The Grange advance., 1876-10-04
A Newspapers Story.


: : ;. g A Newspapers Story. - m
aaone day. about three in s.t the y, after.
noon, a middle.aged gentleman run up
the steps Of a handsome house, in a
handsomer city street, and asked the
servant who opened the door if Miss
Neville was at home. Being answered
in the affirmative, he sent in his card.
Written upon it was the name-Wil.
liam Belmore.
The servant, having shown him in
the front parlor, took the card up stairs
and returned with the information
that Miss Neville would be '.down in a
moment" and in a moment Miss Ne
Vile herself entered. She was beau
tiful young woman OF three.and-twen-
ty: She was dressed stylishly, and
bore herself with an air that showed
she was used to society. .. -.--.
She held in her hand a newspaper,
around which was folded wrapper,
directed to herself, which she had
taken from the hall table as she passed.
She had only glanced at the direction
and as yet not opened it. That paper
was myself had just arrived from
Washington.
At her entrance Mr.. Belmore arose
and advanced, holding out his hand.
She gave him hers, which he certainly
kept a moment or SO longer than was
necessary. He was a tall, well-built
man enough, fifty years of age, with
gray side whiskers and a high nose.
OF course as newspaper and one de-
voted to fashionable Intelligence, 1
have great experience in love affairs.
I saw at a glance that Mr.. Belmore was
in love with Miss Neville and that he
intended to offer her his hand and
heart at some time. After they had
conversed while, l knew that he had
resolved to do it that very day. She
knew it too, when he had remarked {:
''My dear Miss Neville, have some.
thing very particular to say to YOU"
He began by telling her that she
was beautiful. Then ke told her that
he loved her. Then he mentioned the
amount of his property and real estate
and asked her if she would marry him.
She thanked him in very we'll ar.
ranged speech, at the end of which
she declined his offer.
When she had done this there was
a silence. Mr.. Belmore broke it by
making an inquiry:
''WOuld she ever change her mind !?
Might he not hope that, having thought
his offer over, she would view it in a
better light -
She replied that it was not a ques-
tion of time and that she certainly
would not change her mind. She
hoped, however, that he would always
be her friend.
At that he grew very angry, though
he tried not to appear so and in mo-
ment he rose to 20.
She bowed him to the parlor door
and he went out into the hall, into the
vestibule, and to the front door.
There a new lock. which was the tor
ment of every stranger, baffled him.
He stood prisoner between the two
doors, vainly struggling to open either
of them for five minutes.
In this space of time Miss Neville
had seated herself in a great armchair
andstaken me out of my Wrapper. AS
There were not fifty words between
soon as she did so her eyes rested on
a paragraph, ,on each side of which
were placed twopencil branckets.
them but as she read I felt myself
begin to tremble in her hands.
sis it possible % she cried; and
tears arose in her eyes and just then a
faint sound in the hall attracted her
attention.
Mr.. Belmore had managed to open
the inner door and stood at that OF the
parlor.
II beg thousand pardons, Miss
Neville,' he said, ''but I cannot man.
age toto get out of the house as rap
idly as. doubtless, would be agreeable
to you.'' .~-.. 80
He was very angry at this time and
the marks of two red.hot tears of rage
and grief-middle-ag tears-were on
his cheeks. I don't know whether he
saw them, but he noticed those in
hers and the change in her face.
II regret that I should have dis
tressed you,'' he said, ''I-I--I hoped
to make you as happy as a different
answer would have made me-
As he spoke she put me down upon
the table and advanced to him.
"Would a different answer have
made you happy - said she.
''That I asked the question is sufi-
cient proof of that, said he.