Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-05-07

| put The ring on her hand, and kissed it
once more. As did SO the old lion caught
| my eye. BY Jovo, what u splendid express
sion that old fellow hadl He looked at me
MS one of his kind may have looked at
muscular Christian. Was it warning or en-
| couragcment
| She walked away alone, and sat an hour
| dreaming in the silent Amphtheater, and
| then walked-not into oneaf the tlens of
| wild beasts, but the next thing to it'll went
| to see Mrs. Jessamine.
| Why had / not thought OF that before
| Perhaps Mary's pride was alarmed at my in
formal wooing. Perhaps, poor, sighted d.
pendent that she was, she had the pride and
| the sensitiveness of poverty. She had been
| so much OF queen TO me that ! had never
thought of that view OF the subject. It
| seemed to me as IL Mrs Jessamine was SIM
| ply hateful chain, to be shaken off when
ever and wherever Mary chose to take me as
| her second self. Men as absorbed as l was
may well make such a mistake. Then i had
my natural iealousies of Ainsle and Ham
merstein. Ainslie made his engagement to
another woman a sort of shield to his pla-
| tonic attentions TO Mary; as much as TO say,
| Come, 20 with me-I am safe, YOU knows
| But Ainslie was far from safe. His brilliant
| talents, his enchanting manners, his devoted
| scrvice-a something about him which i'm
| mediately confessed to q woman that he felt
| her powcr-his remarkable beauty and his
| utter unscrupulOusness, made him n very
| dangerous man. Ainslie had no conscience
attachment to the lady in the British prov.
! inces. He amused and interested Mary, as
whom did he not?
Then Hammerstein, a noble gentleman,
was dangerous rival, with that Continental
| gallOntry which must be pleasing to any
woman. am sure, accustomed to our sell
fish American way of wooing--oh, what
would not have given for Hammerstein's
petitS SOiHS P-I could no more achieve his
incessant politeness than | could have built
GlN N-rN aslsfa l...r~.
to myself, Louis Charleton, you are bad
third in this race and had gone off with
dear Bertha Hammerstein, who was all
that was sweet, uneXacting, sympa-
thetic, and what woman should be
| in such case. Once or twice
had come very near observing that Bertha's
lips were deliciously fresh and her figure a
charming contour, when Mary would throw
srhile at me, and the old lion in her ring
would give me mysterious twinkle of the
eye, as much as to say, "We have you here,
if you please; do not falter in your allie
giancen' So, like many fool before me,
had dallied and doubted, had been cowardly
and self-involved, until my pearl came very
near escaping me. Iwould now be deter
broke up the sweetest teteedeite8isf BetReeh
herself and Carter that you ever saw Mrs.
Jessamine had treated her best brocade to
an airing, and looked very handsome in her
way. Love is very becoming-even elderly
love.
"Mr. Carter, may have Mrs. Jessamine
to myself two minutesY' / asked, in the
most foolish voice l could summon.
Carter evaporated kindly, and | sat down
SO near Mrs. Jessamine that think / sat on
several breadths of the brocade.
Dear Mrs.t Jcssamine," said /, 81 am
Louis Charleton, as you know. l have
very respectable rich father, and q very nice
mother. l am quite ready to take care of
wife. / want to marry your niece, Mary
Jessamine May address her ?"
| paused, recOllecting how much | had
been talking like Sir Charles Coldstream.
An angry flush ovcrcame Mrs. Jcssamine's
face. No mention of Mary was ever agree
able to her, except when she was spoken of
as the recipient of Mrs. Jessamine's bounty.
"Mr. Charleton, my niece has received
from me everything-food; clothing, educa-
tion, mothers love-dU in profusion.
When I give l give bounteously of my
means, my atiections-all. But like all such
pctted children of rare good fortune,
Mary has 40 gratitude-absolutely no
gratitude. She will take everything
from me but advice; that Rever. should
advise her to marry you, surely. But my
advice is nothing to Mary. have just heard
that she has refused the Baron Hammerstein.
