The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-04
Well, Charley Dresden went avav. and

my care, ulunt I reel called upon 10
present myself at the genteel boarding
house where the blue reps and turn-up
bedstead made such feeble attempt at
deception, and the canaries sang in the
south windows.
l supposed naturally enough that all
was going right, until one day 1 received
a note from my old friend, Bullion, the
banker, man of sixty, who wears a wig
and spectacles, and counts his income
upon the double figures. Bullion was
going to be married.
"Of course you'll think it foolish
thing for me to do" wrote Bullion !;
"but even stsixty man has not entirely
outliyed the age of sentiment; and
when once you see Sophy Adriance you
will forgive any seeming inconsistency
on my part.S
"Sophy Adriance l'' was this the way
poor Charley's blue-eyed fancee was
serving him while he was abroad trying
to earn little money for her sakeY My
heart rebelled against the fckleness of
woman.
Invent straight to the genteel boarding.
house. 1t was possible that 1 might be
miled by similarity of name, although
even that was unlikely.
"Is Miss Adriance at homer" 1 asked
of the slatternly servant girl who
answered the bell.
"Lor', no, sir. Miss Sophy's spending
q few weeks with a friend at Scar
borough" she answered.
That was enough. I went home and
inclosed Bullion's letter in another
envelope, directing it to poor Charley
Dresden's address, Poste Restante,
Paris, adding a few lines of my own,
wherein 1 endeavored to mingle conso-
lation and philosophy as aptly as posi-
ble."
"Its an ungracious thing for me to do,
sending this letter." wrote 1 "but 1 be-
lieve it to be the part of true friend to
undeceive you as promptly as possible.
Bullion is millionaire; Sophy is but a
fallible woman, after all. Be a man,
Dresden, and remember that she is not
the only woman in the world who would
rather be an old mans darling than a
young mans slave"
And then I wrote, curtly declining to
stand up with old Bullion.
1t was but a few days subsequently
that the waiter showed an elegantly
dressed young lady into my room at the
hotel. 1 rose in some surprise. Aside
from old Aunt Miriam Platt, and my
laundress, my lady visitors were few.
But the instant she threw up her thick
tissue veil 1 recognized the soft blue eyes
and damask-rose cheeks of Sophy Adri-
"Oh, Mr.. Mottimore!" she cried,
"Iknow you won't mind my
coming to you, because you seem exactly
like a father to me-" I WINGED a little
at this. "But 1 have received such
letter from Charley, and as you've known
him long time, I thought perhaps you
could explain it to me- Oh, 1 have been
so wretchedl And indeed / don't de-
serve it !"
She gave me tear-blotted letter, and
then sat down to cry quietly in the cor
ner of the sofa until such a time as /
should have finished its perusal. 1t was
a fit mirror of Charley Dresden's i'm
petuous nature; full of bitter reproaches,
dark innuendoes, hurting back her troth
and limiting gloomily at suicide! When
read it / scarcely wondered at poor
Sophy'sdistress.
"What doeshe mean, Mr.. Mottimore ?"
asked Sophy, plaintively, "when he
accuses me of selling myself to the
highest bidder3 Oh, it is so dreadfuIp
/ folded the letter and looked severely
at her.
"Miss Adriance," said 1, gravely, " it
strikes me you are trying to play a
double part here. The afianced bride of
Benjamin Bullion ought hardly to
hope to retain the allegiance of poor
Charles Dresden into the bargain"
"I don't understand you," said
Sophy, looking wistfully at me.
care you not about to become the
wife of Mr.. Bullion, the banker F l
asked, sternly.
"Oh, dear, no." said Sophy. "That's
mammal
"Ehm gasped 1.
It'smamma," answered Sophy. "She
is to be married next week! Didn't you
know itp
I stared straight before me. Well, I
had got myself into a pretty pickle by
meddling oficiously with affairs that
didn't concern me.
"Look here, Miss Adriance," said L;
4" l will tell you all about it."
So 1 did. 1 described old Balloons
letter, my own false deductions there
from, and the rash deed l had COM
mitted in sending the bankers cores
pondence to Charley Dresden.
"And now" said ], "do you wonder
that he is indignant"
Sophy's face grew radiant.
"But there's no harm done," said she.
No real harm, Imean. Because 1 have
written him a long letter all about
mamma and Mr.. Bullion, which he must
have received almost the next mail after
he sent of this cruel, cruel sheet of re-
preacher. And pray, Mr.. Mottimore
don't look SO wOe-begone," she added
kindly. "Your mistake was quite
natural"
Sophy was true prophet. There wa
no real harm done. The next mai
brought letter full of entreaties to bt
pardoned, and brief, brusque note tt
me, which told me, not in so man!
words, but in spirit, that 1 had grea
deal better have minded my owl
business. Which really think 1 had
1 stood up with old Ben Bullion anc
that full-blown rose, Sophy's mamma
after all, and when Charles Dresden cam,