South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1878-09-27

When I had known hirl ibfse weeks
hs offered him3el6 70 Ine: he pleaded
e. ~ excuse for Iii; haste that, he must
reiurn,t "a bic houS. hasips beef. fcbhat.
edly summoned thence BY his father.-
I was 90 infatuated With him that I said
1t once 7 would mary him.. 49,.
:, I told GRANDMOTHER. Of odk sngSger
mept; aud fiprshtine iiad an interxiey \
With the old ladS; promising TO briug
her letters which would chow her who
and what he Was, and what an excellent
match IL would be for me.
/ was very proud to be able 70 write
to mother and Matilda about my engage.
rgent: I had been hardly. ten weeks In
Edtesvill6 and Was alfeady engsgsd To
the ha:S, dsotie sod Of q wealthy banker.
''Is MT it better TO be the wife Of Flor
entinc De Weigh, than OF your plain
Peter Stubbs?" asked, and Matilda
wrote back that she was very glad was
go we'll satisfied, and that Annie Parker
had just married David Hopper. and
Susan Lake was engaged to John Carter,
"They will envy me-" thought,
"when they see my handsome, raven.
haired Florentine. How can they mar.
~ those freckle.faced young men? To
think | ever thought or debated marry.
ing Peter Stubbs."
A couple of days later, Florentinc
and l were In the parlor. He was tell.
ing me that he must return the ne II
evening, to his father, but that as soon
as he had arranged for our marriage, he
would come back to Catesville and take
me homo to my mother and sister and
make their acquaintance. While he
talked. he was pulling at my watch chain.
All at once link broke in it.
He Immediately unfastcnei both
watch and chain.
IL will take this and get it mendel
for you," he said, 81 am so sorry I
broke it." And, Esther, will you let
me have your initials engraved on the
watch? Let mo have .E. De " put on
dear?" and he smiled.
l was too infatuated with the man to
protest against it, and he rose to go In
few minutes.
Esther" he said, as he kissed me
goodnight, 81 dislike to ask a favor OF
you, Love. but could you let me have
fifty dollars? Iexpected q check from
father to-day, but it did not come. II
it comes tomorrow 1 can pay you back
before l leave for home, and If not, ]
will send it to you in my first letter.
actually need the money or should
not ask for it. and such matters are
nothing between such congenial souls az
we are, Love-"
Don't mention it. Florentine,"
begged. Il can lend it to you, and yor
can pay me back at any time"
ran upstairs TO ny room to get the
money. | had just sixty dollars, the
savings OF the ten weeks had been
with grandmother. She was very gen
erous TO me. and / had no occasion u
spend my money, 80 was saving it fol
my wedding trousssaa How glad wa.
that / could oblige my beloved Floren
tine in anything
He kissed me ardently az / gave hin
the money, and thus promising TO be ~
early the next day to see me, he left the
house.
But though I waited impatiently ali
the next day, my ideal lover did not
make his appearance. Nor did he come
the next day or the day after. Then
became uneasy. and sent tue servant e
inquire for him at tue boarding-house
where he had been staying. She return
ed with the information that Mr.. DE-
Veign had left there owing heavy board
bill, and had taken all his belonging
with him.
Well. it was the last / heard from 10,
ideal. never saw him again, nor die
| ever see either my watch or money
again. Three weeks later q gentleman
in Gainesville told me that he had beer
discovered TO be a regular "black leg
and swindler, and went from town Il
town making love TO young girls ant
possessing himself OF watches and trink
cts on the plea OF getting their initial.
engraved on them.
For six weeks longer I staid will
grandmother, hiding my modification
as well as might, and then made ar
| my mind TO return home. did no
write to either mother or Matilda that
was coming, but set off one February da,
for Hooksville, AS rode along in thi
cars my mind was full Of my troubles
and could not help contrasting plair
Peter Stubhs with the elegant Floren-
tine. much to the latter's disadvantage
/ felt weary and heart-sick, and wonder
ed If people in HooksviIle would star,
at me, and how Peter Stubbs woulC
treat me. Did he really care for me-
Would be love me now5 / thought o
Peter until / persuaded myself that
really loved him dearly, and, after all
his name was mt so very bal. There
were many worse names than that o
Peter Stubs.
We stopped at a station just as
thought this. and 1 heard girls voice
in house near by, singing
''YouBg mems VOWS are soon forgotten,
SO, pretty maid, don't be TOO bold,
Ripest apples soonest rotten,
Hottest love the soonest cold"
A chill came over me as the train
moved on. Had Peters love for me
grown cold J Had his VOWS OF eyerlast
ing love been forgotten? Matilda bad
never mentioned his name in her letters