The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-04-11
The Bold Financiering of a Middle
Aged Lady.

In Twenty ninth street resides Mrs.
Sophrouia Belvan, a buxom, well-pre-
served and still rosy widow, aged thirty
eight. The late Mr.. Belvan after looking
Mt his spouse with whom he had lived
with great delight for twenty years, died
regretfully, year or so ago. Since that
time Mrs. Belvan and her Matilda, girl
of seventeen, have lived together upon
mutual sympathy and very small in
come. 1t is needless to say that Matilda
is as handsome as her mother was at seven
teen.
Miss Matilda was beloved by two men,
one Mr.. Horace Lampson and the other
Mr.. George Battieman. Mr.. Lampson il
splendid young fellow of twenty five.
but poor, and Mr.. Battleman is also a
splendid young fellow, but rich. I'm
doubtedly in everything but the posses
sion of lucre Mr.. Lampson is the supe-
Nor of Mr.. Battleman. He is handsomer,
more manly, is better educated and has
more level head. Still Battleman is by
no means contemplate being, and Mis-
Matilda's mother considered her daughter
fortunate girl in having so good a
choice. Battieman has money and is a
good average man, while Lampson who
has no money has yet the accomplish
ments to make it.
As for Miss Matilda she was unable to
decide between them. One day her heart
inclined to Lampson aud next 70 Battle
man, and then to Lampson aud then to
Bat.leman, and 50 on, till those two
young gentlemen were driven nearly to
the verge of distraction. She was no
trifler, no coquette; but she liked them
both, and besides, she was good hearted
girl and did not want 10 make either of
them suffer. Battlcman suggested to
Lampson that to settle the matter they
should leave it to chance, and that the
loser should at once jump Off the East
River Bridge, or live in house with
sewer-gas in it, and end it. Mr. Lamp
son, who, we said, was level-headed. de.
clined to do anything of the kind, but
insisted that he should marry the girl
finally.
Mistaken man. Matilda, one dav, after
giving the subject mature thought for five
minutes decided upon Battleman, and
for fear that she should change her mind
in the next five, put on her hat and seal
skin jacket, the gift of Batteman, went
out with that worthy and delighted young
man to a magistrate, and married him.
To say that Mr.. Lampson was an en-
ragged being is to put the case very mild
ly. He raved up and down the house.
he wept and stormed 10y turns, and con
Quoted himself not like the level headed
young man he is, but like a lunatic and
a lover. In vain Mrs. Belvan attempted
TO soothe him-he refused to be soothed.
Matilda and her husband prudently kept
out of the way.
An idea struck Mrs. Belvan.
Horace Lampson, look at met"
She was not an unpleasant being to
look at by any means, and Horace looked
and expressed satisfaction with his eyes.
"Horace Lampson," said Mrs. Belvan.
81 always hoped that Matilda would
finally settle upon you, but she did not.
| would that she had sister for you, but
she has not. She has no sister"
"Indeed she has not" replied Horace.
"Nature never made two such beings.
Nature exhausted herself in that one"
"But Horace Lampson, listen. While
Matilda has no sister, she has mother
Look at mel You cannot have the sister,
for the obvious reason that she il anoth-
sr's. Her mother il not anothers-you