Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-13

anced lover-whose name | never happened to
hear-statcd that he could not possibly say
when he would be in position to fulfill his
promises to her. Under these circumstances he
could not ask her to wait any longer for him
and he therefore released her from her engage
ment. Well. the glrl was sad and depressed
enough for while, they say, but by and by she
seemed to get over it, About this time, Mr..
Valance, on old friend OF the fathers came n
good deal about the house, and it was soon evil
dent that he was attracted by the daughter
Vallonce was partner in a long established
mercantile house in London, and WAS repnted to
be rich. He was kind-hearted and es-
timable man in many ways. The parents look
ed favorably upon his suit, and when he pro-
posed for the daughters hand, she accepted
him. They were married. Mr.. Valance took a
handsome house in London, and made kind
husband and IA generous son-nlaw. But this
prosperous condition Of things did not last long
In little more than two years after his marriage,
the house to which Valance belonged, to the
astonshment Of the mercantile world. stopped
payment. The affair made considerable talk
in the city at the time. Nobody seemed to have
anticipated the firms failure and don't think
Mr. Valance could have had any thought OF the
possibility of such change in his circumstances
when he married his wife, from the way he took
the matter to heart. He never recovered from
the shock, and in year after the firm had sus-
pended payment he died. His widow was left
almost entirely dependent upon her own ever
tions for the support of herself and her two
young children. She removed to Plymouth
again, began to give music lessons, and in this
way she maintained herself and family ever
since and very nobly she has done it. 1T was
shortly after her husbands death that became
acquainted with her. have given you the most
favorable version Of her story. As regards her
engagement with Mr.. Valance there were not
wanting people i'm Plymouth who limited their
doubts at the time as to whether she had ever
received such a letter rs | have mentioned
from the young fellow in Australia. Gossip
said that she lent willing enough ear to Mr..
Nallapces addresses"
Sc Was that the general repors2" asked Her.
der.
'' Well, it was not uncommon to hear the mat
ter talked of in that way"
" And what is your own opinion 7"
"There is no lady of my acquaintance for
whom have greater respect and liking than for
Mrs. Valance" answered Hammond; land
would not believe anything unworthy of her.
Butitis perhaps too much to expect from average
human nature and l don't claim anything
ideal for Mrs. Valance, that woman should be
able to keep up strong affection for man
away i'll Australia for u number OF years, and un-
der the cheerless conditions l have described,
with nothing to feed it on but an occasional let
ter. No doubt, the girls sentiment lasted longer
than the young mans. Possibly shs may not
have received such letter; and what Mr.. Val
lance could offer her, everything that s pleasant
and attractive to a woman, may have had its eff
feet. Her fathers worldly circumstances too,
which were latterly not in a very prosperous
state, would worry likely have an influence in the
matter"
There was short pause, during which the two
men puffed their pipes i'll silence. Then Her
der said 81 think Ii life spent AZ mine has been
has at least one advantage over yours, Fred-t
ID not 80 apt to make u man become 30 rapidly
sceptcal about everything, m one passed in cl-
ties not 80 prone to think that people are much
the same everywhere.o Or so content to assign the
least noble motives for human action. Now, in
this case of Mrs. Valance, / am able to inform
you that both common report and yourself were
wrong, at least in one important respect. Miss
Maurlce-that was the young lady's maiden
name / think, though you did not mention it
did receive such a letter az you describe, from
her friend in Australia a letter, too, that relea
sed her completely from her engagement
"And how on earth do you know all this 7"
asked Hammond.
"For the simple reason that am the young
fellow that went to Australia"
''You, George !" exclaimed Hammond, start
ing from his chair and starting in his compan-
ions face. "How is it l never heard Il word OF
this before? thought we knew most of each
others affairs, as young men,.
Z" Well, Fred, for year before l became en-
gagged to Miss Maurice, you were in Germany
with your mother and sister and was away,
you know. before you came back. never men-
toned my acquaintance with Miss Maurice to
you | WAS rather shy and shame-faced fellow,
somehow, about that sort of thing, and did not
tell even 30 close chum as you about ii, though
was on the point OF doing 30 when started 80
suddenly for Australia. After that, felt the
less inclined to writ about the subject my pros
poets were 80 vague and uncertain III every
way"
at was rather strange, George, that / never
heard your name mentioned in the matter and
there was nothing to make me thiuk of connect
ing you with Miss Maurice's friend. Yon knew
Mrs Valance again, then, to night | could
not think what made your manner 30 odd"
''Yes knew her. She is much changed, of
course, though not more 30, suppose, than was
to be expected. left behind me girl of twen-
ty with a bloom on her choek like June rose
and eyes like sunshine. Both the rose.red and
the light in her eyes have faded but she ID still
Kate Maurice, the same sweet-looking woman |
knew long ago. One thing only made me hest
tate tonight at to whether was not mistaken,
after all, and don't understand it yet. l heard
in Australia that the man Miss Maurice married
was Mr.. Ewing but suppose there was some
mistake about the name"
sit was Il mistake" said Hammond but
can see how it probably occurred The title of
tile firm of which Mr.. Valance was junior part
ner was Griffith and Ewing. Your informant
must have heard that Miss Maurice married tho
Junior partner, and concluded that 1t was Mr..
Ewing, or the story got mixed up in some such
way"
II''Yes; the moro easily as it had passed through
several mouths by the time it reached me-"
"And suppose that letter of yours expressed
the real state of things with you at the time y
" Exactly you have got the gist OF the letter
quite correctly. When l wrote that, saw no
prospect for years to come Of being able to mar
ry. When things did at last take a turn in the
right direction with me, l made fair progress.
And now. though | am not wealthy man, L
have as much as l had any right to expect"
''Well, George how is this little story OF yours
to end 2" And as Hammond spoke he looked
quietly into his face, but with not a little curl
osty.
"a "Ah, how, answered the other and the friends
again for a little while reapsed into silence.
SIS Mrs, Valance staying in London for any
time do you know ?" inquired Herder presently.
She has been paying visit to Mrs. Norcott,
and is to return home in a day or Two, she told
me" replied Hammond 'When do you think
of going to Plymouth yourself Z"
.'rhis il Wednesday; think snail go on Fri
day or Saturday. When 1 have got my things
out of the ship, and arranged one or two small
matters of business, shall have nothing further
to keep me in London, and | am anxious to see
my old aunt She is almost my only relative
now left. was a favorite of hers you remem-
ber."
~ think you are perfectly right in visiting her
at once" Hammond answered quietly.
The Friday evening following found llerder
at Plymouth. Early next morning he visited his
aunt and one or two old friends, and then made
his way in the direction OF the house in which he
had spent his boyhood. 1t lay two or three miles
out OF the town, among fields and low hills, and
Herder found il again without difficulty. few
villas had sprung up i'll the nei8hborhood, but
otherwise the place and its surroundings were
little altered Time had been less busy in this