemplate it, but now,
that matters were becoming so in
volved and SO desperate with him,
he was forced to confront it.
This was the conduct and demean-
or of Alice herself.
If he called and asked for her
now, it was likely that he would be
told that she was strolling with
Willis. He knew that she had
praised Willis. He had seen her
eyes fixed upon him. He had seen
her give her hand to Willis when
she with held it from him. She
gazed at her father whenever he
told of Willis fortunes at the trout
brooks, or of his long and rapid
walks, or of his bold riding, or of
his wit.
If all these trifes and their kin
were indications negatively adverse
to him, there was another set of tri-
fes that told positively against him.
Alasl how eagerly, how angrily, did
he catch at them and apply them
for his discomfort. She no longer
read with him; no longer visited
the sick with him; no longer praised
his work; no longer smiled when
he approved; no longer blushed
and turned aside her face as she
had been wont to do whenever
their conversations had led them
hap-hazard into strange confessions.
She was distant with him; reserved;
retreating; anxious; i'll at ease.
One dov ha Saut bar - tbo dc