The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-01-20

and the next day, Of losses which he
must have ststained by the fall OF cot
ton. Intact, he was spoken Of as an ex-
Itensiyeoperator in the most hazardous
/ adventures. AT last there came grand
crash among the merchants; and MI.
Manly failed with the rest.
Next came the news that he was gone
to Europe; and to crown the whole, we
heard one day, that he was married to
| an opera dancer 1.-THE south OF France.
1 "What an escape for Keziah ~ said /;
"but i must go to see her, and congratu-
late and cond9le with her In the same
| BREATH"
80 posted into the country as fast as
1 could. l found my friend paying the,
most assiduous attention at the sick bed
of her aunt. The old lady was rapidly
| declining. Her features formerly sharp
/ ened by penury, were now attenuated
lby the rayages OF consumption. She
4 lived but lew days after my arrival;
and when her remains had been depos-
tied in their final resting place, Keziah
consented to take up her residence with
me, till her aunt's agent in the city
should make her acquainted with the
| disposition which had been made with
respect to her future course.
| We arrived at my fathers house in
| Walnut street, just at dusk, and hurried
into the parlor, which, to our surprise,
we found empty, except a single figure
/ of strange gentle man, who was very
4 composediy warming his hands at the
4 fire. He did not turn round as we en-
| tered, and did not recognize him; but
the moment Keziah cast her eyes upon
his figure, she tainted and fell upon The
floor. 1t was Manly.
We laid her upon sofa, applied the
usual Pestoratiyes; and when she had
SO far recovered as to sit up, it was pitt
1 iul to behold the distress Of both. So.
| woe-begone and anxious look did he
cast upon her, and SO hurt and insuited
did Keziah seem at his very presence.
For my part l was angry, outrageous at,
\ the man; and determined at once to-
| give him a piece of my mind. BY way
of annihilating him at one blow. 1 said
in very cutting and sarcastic tone:
II hope Mrs. Manly is we'll, Mr..
Manly"
"Mrs. Manlyw he replied; sssurely
| you do not suppose that nave WiieV
| II am very much afflicteu," replied l,
| ssto learn that Mrs. Manly is deceased"
| "What can you possibly mean?' said
ne; 81 have never been marriedW
| "Not married!' exclaimed l, begin.
4 ming to feel mighty embarrassed i'll my
turn. awe heard that youwere married
| in the South Of France"
"It was all a mistake, l assure you; l
ihaye never been in the South Of France.
4 1t is not my fault if my friends are not
| apprised of all have done, for have
| written regularly"
| 1t was now Keziah's turn to speak.
| The color had come and gone rapidly on
| her beautiful tace duriag the preceding
colloquy, and she now said: 81 have
never received a letter since you
i sailedp
The last declaration assured me that
| a very tender eclaireissement was iney-
! itable: and considering the figure 1 had
recently cut as stern judge, and the
1 circums tauce that l was likely to prove
just one too many in the scene that was
to follow, incontinentfy ran out of the
| parlor, and closed the door behind me.
The family were all absent at a lee
ture, and discreetly left the lovers 10
complete their mutual explanations, till
4 their return.
The next morning, you may be sure,
| catechised Kezlah very closely. Manly,
4 it appeared, had returned almost as poor
as he went away. But he came home a
| wiser, ii not q richer man. He had re-
| solved TO commence business on small
1 scale, upon the cash system, to live
| economically and build up fortune by
! the old-iashioned system OF industry and
frugality. The story OF mis- marriage had
1 uufSullIC Ol u
young Englishman of the same name {;
| and it had been too readily believed,
from the total failure of his letters. This
! circumstance was still to be explained.
| In the course Of the morning Miss
! Primrose's agent, Mr.. SquizZy, called.
/ He was the very beau ideal'of scriv-
ener, little, lean, scrimpl-up old bach
| elor, who looked as il he had lived upon
| diet Of parchment and red tape tor half
a century. On being introduced, he laid
his snua-box and portfolio on the table,
with great formsllty, and putting on a
pair OF old-fashioned siiYer-muunted
speetacles, he produced a parchment
| which he announced TO Kezah as the
| will of her aunt. 1t was terribly long:
and in addirion to the usual law ytr.
biage, there was a great deal of explana-
| ton Of her views aud intentions atter her
| own peculiar fashion.
The upshot OF the whole matter, how.
| ever, was that Keziah was to iunerit her
property; for which peace of il..stfce 4
forgaye the old lady, IN rIy innermosl
heart, all the sour looks and harsh re-
butts she nad ever given me. Still l was
not quite satisfied. l wanted to know
the amount which Keziah was to have.
So plucking up courage l put the ques.
ton point blank to the scriyener, and
didn't he stare at my impertinence?
pray, how much may this property OF
! our excellent deceased friend be worth,
Mr.. SquizzyW
"Why, Miss" he replied, with long,
i slender draw, 81 suppose her property
in this country may be worth Some ten
thousand dollars; but then, you know,
there are the fifty thousand pounds
which she held in the English fuiids."
'Fifty thousand poundsP we both ex-
claimed, actually jumping off our seats
at the astonishing intelligence.
''Yes, miss" he went on, in the same
drawing tone, sand then, you know, she
bought in the Cuban property, the coffee
, plantation, you know, after poor MIR.
, Carlton got into difficulty"
II .We know no such thing," replied,
"Miss Primrose never let any one but
yourself know that she had more than
. six or seven hundred dollars year, and
we never could divine where thai came
from"
J, 'Well,". replied Mr.. Squizzy, "Miss
, Primrose was very prudent woman-a
nice woman. She had better notion
, about Investments than great many
men have. 1 have got everything safe
and snug for the young lady whenever
she chooses to take possession"