The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-10-29
A PROVOKING MISTAKE.

T AM not rich mani never was,and
i very much fear never shall be-for,
Notwithstanding l have courted and
wooed Fortune, that fickle goddess has
persistently turned her back upon me.
Some few years back 1t was my chance
to be invited to large croquet party.
OF course went, and being u first
rate player, soon became an object of
interest to the fair players, and one of
envy to the sterner sex. Amongst the
former was Miss Sophie Wrenton-a
fine, handsome girl of about eighteen.
She played croquet admirably-al
as well as / did-and was dressed ex-
quisitely played so that she could
croquet me each time; therefore 1 need
not say lost the game-but L was re-
warded with glance that was worth all
the games ever known. / led her to a
seat-I procured refreshments-I stroll
ed with her round the garden-I made
love to her. She listened and at last
informed me that she always took
walk in Hyde Park at II A. M. Soon
after this the party broke up, and we
bade farewell to each other with gen.
tie pressure of the hand, and a glance
that said as plainly as could be. "We
part to meet again."
Every morning at II o'clock, a tall,
handsome man might be seen vending
his way over that most celebrated
equestrian way, yclept Rotton Row.
Gentle reader, was that man. At the
same hour, approaching from the OPP
posite direction, tall, handsome girl
of about eighteen summers could be OBJ
served. That sweet girl was Sophia.
We met, and-but no ; l cannot describe
the rapture of our meeting Things
went on in this way for couple of
months 1 found Sophia all that L
could wish, and was all that she de-
sired. She scorned wealth. / was
poor, and therefore escaped her scorn.
She dotted on mysteries; / was a COM
plete one-therefore she dotted on me.
She loved romance; had a particular
reason for romancing. What two peo-
pie in the world could be more suited to
each other2
During our walks / discovered that
Sophia hated anything commonplace or
low. Thus she would have no objection
to my poverty forcing me TO abstain
from dinners for week or a fortnight;
but she would have hated me had l
dared to mention that was unroman-
tically hungry, or expressed Mr.. Pick
wick's desire for chops and tomato
sauce. l also found that had rival,
but, luckily, rich one-therefore So
phia scorned him, but at the same time
used him to make me jealous and our
situation more romantic. l muttered
his name-which by the way was Jen-
kins-in deep sepulchral tones, that
made Sophia tremble. l allowed my
hair to grow, loosened my necktie, pull
ed down the ends of my moustache, and
sighed like an American goat-sucker.
Sophia had on her part learned my ad-
dress. Indeed made no secret of that,
for it was a good one-being Bernard
street, Russell square. She thought /
had the drawing rooms; knew L had
the back attic, but felt it would not be
kind to undeceive her. 1t so happened
that had to go to Reading on a small
matter of business during the week the
races were held in that town. My jour
ney there had proved unfortunate, and
/ returned home to my apartments-U
always put the IS" in; it sounds bet
terra sad if not wiser man, my heart
full of care-my pockets void of money.
Lighting a candle, which found placed
ready for me on the umbrella-staud, /
crept slowly up stairs to bed, hoping to
forget my troubles in sleep. Placing the
candle on chest of drawers which
served as toilet-table, 1 gazed in the
glass at my haggard face. The sight
was too much for me, and turned away
to find consolation in flask of spirits
that always kept concealed in hat
box. In doing so my eyes fell upon a
pretty pink note that had been placed
on my table during my absence. L
seized it instantly, and, tearing it open,
found it was from Sophia, inviting me
to dine at her fathers. Yes the dear
girl had persuaded her father to allow
her to ask me to a dinner party.