Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-01-24
HOW 1T HAPPENED.

together for my own sake though Thomp
son and Barton do look at me so oddly
when | meet them, rs if they had mis-
givings as to my sanity. Everybody that
knows me looks sharp at me, as if they
We're trying to make out something
And yet have tried to hold my head W
and carry the thing off like man.
have thought that after a while they
would think it was all right, or that i
was none of their business, anyway.
But somebody else might get into the
same fix. 1t seems to me one of the cas-
lest things in the world, now. | never
used to have any idea of the number o
deaf unmarried women there are. But
hear of them all around us, and alway.
with sigh, and shudder of foreboding
and sympathy for somebody. l suppose
they dit mean not to miss n proposal
whatever else they fail to hear just as
But ! anticipate.
could not possibly make up my mind
to set down and tell the boys about it. !
know they would laugh in my face
which would be worse yet. And l don't
think that Henrietta will get hold of it in
the newspapers. Whatever peculiarities
she may have, I'll say this for her, that
she is not one of that kind of women that
spend their time reading papers, novels
and magazines. She attends to the clothes
and her back hair most of the time, and
gets herself up pretty well, too, con-
sidering that she is
But | wander 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 remember
ed how pleasantly the old gentleman and
his daughter had spoken to me at a par
ty n few nights before, and asked me
why | did not come in as | used to, and
invited me to call often in the future
Besides | knew that pretty Fanny Stew
art, Browns ward, and the daughter OF
his stepson, had graduated at school, and
would be coming home to stay in n week
or two, and it would be well enough to
go in once before-pshaw What am
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 exceedingly pleas
ant, and very sociable. | had never no.
ticed much about her when | used to call
there, but had general idea that she
was a nice kind of an old girl on the
whole, though rather dressy and hssy
and youngish acting for her age, (Thomp-
son, who knows everybody's age, had
said she was past torty,) and thought il
was well enough to have her like me
pretty we'll in case | needed friend in
future emergencies.
Well, l acted glad to see her, quite
glad. And she seemed rather pleased
with it. | knew she was rather hard of
hearing, but | spoke 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 sum
mer, and so on. Pretty soon she said
something about how long it was since
was there last.
| said, Yes, it was good while,
though not so long us it seemed, either
But hoped she did not think I'd forget
my friends, if | did stay away"
"Tried to forget. And why, Mr.. Par
ller? Itcertainly does seem a long time, "
she murmured, looking down.
" | haven't much time | can call my
own" sand, trying again, and overlook
ing her mistake. 81 have to make the
best of it, and cannot go as often as
would like to see people,"
She looked down again and hestated
and fdgeted, and | thought she blushed
Pretty soon she said, rather archly -
Are you sure it DdS making the best o
it 10 stay away and try to forget me ?
How was | to know you wanted to cal
me your own ?"
l tried again, beginning to feel sorry
for her. None of my friends like it.,
| said, that am so devoted and attent-
i've to business, and see them SO little a
their own houses. i am sorry to OffenC
them, but / feel it necessary to see to my
affairs pretty closely just now."
Henrietta simpered and hung her head
and looked so very conscious and graft
fed that knew she had misunderstood
me again, before she opened her lips.
She looked as if she expected some
thing more, some way, but after a mo
ment she said in her sweetest tones
"Well, dear Charles, if your devotion il
so great, don't think your friends ough
to be too much considered. As you say
it is really none of their business, and
you are capable of attending to your owr
affairs, and if they don't invite us to theil
houses, why, hope we shall have q
pleasant house of our own, my dearest
How Sh0uid / make her understand
that was only talking of commonplace
things, and not making love to her ?
| began again desperately. 81 did no
expect to see your father the other even
ing. / was pleased to find him so wei
and cheerful. When do you expect YOU
niece, Miss Stewart ?"
Yes, think father will be pleased
| have no doubt you can see him this
evening, AS for Fanny, she is only &
little girl, you know, but l think shell
like it. She always seemed to think {
great deal of you, and wouldn't believe (
word of your attentions to Belle Smiley
even when feared it was true" j be
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