The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-12-29
Se1ert Story.
WHY HE DIDN'T.

yON NiN hOb maj -hi~o al AiOih' !"
all thought the matter was settled, bu
suddenly We were surprised by til
news that you had married a strange
in the city, and Helen Van Horn wa
left disconsolate. wonder what ba
become OF her; she must have marie
well. however.s she had fine chance {
choose, for there was scarcely q goo,
match in the city that was not at he
command at one time"
Yes, yes" answered the gentleman
addressed-Judge Hume, a distinguish
Ell, handsome, intelligent looking man
of about forty five years OF age; n sue
cessful lawyer, who had some year
before been raised to the judicial bencl
almost by acclanation no woman
could have married better than Heller
Van Horn. Why | did not marry he
is a short. simple story. not..wiIhcut I
moral; and will tell it if you care t.
hear it. have never told it before
even TO my wife, ludicrous as some o
its phases are. So take a cigar-yol
will find it good one-and hear how
possibly. Helen Van Horn is not Mrs
Hume to day:
''You knew har father" began th'
Judge, ''and remember that he was re
puted to be very rich. However, i
turned out, npon his death, and afteI
his debts were paid, that there was lef
mere pittauce for Helen, ooliging her
the petted child of fortune, to live Will
extreme economy ever since"
DO you mean to say that she hai
never marriedm asked his guest
Married." repeated Hume; mo in
deed! And in that may be seen The
moral of my story TO which referred
But do bot let us anticipate; let US be
gin at the beginning.
Zone evening, going to fill an en-
gagement with Miss Van Horn, as The
servant uslNred me unannOuDced into
the parlor, | found her engaged in al
animated conversation Nitb singular
ly handsome young man, who, / saw
at glance, might readily become q
formidable rival, and felt for the in
slant sharp papg ofthat unamiab!a,
disconcer;ipg passion, jealousy. But
as my entrance had been unobserve6
was able to recover myself before say
ing, in my blandest manner, Good
evening The gentleman started, and
s:ifiy returned my bow As for Hell
en-, with suffCsed checks she said,
why, Mr. Hume, did not hear you
at all; you are absolutely as gentle as
a lamb
Somewhat angry at her satiricaI
tone. | observed that she was engaged
N c,nversation and probably did not
hear me enter, and added that / had
called TO attend her 10 the gallery to
Sc the picture she was anxious about.
" .BIt really, Mr. Hume she said,
somewhat cOnfusedly, looking from
the stranger to Inc Il had entirely for
gotten all about It, and so promised
Mr.. Churchill here to accompany him
to see Ricilelieu" TO night
II glanced toward the stranger and
he returned the glance with a slight
frown on his face. Miss Van Horn
coniinu,d But OH | beg your your
pardon gentlemen, / haG forgotten you
were not acquainted with each other.
Mr.. Hume, this is my friend, Mr..
Churchill, of Richmend.' and she care
lessly fell back into the chair, from
which she had half risen for TIE mo-
ment"
Il am srrry Miss Van Horn has so
t,eacberous u memory; but hope, Mr..
Churchill-withy your approval-can be
prevailed upon to defer his engagement
for l assure you the picture is a rare
gem. and we'll worth seeing l per-
sisted in this, because ] had become
slightly reused by the indolent way of
receiving the homage paid her, and
there seemed to be a gleam of triumph
in the face of my rival"
"The young man looked at me
grayely, then silently turned to Miss
Van Horn for some expression of her
wishes. He was evidently very much
displeased at my interruption of their
little tete tete, ard was sufficiently in
terested in the lady to be seriously ruf
fed by my seeming rivalry; he was not
altogether pleased with the feet that
she seemed as careless with respect 10
her engagements, which did not accord
with his standard of women. He was
q well educated. comely Young nan OF
good fortune. accus;o omed 70 be well
received by women, and yet as he
afterward told::ne, he could not help for
he moment some apprehension tliat
the lady's choice for the evening nigh
20 against him, for you know l was
called qnite a Iady's man in those deys.
LAS for Miss Van Horn, she sat,
meanwhile, dersurely toying with a
large tassel suspended from the arm of
her easy chair for a moment as if in
deliberations, thep exclaimed; Re
ally. / am sure i: nfbst be very wro1g
in me to be SO thoughtless, is it not 2
Here a captivating smile Illuminated
her beautiful features and parted her
bewitching lips, Just discovering tie
pearly teeth beneath them, and she
added, viii you not settle the ques-
ton. gentlemen, between yourseivrsl' 2
The matter must be arranged in
some way, and as l was the most inri-
mate friend of the family and my rival
a comparative stranger, was about to
magnanimously withdraw my preten
sion aud leave, the field, when sudden
ly there was a loud rirg at the from,
door, and Miss Van Horn started to
her feet with the exclamation: '.Ah
that must be Mr.. DeSsultus, what an
unfortunate. tlIoughtless girl am, for
l do believe | am engaged to go to the
opera with him tonight
'sThat quickly settled the question
In dispute between Mr.. Churchill and