American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-02-20
WHY TON RETAINED A BACHELOR

BY CARYL GLYNNE.

BY CAhIL GLfNNE.
i DRoPPED into Tom Wentworth's
bachelor quarters tine other evening and
found him costly enjoying himself, with
his feet on the fender and box of
choice HavAnas ON q stand at his elbow.
He requested me to take seat and help
myself, which l accordingly did. While
/ was putting away at the fragrant weed
my eyes wandered admiringly over the
elegant apartment. ! noticed that its
furnishing and decorating we're -compli-
ments to the wealth and refinement of
its owner As my eye finally rested on
his grand proportions and manly blonde
beauty mentally pronounced him a fit
ting center to the whole. 1t suddenly
occurred to me IS somewhat singular he
had never married. He was wealthy,
undeniably handsome and intelligent,
and one of the jolliest, most cheerful fell
lows I ever met No man in our club
made . universal favorite of him. / was
wanting to breach the subject when he
looked up and, smiling, asked "what
made me 30 serious"
"I was wondering" answered, "why
you had never married. You surely,
some time in your life, have met a god
dess worthy to preside over these lux
uriOus quarters?"
The ghost of q sigh issued from under
the yellow-c0vered heroes say-and if
you care to hear of the follies of ver-
dant and ambitious youth will relate it
to you"
assured him nothing could afford me
more pleasure.
He took his cigar from his lips and
held it . moment betw cen his fingers.
II have always held to the opinion"
he said redectively, " that the first love
of mans life is the only one that has
the danpf of real feeling ! know that
one experience Of its pleasure and misery
has been sufficient for me. Whether !
am more to be piiied or blamed you can
Judge. In my younger days"-with a
mirthful fash of his eyes at mel
aspired to poetry. That was the head
and front OF mine offending. In other
words, it is the real reason l am a bach
elor tonight"
He replaced his cigar between his lips
and began putting at it while he gazed
into the fire with a thoughtful, dreamy
look After waiting considerable
time ON his silence l began to fear he
bad gone back to his younger days and
did not intend to return. / was growing
impatient and gently reminded him of
the story. BE knocked the ashes from
his cigar, laid it upon the marble topped
table beside him, filed a goblet from the
AO0B-U8CkcQ DOttle anu began.
u Was youth to fortune and to fame
unknown when chance landed me in this
city - under clerk in a dry goods store
and third-rate boarding house for
home. ! had not been in the latter very
long before l became acquainted with a
young lady boarding there with her
mother while waiting the issue of law
suit which, if they gained it, would
place them in possession of considerable
property. Della Mason was a slender,
aristocratic-looking girl, with large, vel
vety black eyes and masses of jetty hair,
which she wore braided and wound
about her head in Q queenly fashion.
bhe was not what would or could be
called . beauty, but she had a marvellous
winning way with her, and l soon OBJ
served was quite q belle in the house
despite the fact that she had temper
like wildcat and seemed to take no
pains to conceal it,
There was the usual complement of
bOarders to be found in such a house:
widOwer, q couple of elderly bachelors,
four or i've clerks and a sprinkIing of
females to correspond. Among the lat
ter was q maiden lady of the name of
Della Hunt. She was little, wien
faced, crook-nosed parsonage, with a
complexion like parchment, little
twinkling black eyes and scanty black
AAon, WA1ASh SAiC AC0Aiy SONCACd w ibh ldlsc
braids and curls. / cannot recall the
memory of that spinster without a feel
ing of aversion for the whole class. 1t
seemed as though she heard and saw
everything that was said and done. She
did not refrain from commenting on it
either, generally with the remark:
overheard 30 and-so.' I soon discovered
she had interested herself in my affairs.
must be allowed the vanity of say
ing that from the first of our acquaint-
ance Miss Mason showed marked pref
erence Tor me. was young, bashful and
unused to society; consequently it did
not take her long to have me madly in
love with her. This Miss Hunt seemed
to take as personal insult to herself
Whether she considered her own personal
attractions superior to Miss Mason's l
cannot say / now believe that Miss
Mason was really attached to me once.
/ never recOllect her showing me the
least Indifference until an unfortunate
affair occurred which, with Miss Hunts
assistance, began to highly color my own
actions. l heard Miss Mason say one
day she was very partial to tube-roses
and, although could i'll afford to make
presents, purchased small bouquet OF
them for her and carried them triumph
antly home. In the hall / met Milly
Wilson, the invalid niece of the landlady
1pitied her for the dreary life she led
and when l saw her look wistfully at my
flowers atOODed tn show them to her