The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-11-18
A Story Successfully Told.

Pretty, plump Mrs. Archibald Steele
wrote the following paragraph in one
Of her letters to her husband the 9TH
eF day:
"JOhn must come down here at
once whether you can spare him or
not. Our dear little Laura is greatly
taken with tall. thin young man,
with a hooked nose and thin lips,
called Stuyvessnt. 1t is whispered
about the hotel that he is y very good
match, and has the verItsble blue
blood OF the old Dutch Governor in
his veins. / must say that it has
queer way of showing itself, for the
young man is as pale as spectre
and dressed in that white duck, with
his sunken eyes and bilious skin, is
enough to frighten one. / have grown
to hate him, while LsurS is growing
to be quite the contrary, I'm afraid.
All the evening he leans up against
the wall, never dancing, or opening
his mouth save to give vent to some
hateful sarcastic criticism upon the
scene and around him, and yet dear
little Lsura's eyes-as, indeed, all the
other pretty eyes About-are perpet1r
ally beseeehing him for attention. In
the daytime he is always with long
black horse that covers more ground
with its legs while it is going than
any animal ever saw. When Laura
goes out to drive behind it, and vau-
isbes out of sight with the bony crea-
ture. I tremble to think how dread
ful it would be If our dear little girl
would ever be part and parcel OF this
Wretched man and his wicked beast.
So 1 think John had better come
down at once l quite long to see his
handsome face and hear his honest
voice, and 1 think it is about time
John should tell his little story 70
Laura, and have things settled COM
fortably."
Mr.. Archibald Steele smiled when
he put the letter of his wife ia his
waistcost pocket, and picking up the
morning paper scanned through his
gold-rImmed spectacles the news OF
the day. Finding nothing therein to
refine the exceedingly satisfactory
condition OF his affairs, he put it down,
smiling as only prosperous, content
ed downtown merchant can smile.
He was one of those happy exceptions
to the ordinary rule of mOrtals, with
whom everything went We'll. His
whole appearance was an exclamation
point to that effect. III he ventured a
little hsZardOusly in trade, fortune
trimmed her sails to favor him, III
he set his heart upon anything relat-
ingto domestic felicity, all the ele-
ments Of art and nature conspired to
Oh o. lan Of Nod
to the door Of the Olfiee and beckoned
to a young man with q strip of COM
mercial paper in his hand and q PEN
Gil behind his ear, with the general
air of briskness and shrewdness about
him that betOkened successful down
town merchant in embryo, Mr.. Steele
smiled the third time, with the
air of one who was not at all afraid oi
any bilious, blue-bIoOded obstacle that
might be thrown in the path of do.
mestic happiness which he firmly
agreed had been arranged by an ON
niDotent hand.
"John," said Mr.. Steele, closing the
door of his private Office, and looking
upon his young clerk beneyOlently
"I've got an order here from Mrs
Steele, which l wish you would at
tend to-"
Certainly, sir" said John. "Shall
go out and get the article myself 81
"Why, the fact is, John" said the
merchant, enjoying his joke more anC
more, ''it's only one article-a rathel
bulky one. 1t was bsrgained for Ions
ago. think you will have 20 go will
it, John"
"Down to the sea shore ~ said Johr
getting little hot and fiustered. al
is s very valuable parcel, sir ?p
"Well, perhaps your natural modes
ty may depreciate its worth, John
Mrs. Steele and l think a good deal o
it, and Laura too, Pm sure she does
The commodity is yourself, John
Mrs. Steele wants you to go down AM
take q little holiday there.u
When the name OF Laura was men
toned, the young mans face grew
more fiustered and hot than before.
"You are very kind sir" he said
''and Mrs. Steele is always more likt
an angel than q woman"
"Rather solid snd plump for that,
interposed Mr.. Steele, but liking tn
phrase nevertheless.
"But it is simple madness" pursue
John, "to dream of further happines
than l enjoy nOW-your affection an
/ that of your wife-my position here
I don't dare. can't hope for anythin
more. On, Mr.. Steele, 1 can't tell be
my story. She would turn from N
with horror and aversion. She is S
young, so beautiful. Let me at leai
enjoy the present.
"And in the meantime some cadeN
erous, bilious, bIue-blooded seoundr'
will carry her of from US all"
Then Johns face grew pale an
stern. "If there is the slightest fee
ing upon her part for-for any on
else, then, indeed, Mr.. Steele, my cal
is hopeless"
The commercial paper futtere
from bis hand, the pencil fell from b
ear he leaned his head against Il
desk, and trembled.
T "Why, who would suppose yC
eOuld he Such a coward w said NJ