The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-05-25

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their final cigar, he was irritable enough
to give his objections the form of speech.
"Cleve, to tell you the honest truth, L
do not like Mrs. Clare"
~ think she is very lovely woman,
John"
"I say nothing against her beauty,
Cleve; don'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,
l assure you"
'EDont fall in love with the wrong wo-
man, John"
"Your advice is too late, Cleve; am in
love. There is no use in us deceiving
ourselves or each other. You seem to
like the widow-why not marry her? l
am quite willing you should"
"Thank you, John; [ have already made
some advances that way. They have been
favorably received, l think"
"You are so handsome, fellow has no
chance against you. But we shall hardly
quarrel, if you do not interfere between
lovely little Clement and myself.
"I could not afford to smile on her, John;
she is too poor And what on earth are
you going to do with poor wife? Moth
ing added to nothing will not make de-
cent living"
"I am going to ask her to be my wife,
and if she does me the honor to say "Yes,
1 will make decent living out of my pro-
fession."
From this time forth John devoted him
self with some ostentation to his supposed
cousins companion. He was determined
to let the widow perceive that he had made
his choice, and that he could not be bought
with her money. Mr.. Seldcn and Miss
Marat were always together, and the widow
did not interfere between her companion
and her cousin. Perhaps she was rather
glad of their close friendship, for the hand
some Cleve made much more delightful
attendant. Thus the party fell quite ma
turally into couples, and the two weeks
that the gentlemen had first fixed as the
limit of their stay heightened into two
months.
1t was noticeable that as the ladies be-
came more confidential with their lovers,
they had less to say to each other; and 1T
began at last to be quite evident to the
real widow that the play must end for the
present, or the denOuenlent would come
prematurely. Circumstances favored her
determination. One night Clementine,
with radiant face, came into her friends s
room, and said, "Fan, have something to
tell you. Cleve has asked me to marry
him"
"Now, Clement, you have told him all;
1 know you have"
"Not word, Fan. He still believes me
the widow Clare"
"Did you accept him ?"
"Conditionally. lam to give him final
answer when we go to the city in October.
You are going to New York this winter,
are you not ?"
eyes Our little play progresses finely.
] John Selden asked me to be his wife to-
night :,
"I told you men think and act in pairs.
"John is noble fellow. I pretended
to think his cousin had ill-used him, and
he defended him until [ was ashamed of
myself: absolutely said, Clement, that you
were a sufficient excuse for Mr.. Clare's
will. Then he blamed his own past idle
ness so much, and promised if | would
only try and endure "the slings and ar
rows" of your outrageous temper, Clement,
for two years longer, he would have made
q home for me in which could be happy.
Yes, Clement, l should marry John Sell
den if we had not fve-dollar bill between
u.s."
"I wish Cleve had been little more
explicit about his money affairs. How
ever, there is time enough yet. When
they leave tomorrow, what shall we DO r
@We will remain here another month;
Levine will have the house ready tor me
by that time. I have written to him about
refurnishing the parlors."
So next day the lovers parted, with many
promises of constant letters and future
happy days together. The interval was
long and dull enough; but it passed, and
one morning both gentlemen received notes
of invitation to a small dinner party at the
widow Clare's mansion in - Street.
There was good deal of dressing for this
party. Cleve wished to make his entrance
into his future home as became the pros
pective master of a million and half OF
money, and John was desirous of not sut-
fering in Clements eyes by any compari-
son with the other gentlemen who would
probably be there.
Scarcely had they entered the drawing
room when the ladies appeared, the true
widow Clare no longer in the unassuming
toilet she had hitherto worn, but magnifl-
cent in white crepe lisse and satin, her
arms and throat and pretty head flashing
with sapphires and diamonds. Her COM
panion had assumed now the roll of SIM
plicity, and Cleve was disappointed with
the first glance at her plain white Cham
berry gauze dress,
John had seen nothing but the bright
face of the girl be loved and the love light
in her eyes. Before she could speak he
had taken both her hands and whispered,
"Dearest and best and loveliest Clement.
Her smile answered him first. Then she
said :-"Pardon me, Mr.. Selden, but we
have been in masquerade all summer, and
now we must unmask before real life be-
gins My name is not Clementine Marat,
but Fanny Clare. Cousin John, | hope
you you are not disappointed Then she
put her hand into Johns, and they wan
dered off into the conservatory to finish
their explanation.
Mr.. Cleye Sullivan found himself at that
moment in the most trying circumstance
Of his life The real Clementiae Marat
stood looking down at flower on the car
pet, and evidently expecting him to re-
sume the tender attitude he had been ac-
customed to bear toward her. He was
man Of quick decisions where his own in
terests were concerned, and it didn take
him half minute to review his position
and determine what to do. This plain
blonde girl without fortune was not the
girl he could marry; she had deceived him,
too-he had sudden and severe spasm OF
morality; his confidence was broken; he
thought it was very poor sport to play with