Litchfield enquirer., 1878-06-27
TWO FAIR DECEIvFRs.

 sit at the open windows on summer evenings Do you suppose it is of love? Indeed sus- pect it is of money; or, if not of money, then at least of something that either makes or spends it.
 Cleve Sullivan has been spending his for four years in Europe, and he has inst been telling his friend John Seldon hew he spent it. John has spent his in New York-he is inclined to think just as profitable. Both stories conclude in the same way. a
 'sI have not thousand dollars left, John"
 'tNor I, Cleve'
 T thought your cousin died two years ago surely you have not spent all of the old gen. tleman's money already ?"
 '1 only got $2O, 900; owed half of it.
 'Only $20, 900! What did he do with it p
 ''Gave it to his wife, He married beauty about year after you went away, died in a few months afterward, and left her his fortune. 1 had no claim on him. He educated me, gave me profession, and $20, ,0O0. That was very well he was only my mothers cousin. |"
 '.And the widow-where is she?'
 Living at his country seat. I have never seen her. She was one of the St. Maurs of Maryland"
 'fGood family, and all beauties Why dent you marry the widow?"
 ''Why, I never thought of such thing"
 1Ou Cdu LII UCGGOI" WI1CC her little note at once say that you and will soon be in her neighborhood, and that gratitude to your cousin, and all that kind of thing-then beg leave to call and pay respects etc., etc."
 John demurred good deal to the plan, but Cleve was masterful, and the note was writ ten, Cleve himself putting it in the post-offce ,
 That was on Monday night. On Wednes- day morning the widow Clare found it with a dozen others upon her breakfast-table She was dainty, high-bred little lady, with
 "Eyes that drowse with dreamy splendor,
 Cheeks with ross-leaf tintings tender,
 Lips like fragr ant posy," and withal of kind, hospitable temper, we'll inclined to be happy in the happiness of others.
 But this letter could not be answered with the usual polite formula. She was quite aware that John Seldom had regarded himself for many years as his cousins heir, and that her marriage with the late Thomas Clare had seriously altered his prospects. Women easi- ly see through the best laid plans of men, and this plan was transparent enough to the shrewd little widow. John would scarcely have liked the alf-contemptuous shrug and smile which terminated her private thoughts on the matter.
 "Clementine, if you could spare moment ! you, dear, about visitor"
 Clementine raised her blne eyes, dropped her paper and said, ''Who is it, Fan ?"
 ''It is John Seldom. If MT, Clair had not married me he would have inherited the Clare estate. think he is coming now in order to see if it is worth while asking for, cucumber ed by his cousins widow"
 ''What selfishness? Write and tell him that you are just leaving for the Suez Canal, the Sandwich Islands, or any other inconven- tent place."
 'sNo I have a better plan than that-Cle meantime, do stop reading few minutes. 1 will take that pretty cottage at Ryebank for the summer, and Mr. Seldon and his friend shall visit us there. No one knows us in the place, and 1 will take none of the servants with me-"
 "Well?'
 ''Then, Clementine, you are to be the Wid- ew Clare, and 1 your poor friend and compan- ion''
 "Good! The Fair Deceivers'-an excel lent comedy. How I shall snub you, Fan And for once shall have the pleasure of out dressing you. But has not MT. Selden seen you?"
 ''No I was married in Maryland, and went immediately to Europe. came back a widow two years ago, but MT. Selden has
  who this friend is that he proposes to bring with him?"
 "Oh, men alwaws think in pairs, Fan. They never decided on anything until their particular friend approves. dare say they wrote the letter together What is the gentle mans name ?"
 The widow examined the note My friend MT. Cleve Sullivan Do you know him, Clem- entine p
 "No; I am quite sure that never saw MT. Cleve Sullivan. don't fall in love with the name-do you? But pray accept the off CT for both gentlemen, Fan, and write this morning, dear" Then Clementine returned tc the consideration of the lace in c0gaItlles for her new evening dress.
 The plan so hastily sketched was subse- queutlY thoroughly discussed and carried out. The cottage at Ryebank was taken, and one evening at the end of June the two ladies took possession of it. The new widow Clare had engaged a maid in New York, and fell into her part with charming ease and very pretty assumption of authority and the real widow, in her plain dress and pensive, quiet manners, realized effectively the idea of cultivated but dependent companion. They had two days in which to rehearse their parts and get all the household machinery in order, and then the gentlemen arrived at Ryebank.
 Fan and Clementine were quite ready for their first call the latter in rich and exquis- ite morning costume. the former in simple dress of spotted lawn, Clementine went through the introductions with consummate ease of manner, and in half an hour they were very pleasant party. Johns cousin ship" afforded an excellent basis for informal companionship, and Clementine gave it full prominence Indeed, in few days John began to find the relationship tiresome it had been, Cousin John, do this" and "Cousin John, come here," continually; and one night when Cleve 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, I do not like Mrs. Clare"
 '1 think she is very lovely woman, John"
 q say nothing against her beauty, Cleve; den't like her, and have no mind to occupy the place that beautiful ill-used Miss Marat fills The way Cousin Clare ignores or snubs woman to whom she is every way inferior makes me angry enough, I assure you"
 Don't fall in love with the wrong woman, John."
 ''Your advice is teo late, Cleve; I am in love. There is no use in us deceiving ourselves or each other You seem to like the widow why not marry her? I am quite willing you should"
 'Thank you, John; have already made some advances that way. They have been fa- yorably received, think"
 'You are so handsome, fellow has no chance against you. But we shall hardly quarrel, if you do not interfere between love- ly little Clement and myself"
 s1 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 ad- ded to nothing will not make decent living. " T am going to ask her to be my wife and and make decent living out of my profession"
 From this time fortL John devoted himself with some ostentatien to his supposed cousins companion. He was determined to let the widow perceive that he had made his choice, and that he could not bebought with her mon- ey. Mir. Selden and Miss Marat were always together, and the widow did not interfere be- tween her companion and her cousin. Per haps she was rather glad of their close friend ship, for the handsome Cleve made a much more delightful attendant. Thus the party fell quite naturally into couples, and the two