The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-10-17
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You've hit it," he replied, moodilv.
'To-day, when l asked her to be my
partner ON our sleigh-ride, she curtly
told me that she was engaged with Ned
Hammersley."
"Rather strange" l said. "Surely
she don't mean to prefer that conceited
| fool to youY
81 wish had never seen her." said
| Harry. IL have been in torture for q
month past, wishing to ask her to be
mine, and yet withheld by the fear of a
refusal. And now the suspense is over;
but OIL how fatally. She despises my
suit"
mot so fast, Harry" | answered. ~
am married man, and claim to know
something OF the gentler sex; and there
is nothing more certain than that a
woman frequently means the very re-
verse of what she does."
"Then you don't believe" eagerly
said my friend, "that Lizzy scorns
me?"
II do not. On the contrary, 1 fancy
that she likes you-nay! more than half
loves you."
"God bless you for those words" cried
Harry, shaking my hand rapturously.
"You make new man of me-" But al
most Immediately his countenance fell,
and he added, "Yet what did she mean
by engaging to 20 with Hammersley +?
She knew very we'll l intended to ask
her."
"Perhaps," l said, quietly, "there's
the pinch. Young ladies nowadays
don't like to have it thought that any
time will do to ask them. When l was a
bachelor, Harry, aud wished fair COM
panion for Il sleigh ride, l look very
good care that no one asked her before
| l did"
ga precious fool Pve been," said
| Harry.
"Thats true word, il ever you spoke
one" SAID l, laughing. "You know no
more about courtIng, Harry, than cat
does Of astronomy. The case is this, my
dear fellow. Lizzy is piqued, and though
she had good right to be SO perhaps,
you must not allow her, for all that, to
get the advantage Of you. If she flirts,
you must counter-tiirt; and SO go into
the parlor al once, and ask Miss Law
renee to be your partner; you'll tind her
and my wife at their crochet work; and
hark-a secret in your ear. My pretty
cousin is engaged, though It's not known
mere; SO there'Il be no harm done, flift
as hard as you will"
| Now, Miss Lawrence was beauty, an
heiress, and famous toast. Her nome
was in New YORK, but she had come to
spend Christmas among our hills; and
great had been the sensation which she
| had created; for, in truth, there was no
one to compare with her, in the whole
county, except Lizzy herself.
Alter much persuasion, Harry con-
sented to my plan. Fortunately my fair
cousin had made no engagement for the
ride. When Harry had gone let Miss
| Lawrence into the secret.
"Now,' said l, ''you must assist me to
make this match. Lizzy loves Harry.
there is no doubt; but sne is little too
willful; for she has everything her own
way here"
"As all bellies should" saucily inter-
rupted my cousin.
agreed" said L, ''except when it is
going to make them unhappy for lie,
Harry is very sensitive, anu little flirt-
ing, let me tell you, will trighten him off
altogether. The thing is to make Lizzy
jealous, and SO repay her in her own
coin. After that she'll easier come to
terms"
"For once, I suppose, 1 must turn
traitor to my SEX" said Miss Lawrence.
laughing.
The evening tor the sleigh ride came.
and was a night among thousand,
There was not d cloud in the sky, and
the winter moon shone clear and beauti
lul; the air was cold as zero, but still:
the landscape looked like dreamland.
1t was sight to make an old man young
again, to see the sleighs dashing to and
fro through the village streets, collect
ing their lovely freight; while the merry
jingle of the bells made the blood dance
joyOusly in the veins.
Away swept the gay cavalcade. Most
of the bellies and beauX were distributed
through three enormous sleighs, and, to
Judge from the lncessant mirth kept up,
were crazy with fun. There were half a
dozen single sleighs, however; and
among these were Harry's anu Hammer
sley's.
Lizzy looked astonished, as L sus.
pected she would, when she saw who
Harry's companion was. She knew that
Miss Lawrence was quite equal to her.
self in beauty, and superior in fortune;
and sbale of alarm stole over her face. |
But she disguised it ceverly, under an
additional gayety Of manner; was wit |
tier than ever; and danced, laughed ana |
talked as if she was the happiest OF the |
happy.
My tair cousin played her part, mean
time, to admiration. Everybody thought
that Harry had made conquest; and
not few complimented him, even in
Lizzy's hearing, ON his good fortune,
But he himself was less elated.
'We're carrying it too far" he said to
me, anxlously. "Lizzy dont't mind me
a bit. She's really half in love with
Hammersley. See how she leans on his
arm and looks up into his face"
$50 did Miss Lawrence, five minutes
ago, 10 you; and yet she's in love with
another. An! Harry, women are born
cheats. PHI wager now that Lizzy is as
uneasy as yourself" ..
81 wish l could think so," sighed
Harry.
keep up your Irritation" said, sand
don't be the first to give in.-"
l would have said more, but, at that
a cry Of fire rang through the
ballroom; and looking up, saw, from
the huge volumes of smoke pouring into
the doorway, that the hall was in flames,
a voice cried that the
staircase was on fire, and retreat in that
direction cut off. 1t seems that, while
we had been dancing a candle had fallen.
and the fire got headway undetected.
"We must escape by the windows.
Harry" cried. "FortunateIy the roof
If the porch 10 just beneath them, and
,he descent thence not far, while the