Such a match, such n match, Mr.. CharletOn,
for penniless girl And have no influence
with her, Mr.. Charleton. She does not seem
| to emember-aheml-that am not old, and
| that I-ahem!-may enter into new-new
and unexpected relations, which may
| ahem!-alter Mary's luxurious position very
much" Here Mrs. Jessamines attempt to
| blush was alarming. 1t looked apoplectc.
So Mary had refused Hammerstein! l
could have kissed Mrs. Jessamine.
| Z" My friend Carter has then succeeded in
winning the object of his devoted affec-
| tions? said l, looking sideways ut Mrs. Jes-
samine.
"Well, Mr.. Charleton, since you are such
dear friend of mine, and l believe thor
| oughly deOoted to me, / may as well say that
/ think he has. have not given him entire
reason TO hope yet; and, Mr.. Charleton, there
must be dRte-nlptidi settlements, you know"
| Here the old miser's eyes glowed like q cat
| MY large fortune must be secured to my
| self. For, though / have perfect confidence
| in Mr.. Garter, think that is SO much nicer,
don't you, Mr.. Charleton?"
assured her that did, and after advising
| the most stringent arrangements asked her
if she would tell Mary of my offer
Really, Mr.. Charleton," said she, "Ihave
| very little to do with Mary lately She, of
| course, is not pleased with my engagement,
and we say very little to each other"
| Miserable old womanl Not knowing a
word of French she could not ask for a cup
of tea without Mary, nor could she get a
| Louis dor changed, or effect single tran
saction of life Except to tiirt with Gartcr)
without this accomplished, devoted niece.
However, Mr.. Charleton I will do Mary
| the honor you propose. Iwilltell her of your
her Carter
Handyside Marbury had turned up inVe-
roma, and met him that evening.
| "Could you-would you, my dear young
friend, go with me to the tombs of the Seal
igers? ] am very anxious to identify Case
| Grande with the Prince in Romeo and
Juliet who says: Put up this neighbor-
stained steel (you remember the quotation) }.
And could you lend me the ridiculous small
sum of hundred francsy When my letters
arrive / will also repay you the small sum
you so kindly lent me in Alexandria. j do
not forget these little things, you see. l
often say would rather pay five francs than
five hundred. So many people have a mean
way Of forgetting small debtsI never for
get them, assure you. They impress me
| as much as large ones do.h
And he looked at me hungTily / think
that Handyside Marbury, friend of Leo X,
Charlemagne and Joan of Are, enemy and
contemner of Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria,
defender of Hypatia, and deep student OF
the Merovingian Kings, was hungry and
thirsty too. He certainly was very seedy, 50
/ sent my hundred francs after my twenty
pounds, not knowing what waters would
bring them back to me.
Mary came next day to bid me hurried
good-by. They were going over the Alps,
and Mrs. Jessamine and Mr. Carter were to
be married in Paris. -.,lg agrV
at was very good of You to make that
formal proposal for me TO my aunt, MIR
CharletOn," said she;" has inspired hen
with some respect for me and has alleyiated
my sufferings."
"Ah, Mary, when will ii alleviate mine y
! said l. She shook her head, and disappeared
! Reader, 1t was not fckleness TO Mary
! which induced me TO accept the Hammer
! stein invitation to their superb castle, moi
: far from BOden-Baden Ainslie, too, was in
vited.
The family had lived there since the days
n of Charlemagne, or near that time. am nc
: archROlogist, and began TO wander in any
! mind as they went back through their gene
! alogy. But the castle. IL was feuda
enough TO be romantic wooden enough tc
; be comfortable altogether, and perfectly
charming.
!, Here the young Baron presided over hiI
estates with something of prineely rule
. Bertha, who had her own very pretty for
, tune, was his dear delight, his pride, and hi
. sister princess.
An old grandmamma, replete with titles
i witty and original and eccentric, playing OF
B, the violin for her amusement, gave at one