The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-05-02

manner, and in half an hour they were
= very pleasant party. Johns cous-
lnship'' afforded an excellent basis for
Informal companion6hip, and Clemen-
sine gave it fun prominence. Indeed.
in . few days John began TO find the
Relationship tiresome; It had ben.
Cousin John do this,ssand *Coasin
John, come here" continually; andone
night when Geve and he sat down to
smoke their final cigar, he was irritable
enough to give his objections the form
Of speech.
"Cleve, to tell you the honest truth.
/ do not like Mrs. Clare"
II think she is q very lovely woman.
81 say nothing against her beauty,
Cleve; | don't like her, and l have no
mind to occupy the place that beautiful
ill-used Miss Marat fills. Tho way
Cousin Clare ignoresor snubs . woman
10 whom she is every way inferior
makes me angry enough, | assure
you."
"Don't fall in love with the wrong
woman, john EG 8y
"Your advice is too late, Cleve; I
am in love. There is no MSS in us de-
ceiving ourselves or each other. You
seem to like the widow why not
marry herp l am quite willing you
should IN IL FL q
"Thank you, John; / have already
made some advances that way, They
have been fayorably received i think"
"YOu are SO handsome, q fellow has
no chance against you. But we shall
hardly quarrel if you do not interfere
between lovely little Clement and my
self.n
II could not afford to smile on her,
John; she is too poor. And what on
earth are you going to do with . poor
wife? Nothing added to nothing will
not make q decent living"
II am going to ask her to be my
wife. and II she does me therhonur to
say Yes / will make a-decont living
out of my profession"
From this time forth John devoted
himself with some ostentation to his
supposed cousins companion. Hewas
determined to let the widow perceive
that he had made his choice, and that
he could not be boughtwith her money.
Selden and Miss Marat were al
ways together, and the widow did not
interfere between her companion and
her cousin. Perhaps she was rather
glad of her close friendship, for the
handsome Cleve made a much more
delightful attendant. Thus the party
fell quite naturally into couples, and
the two weeks that the gentlemen had
first fixed as the limit of their stay
heightened into two months.
1t was noticeable that as the ladies
became more confidential with their
they had less to say to each
other: and it began at last to be quite
evident to the real widow that the play
must end for the present, or the de-
nouenaent would come p~rematurely.
Circumstances favored her determine
ton. One night Clementine, with q
radiant face, came into her friends
room, and said:
"Fan, l have something to tell you.
Cleve has asked me to marry him."
"Now, Clement, you have told him
all; I know you have"
"Not q word, Fan. He still be-
lieves me the Widow Clare"
ibid you accept himP"
"Conditionally. I am to give him a
final answer when we 60 to the city in
October. You are going to New York
winter, are you notP'
Eyes. Our little play progresses
John Selden asked me to be
his wife tonight"
~ told you men think and act in
".John is q noble fellow. Ipretend-
ed to think his cousin had i'll used him.
and he defended him until I was
ashamed of myself; absolutely said,
Clement. that yow were q sufficient
excuse for Mr.. Clarc's will. Then he
blamed his W past idleness so much,
and promised if / would only try and
the slina1 and arrows Of your
9 9gaFa 1SSSRagsst teT ne swon niISf"iRs have ma made a
home for me in which Icouldbe happy.
Yes, Clement, i should marry John
Selden if we had not a five-dollar bill
between u.s."
a wish Cleve had been q little more
explicit about his money affairs. How
ever, there is time enough yet. When
they leave tomorrow, what shall we
do?"
"We will remain here another
month; Levine will have tie house
ready for me by that time. l have
written to him about refurnishing the
parlors."
So next day the lovers parted, with
many promises of constant letters and
future happy days together. The in
terval was long and dull enough; but it
passed, and n morning both gentle
men received notes of Invitation to q
small dinner party at the Widow Clare's
mansion in - street. There was a
good deal Of dressing for this party.
Cleve wished to make his entrance into
future home as became the pros
master of amillion and q half
Of money, and John was DESTROYS of not
suffering in Clements eyes by any COM
p~arison with the other gentlemen who
would probably be theneea
Scarcely had they entered the draw
ing-room when the ladies appeared, the
true Widow Clare no longer in the un-
assuming toilet she had hitherto worn,
Du0 MuSuAACCnb III WllgC CISgG llSSc
and satin, her arms and throat and
pretty head flashing with sapphires and
Her companion had ass
sumed now the role Of simplicity, and
Cieve was disappointed with the first
at her plain white Chambery
gauze dress.
John had seen nothing but the bright
face of tie girl he loved and the love-
light in her eyes. Before she could
speak he had taken both her hands and
whispered, dearest and best and
lest Clement"
Her smile answered him first. Then
she said: pardon me, Mr.. Selden,
out we have been in masquerade all
summer, and now we must unmask be-
lore real life begins. My name is not
Marat, but Fanny Glare. |
Cousin John, l hope you are mot disap-
oointed." Then she put her hand into
and they wandered of into the
conservatory to finish their explanation.
Mr.. Glove Sullivan found himself atj
hat moment in the most trying circum-
tance of his life. The real Clemen-
inc Marat stood looking down st .
lower on the carpet, and evidently ex-
him to resume the tender atti-
nAn Ia h&2x1&xo&