The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-07-24
A BACHELOr,s STORY.

FIVE | can say | shall never oe any
: thing else; bat Ike all other men
all that | ever met at least-I hav
loved and hoped to be happy wit
my chosen bride.
That passion and those hopes fade
t forty years ago. Since then | hay
done perance for the hasty act of on
night. | have Stunned the societ,
of women, and forbade myself th'
shadow Of hope that | might patel
my shattered joys with new ones.
To none who knew me have
lever told the tale. / should hav'
been esteemed liar or madman
and no one would willingly aecep
such reputation To you, unknown
reader, / dare recite the events o
those four and twenty hou;s-events
which turned life into its well-worr
channel, and made me the lonely
hopeless man that | am.
At the age Of twenty-four | was Q
clerk in the office Of Messrs Carp 4
Cavil, lawyers. | had energy and
ambition, health and opportunity,
every thing in fact that could be
wished for man who hoped to fgh,
his way up in the world and win
wealth and reputation.
| was engaged to young lady by
the name of Grace Hunter, a pretty,
delicate creature, so quiet, that her
pet name, Snowflake, seemed to be
the only one suitable to her. Her
step was noiseless, her movement
soft, her voice sweet and low. She
never herself entertained a large
company by her conversation, nor
did any of those things which give q
woman reputation for hrilliancy
but her mental powers were very
fne, and 10 a tete-tete she was en-
chanting. A lady to the hearts
core, in my eye, at least, a perfect
beauty, she might have been forgot
ten by most men in a room full OF
giggling girls.
| adored her. | felt that her love
was jewel worthy of an Emperor's
wearing, and / scarcely dare utter
the words that told her all ] felt.
Even now her highbred reserve kept
me at distance. | was proud of
her. She was at once the saint whom
it was nv delight to cherish and pro-
tect until death should part us.
Six months had passed away since
she had promised 10 be mine. At
the end of six months more SIZE was
to give me her hand. | had a sala-
~. but my grandmother had left me
legacy which would enable me to
go to housekeeping in plain, COM
Portable style, and Grace was willing
to fight lite's battles by my side
Life seemed bright and joyous to
me on that night of mid-winter forty
years ago when l walked through
the city streets with Grace on my
arm, and looking down on her in her
white wrappings, with streams of
frosty starlight touching her black
hair, wondering if the angels were
fairer than she was.
We were going to spend the even
ing at mutual friends residence.
Th,re was ID be music and dancing,
and cards, and social supper. |
went because Grace desired to go.
Her sole society al her own home
was more delightful to me than any
other company but was young
and light Of heart. and when had
once entered the lighted parlors | did
not sit silent in q corner.
talked, | sang, turned the mu-
sic for musical young ladies, | walk
ed through tie laDcers AT last !
found myself flirting with one of the
female guests.
There are women a man is obliged
to fiirt With. He does not admire
them or love them one whit; be does
not even desire their society; but he
must te even more than man ere he
can refuse 10 respond 10 their ad-
vances. One OF these women |
know, having been locker on for so
many years, can make aby man ap
pear desperately in love with her,
when he almost detests her. A wo-
man Of tha. kind was in the compa-
nv. She had hands that delighted
10 soft touches Of hands masculine !;
eyes that could east glanees bright
and enhancing. She possessed at
fractions rather than beauty. What
she said was nothing; her conyersa-
tion had no interest, but know that
I was absorbed by her = that i
really was absorbed; 10 two words,
flirted sbominably with her.
Grace. meanwhile. sat apart from
me and talked to others in her low,
sweet tone. 0aee she sang pretty
love song Quite calm aud self pos
sessed, with no appearance OF MOTTO
ing my conduct, ihe thought that IT.
troubled her never occurred TO me,
so that when the evening was over
and when we left the house together,
| was astonished beyond measure TO
see an offended look upon her face,
and hear an offended tone in her
voice. | offered her my arm. She
rejected it, replying that the ground
was damp. and that her hands were
occupied with ber dress; but knew
this was q mere pre,ext, aud feeling
myself in the wrong, aud having
swallowed more wine than should
at the supper table, grew very angry.
"May | ask what | have DONE" ]
said
"You know p said Grace.
Il know!" | repeated. Nay. !
know nothing Of woman's faneies.
You must EXPLAIN