Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-02-12
A Mans Mistake.

= Tive gentlemen sat at the little roun
table in the cafe of the st. Denis Hotel
discussing their five O'Clock dinner.
at an adjacent table, half hidden be
hind a newspaper, sat another gentle
man, waiting for his order to be receiy
ed.
+ so Glenham has been caught at last
You have heard of his engagement, Q
course p l4-t. ptr
The gentleman addressed laid dow
his knife, in the very act of carrying
slice of roast duck.
'Glenham to be married! Mark, wher
did you hear such astounding news?-
Nonsense; it can't be true! Glenham
Why, he must be-well, nearly fifty
Forty four--I happen to know
Well, he certainly is engaged to be mar
ried, in very short time, to Miss Lilial
Baldwin, es fsI y ~ 6.3aa n
% hn and the tone of voice said a.
plainly as words could have said: We'll
if that is the case, / don't wonder. Mis-
Baldwin is young, pretty, and society
belle, and it has always been understood
that she was to. marry money, and Glen
ham has any Quantity of it,
Yes, she is The lucky girl who has
secured the greatest match of the day
Of course it is his money that has done
it-only, with his well known horror o
being married fer it, is decidedly very
much to the fair young angels credit.
'Lt'siall very well but you see 1 am
not so sure of 1t. | tell you Glenham
hasn't the girls heart; for l know to a
certainty she was engaged to Harry
Marion, and it nearly killed her when
people broke it off on account of his i'm
pecuniosity. I shan't believe Qlenham's
marriage to Miss B. until read it in the
papers,
Then these two noble specimens of the
sex that never is guilty of the weakness
OF gossipiDg, went out, and Mr.. John
Glenham took his absorbing interesting
newspaper from before his face, behind
which he had heard every syllable.
Was it true? Had these gentlemen
spoken the truth? Was his little Lily
accepting him because he had so much
money wherewith to deck her out like
a princess? His dainty, affect onate lit
tie betrothed, who had so often clung so
lovingly to his arm, and looked in his
face with her sweet, pure eyes-was it
possible that she had simulated the ten
der. modest love she had shown, while
her heart really was with Harry Mari
on?
Mr.. Glenham remembered young Ma
'ion well--a fine looking, dashing fel
low, over whom girls and women had
way Of going into ecstacies-a gallant,
lazy, good natured fellow, who had made
love violently to pretty Lily Baldwin,
and who, rumOr declared, had been en-
gagged to him, and the engagement had
been broken on account of Marion's gen
eral shiftlessness.
Mr. Glenham thought OF all this as he
ate his dinner-with less keen relish
than usual-and the more he thought
the more uncomfortable he became.
He knew he was, as his noble friend
had said, on the shady side of forty
pretty old for my little eighteen-year
Did Lily, he thought, with 8 pang; but
lid not take into consideration the fact
that he was the fine, manly, self possess
ad, cultivated gentleman, or that his
grave, intelligently handsome face. with
It's luxurious whiskers of dark brown,
and the heavy moustache, and the thick,
curling hair sprinkled with gray, was
far more attractive to most women-wo
men of refined tastes-than Harry Ma
rion's effeminate blonde beauty.
Mr.. Glenham's was q warmly affec-
.ionate nature, which had never gone
out to any woman but Lily Baldwin:
but all his life he had suffered horror
)f being married for his money.
I believe Lily loves me. 1 won't be-
ieve she is so false as these tonguey,
Jealous fellows would make out. There
IS no reason why [ should fret myself
into a state of misery until have some
st least
And he gravely strove to put the
horrid little suspicion out of his mind,
and wenton with his dessert as if he had
risen superior to the disturbances that
annoy ordinary mortals.
But after he had got into his carriage
and was being driven slowly UP Broad
way the thought came back again with
redoubled force.
IF she doesn't love mel T. wonder
or not I could be mistaken in
she does? How could she act
and look as she does if she was playing
a games My precious little girl. Am
[ wronging you and furnishing myself
by such thoughts? Or is it one of those
subtle instances of warning? If Il
thought her people had forced her into
this, I'd release her now, for her own
sweet sake, even is it killed me! Ought
[ to speak TO her about il %
The self put question was still unan-
swered when Mr.. Glenham jumped out
Of the carriage at the bank.
He wont in, aud was told by some one
of whom he inquired that the president
Of the bank, Mr.. Delarche7, whom he
wished to see, was specially engaged at
the moment, but would see him very
shortly. He would inform him instant
ly Of Mr.. Delarcher's leisure &C.
So Mr.. Glenham took off his hat and
picked up last edition of the News, and
himself to be patient, when all
It once he heard something from the
other side of the walnut and plate glass
PARTITION that divided off Mr.. Delarcher's
private office that made him wonder il
Fate was in league with him that day
since it was the second time he had heard
his own name discussed.
Only, besides the wonder he felt was
another sensation of dismay, and pain
and heart sickness-for the cruel words
he had heard were spoken in Lilly Bald
wins sweet contraltO voice,
"But [ am very much In earnest, Mr..
Delarcher. l am determined to back
out of the engagement somehow, and
came to you to help me.n
"Back out of the engagement some
howm
All, how it cut and thrust him, that
sword speech from the lips of his dar-
ling!
Then his worst fears had their solid
and John Glenham's hand
trembled Sc. he could hardly control his
hold of the paper.
"Well, 1 can't say uphold you in
your wish Miss Baldwin. [ am old
fashioned enough to think when an en-
gagement is entered into it ought to be
kept. Still, if you are convinced that
you will repent if you stick to your bar
gain, why suppose there is nothing to
do but break it."
Lily laughed joyously. John Glen.
ham could hardly endure to hear the
sweet, lisnt hearted melody, while he
SAT t,nare almost beside himself with an
guish.
"You dear, good old friend! Ofcourse
it's best should get out of it. The only
thing that worries me is. it is SO near the
wedding day but then l know / will
be so much better suited, and Mr.. Mari
on will be so grateful that can afford
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