The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-03-08
Writer Ior the TRIBUSE.l
MiSfOrtune's Prize.
BY DLARE5.

/ -
By DLARK3.
"All all Is lost; this Is terrible Il
bear. First fortune, esse, wealth, In.
dependence, and now she whom
liove, yes, love her still, to treat me
so cruelty. Il almost appears as if my
life is to be 8 complete failure thai
my ticket in life's great lottery ls tc
draw a blank"
The speaker was a young, fine-look-
ing person, probably twenty-five OF
btwenty-six years of age, with an open,
Intelligent eountenance, which al
most bespoke the nobleness of soul
which prompted his every move.
The scene was his own room, in the
city of New York, in one Of our up
town hotels. The taste and variety Of
the decoration and contents Of the
room, plainly told the bent of the pro-
prietOr's mind. On one side of the
apartment extended his library, part
y instructive, but for the most part
of that readable, pleasant and time
killing class of works, known as nov
els; not that low, indecent trash OF
ten cent literature, but standard
works such as Dickens, Scott, Thack-
cray, Cooper, and their compeers. In
the center Of the apartment stood q
mErble-top table laden with daily and
weekly periodicals, magazines, ETC.,
such in fact as you would be apt TO
find in 3 well regulated reading room.
On one side was q dess, or secretary,
tastily ornamented, containing works
OF g more business looking kind, such
/ &c al Iahoara IN DCtafnd nFd
last named article of furniture sat our
hero, Mr.. William Breen.
The reader having this somewhat
minute, but still incomplete introduc-
tion, IL will be necessary to proceed
still further. Breen was, up TO few
| hours ago, wealthy. He was one Of
those mysterious characters on
Change" commonly known as q
speculRtor. His father dying, q few
years previous, had left him quite q
fortune, for the most part invested In
stocks and "mines on the boards"
William having finished his educa-
tion, travelled and enjoyed his estate
immensely, but had now settled down
to business for himself He sat be-
hind this desk in a sweat Of misery.
On the table before him lay the des.
patches which informed him Of the
depreciation Of stocks, and so caused
his great loss. He had hoped, after q
few years of careful speculation, to
withdraw from the uncertain money
market and invest his capital in less
fiuctuating business. But that came
desire which always prompts the win
ner to try ''just once more" had Ia
ken possession Of him, and he invest.
ed his sll in promising company In
the west. He had also considerable
borrowed capital in the "staEe," and
now all was lost. These losses he bore
with quite stolcal nonchalsnce but
the last straw was the one which, as
il were, "broke the camel's back"
AS soon as be received the unlucky
news be penned q note to bis betrOth.
ed, Miss Emily StrattOn, the dRugher
of q merchant on Broadway, telling
her of his losses, not for a moment
doubling that he could in short time
make them all good, and soon regain
ali that he had lost, and merely request
ing q pOstponement of the wedding
ceremony, which was to have taken
place that week. But the reply he re-
ceived settled all his ring was re-
turned, and she, proud and ambitious
creature as she was, as soon as she
found her wealthy CTpsus had now
changed to the plain William Breen,
no longer loved him, bat as she said
In her note, Fitied him.
This was too much for the young
fellow; bis proud young spirit could
not brook the insult. He st once felt
the loss OF both fortune and love. He
had met the Strattons while travel
ing in Switzerland, and had been
cuarmed and delighted by EmiIy's
brilliant society. He had been her
constant guide and attendant for the
rest Of the trip. She certainly was q
beautiful lady, but, like her parents,
her whole aim was wealth to be rich,
that she might crafty her extraVa-
CANT love of dress and splendor. Her
parents were not at all millionaires
simply well-tO-dO, as the word is. But
they had fully made up their minds
that their darling Emily should mar
~ rich. This being the young lsdy's
''TOLe,n she bad been duly impressed
with the Importance of catching q
millionaire, and faithfully acted her
part OF the programme. When the
Strattons fell in with William Breen,
they at once decided that he was the
one sought for. Knowing his wealth
and independence he was pronounced
3 "catch," and the charming Emily |
exerted all OF her powers Of fascins-
tion, and not in vain, to win the |
wealthy young Adonis. They were |
iu company several months, and be- |
fore they separated William had |
sought and won her. They were to |
have been married, as said before, |
shortly, but his losses caused q post |
ponement.
The reason William did not call on |
her personally was because be was in |
haste to leave the city for the west, |
where he hoped to save enough of his |
money to start him again in the mar
ket. But circumstances SO cOnspiring |
caused the Strattons to at once alter |
their plans, and It was again decided |
that Emily should give him up. Not
that it was very difficult task for
that beauty, or preyed very hard on
her mind. No; she was too worldly |
by far; had too small a heart to love
any man faithfully, especially love
William Breen as he deserved to be
loved in return for the undivided at
tentions he bestowed on her.
After sitting musing for q while he
at last exclaimed: "WelI, even this
must not change my purpose; must
see to that western affair. But that |
Miss StrattOn is a false, worldly wo-
man, is fully decided in my mind. /
She is undeserviug Of any true mans |
love, but oh 1t is hard to give her up. |
I loved her faithfully and truly, and
had it not been for this unfortunate !
would have bsen happy |
with her. Happy could 1 nave been |
happy with her? suppose this loss
had came after we were married, 1t |
would then have been too late for her |
to leave me. Yes, it seems to have |
happened for the best, but this is ter
rible and have learned fearful les
son hencefOrth, will be q single |
man. I will steel my over-sucespti-
bic heart against the attacks of all the |
sex. am from this moment q wo-
man hster instead of q lover; they |
are all false and giddy; cannot even |
tell when they do love. Now can |
realize MOore's lines.
'''Tis not so sweet as woman's love,
But oh! it's more sincere"
That don't raise mine any IN my
mind; curses on the whole of them ;
1 will live happy without them. Well, |
this will never do, so here goes for q |
reply to Emily" Sitting close to his |
desk he penned the following note:
"MIss STRATToN = Your brief duly |
received. Was surprised at the con-
tents, but am very glad that you we're |
tried and found wanting in time. !
You say you cannot love me, but that /
you pity me. Spare your pity; 1 need |
nor want no ones pity hence forward. |
You are to me simply Miss Stratton,
and am, respectfully,
WILLIAM BRRRN,
Sealing it, he put on his ovsrcoat
and hat, and cane in hand left the |
room. Meeting an errsnd boy on the |
street he gave him the note to deliver,
and took q coach for the cepot. de
was Just in time, and in a few min
utes was whirling. over the country
towards the west.
Arriving at l. he was obliged to
change cars, and being informed that
the train on which ha WRS fO deDart