The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-05-15
Stones Love Affairs.

udQ DtSu very pOOI az Oue blLuS III lis
life, and had to work very hard. His
industry had in the end, however, met
its due reward. AT middle age he was
comfortably circumstanced. When he
announced to his friends, therefore, that
he thought of taking unto himself a
wife, it was thought generally that the
step he meditated was a prudent and
proper one. And when he further
stated that he had made an offer of his
hand to one Georgiana Warren, the
daughter of a wealthy merchant, and
that his offer had been accepted by the
lady, we of course hastened to tender
our heartfelt congratulations on the oc-
casion.
Ned Stone spoke of the matter in his
own sober, simple way:
"Well, you know Pm getting on" he
said, "and if Pm ever to marry it's
about time I should think of setting
about it."
you've been very kind. 1 think I
shall be very happy-in fact / don't
doubt it-as happy as fellow has a
right to expect to be. One has no right
to expect too much, of course. But Pm
quite fond, in my way, of Georgiana
Warren, and l think that she, in her
way, is fond of me; she is not too old;
not too good-lOoking, nor yet too plain;
she is sensible aud accomplished enough,
and l don't see why she should not
make good wife, and similarly don't
see why | should not make a good hus-
band Perhaps Pm not very fond of old
Warren, the father, and perhaps he isn't
fond of me. But / don't know as that
may matter much. / dare say we shall
understand each other better by-and-by;
in the meantime l must try and make
the best of the old mans humor, and
not run counter to him more than | can
avoid. And it seems to me that the old
fellow would be no fonder of anybody
else who would want to marry his
daughter than he is of me. You see ii
is our affair-Georgiana's and mine
and not his; though it is hard to make
him see it in that light. But dare say
1t will come right in the end. That's
what / tell Georgiana when she takes
up with rather gloomy views of her
fathers tempter. She has good sense,
and, think, looks at the matter very
much as dO-only Of course she can't
help feeling he is her father, whereas !
thank goodness he isn't mine.h
It will be seen that Ned Stone was
not lover TO ''sigh like furnace" As
for writing a woful ballad to his mis-
tress' eyebrows, / don't think he could
have accomplished such a feat even if
his life depended upon doing so. The
thermometer of his love stood at tenn
perate, with no tendency of an upward
rise. ''rhe marks of love-" as they are
generally understood, were not discern
able in him.
He never said a word as to the agi-
tated state of his feelings. He did not
regard Miss Warren as an angel or a
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 Warren ap-
peared to him what she seemed to every
body elsa nice, sensible English girl.
l called on Stone one evening. He was
alone. He looked a little grave, and
held a small sealed packet. We dis
discussed various Indifferent subjects;
then inquired concerning Miss Georgi-
ana.
"Oh, you haven't heard ?'' he an
swered. "But OfcOurse you couldn't have
heard. The affair is OFF, Our engage
ment has come TO an end"
''You don't mean that ?" 1 asked in
surprise.
"Yes, the things broken off, as peo-
pie say"
ats bad job. and Pm 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 question,
he went on: at is the old mans dOings.
l hope he is satisfied now. He's the
most unreasonable and dissagreeable
old fellow l ever had the misfortune to
meet with"
URut what did he do 9i'
"Well, we fell out about the settle
ment; that was where the hitch arose.
Pm sure l did all / could to please him.
/ 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 adjust
as he pleased; / didn't want to touch
penny of it. He might settle it, told
him, just as he pleased, or he might set
tie nothing at all upon her, if he liked
that better. 1t was his daughter ]
wanted, and not his money. AS for my
part, I'd take care of my wife and /
would never come to want. / under
took to insure my life for large amount,
and to assign the policy to trustees for
her benefit in case of my death; cove
nanting, of course, to pay up the insur-
anee in the regular way. thought that
a fair agreement, but it did not content
him.
"He wanted to tie my hands COM
pletely. He hadn't hap'orth Of conf |
denee in me. He gave me no credit for
any sort OF affection for his daughter.
he insisted that any money that ]
lllg IN future come in possession of,
shoulu convert into a settlement OF
course could not consent to it. Fhad
my business to consider. OF course nv
wiie and children-if 1 have any-wifl
reap the benefit as / shall. However,
he wouidn listen to me. told Georgi-
ana exactly now the matter stood. She's
OF age. L asked her if she would marry
me without her fathers consent. Poor
girl, she was in an awful way. But she
did not care to do that. She don't like
to offend her father. So there's no help
for 1.-THE affair is broken off, aud Pm
not to be married, it seems-not this
time, at any rate"
He spoke rather sorrowfully, tut still
without the slightest trace of anger.
endeavored TO console him in a COM
mon-place sort of way.
He opened a small packet he had in
his hand.
This is pleasant" he said, quietly;
there are all my letters sent back to me-
All, here is a little present 1 gave her,
sent back alsO.n
There were not many letters. Their |
contents, guessed, were little enough /
IKE conventional love letters, and the |
plesent was a ring-a large diamond, /
hbtSSNily htS set In pure gold, just the valua- 4
pIe1 simple, substantial present / would |
have expected Ned stone In select for
his betrothed. W seiec' iOr
And now suppose Georgiana will