The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-04-12

both rose to our feet, smiled at eacl
other pleasantly, and with mere 1
hurried good evening to Miss Van Horn
| stopped for my hat, which mad faller
from my hand in my surprise, ant
struck my head against the corner o.
the piano. Mr.. Churchill rushed int
the hall, almost upsetting the diminu
tive DE Stultus, whom he met, the very
picture Of effeminacy and ultra-fOpplsh
ness.
Descending to the sidewalk wher,
the brilliant equipage of De Stultus
met our view, we both simultaneously
burst into laugh that seemed TO breal
the ice between us, for we walked of
together for several squares. AS com
planned of severe pain in my eyes from
he blow l lad received, my companion
said, Il hope, Mr.. Hume will pardon
my recent rude persistence in my
fancied engagement with our fair ac-
quaintance, and let us be good friends
out of sympathy for the denouenlent'
As we are here at my hotel, let us enter
and drink to the good fortune of Mr.
De Stultus.
81 gladly accepted the invitation, and
We were engaged in a pleasant CONVEX
satiOn when loud noise was heard in
the street, mingled with the cry of a
woman in distress.
Suddenly starting to our feet we
rushed forward to render assistance,
The first object that met our sight was
Helen Van Horn, covered with mud,
but happily more frightened than hurt.
DE Stultus was also in a wretched
plight, but too much engrossed, as
might be expected from such creature
with his own mishap, to give the least
attention to his associate in misfortune
whom he left to struggle to her feet
unaided, and to make her way to the
sidewalk, where her recent visitors met
her, and where she hysterically ex.
planned how truck, against which
De Stultus' carriage had been care.
lessly driven, had left them stranded in
the muddy street, fortunately and
marvclously, however, without broken
| bones.
"Churchill called carriage and we
escorted the wretched demoiselle back
to her residence, at the door of which
we congratulated her upon her lucky
escape, and bid her good night
"My new friend then proposed that we
should at once drive to the opera, where
he hoped we might meet party of his
friends, to whom he would be pleased
to Introduce me, and in whose society
we would find surcease for our disap.
pointments in regard to Miss Van Horn.
| assented. Churchill's friends were met
as he had promised, and among them
were two beautiful sisters, so attractive
that they speedily drove all thoughts OF
mere handsome girl, superficial and
spoiled, like Helen Van Horn, out OF
the head of Churchill as we'll as my
own. A charming evening at the opera
ripened into serious attachment on the
part Of Churchill and myself for these
sisters, which ended in our marriage,
and no one ever had juster reason for
saying,
There is a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough hew them how we WILL
/ tho,, 4 hn,,at Io,,, -a,, 49,, -.
did not marry Miss Van Horn, and
also now two men, for moment about
to be made enemies through the reck-
less, unscrupulous coquetry of an in
ferior, heartless woman, by happy
stroke of fortune became friends and
brothers.
GAS for Helen Van Horn, she still
lives in single blessedness, and upon
the memory Of her many conquests,
finding her chief qualification for some
years past in recounting the various
eligible offers she had refused, includ-
ing always Churchill and myself among
her rejected suitors. A heavy specula-
tion into which De Stultus had been be-
guiled about the time of Miss Van
Horns triple engagements for the same
evening, resulted so disastrously for
him that her doors were at once rigidly
closed upon that admirer, who disap-
peared like quenched meteor from
society. Meanwhile occurred the death
of old Mr.. Van Horn, which, as have
said, left the daughter no other attrac-
tion than mere physical beauty, that
had now become so used that it ceased
to please marrlageable men, and che
was no longer able to make three en-
gagements for one evening.
Oilers has indeed been life of lost
opportunities"
~