The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-11-13

tAe Drlllancy OF his prospects, believed
that he was really q most fortunate man.
For, according to popular rumor, he was
going to marry one Of the richest girls in
the city. And Uncle tPeckham took to
himself all the credit of the whole affair.
"This is better than plodding on ones
whole life long behind a counting house
desk" cried Ralph, joyously rubbing to-
gether his lean and wrinkled palms. "a
young man Of enterprise and resolution
can accomplish anything he sets about
noW.a- days, especially if, like you,
Nephew Dalmayne, he happens to be toll
erably decent looking"
A man does not usually degenerate in
to villain all at once; and when Henry
Dalmaye sat down to write to Lilias Rev
mond, his frame Of mind was probably
far from enviable. But he got the letter
written somehow. He wrote that no answer
would be expected, and no answer came.
Three months afterward, Just as the
preparations of the much talked of Ester
brook. Dalmayne wedding were culmi.
mating, he CHANGED to meet John Hawley
in the street-John's mother lived at q
small place adjoining the. Raymonds'
farm. Dalmayne stopped, with real
pleasure on his face. &ss.i+
\ "John, is it you2 Stop minute and
tell me the news" GI.
\ "There ain'tmuch news" quoth John,
rather sulkily. In common with most OF
the neighbors, he was inclined to think
that Henry had behaved very i'll. eek
|cept that Lily Raymond is we'll, and pref.
tier than ever,'' is a
"Ah!" Henry tried to speak carelessly,
but without single success.
| sand Squire Ingoldsby's son is getting
pretty attentive in that quarter went on
John; ''and old Robert RAYMOND died
last winter, and left Lily clean two hun
dred thousand dollars" 4@ sssi&3
"Did he? am glad of that"
So Lily was an heireos, after all. Would
it not have been better-but Dalmayne
resolutely checked the half. formed CON
lecture in his mind. He had put his
hand to the plough--it was too late to
look back now. Yet he wondered if
Arthur lngoldsby would value, as he had
done, the priceless treasure of Lilias love
he told himself he was glad things had
happened as they had; but he knew, in
| pite Il it all, that he would have felt bet.
ter pleased If Lily had pinned after him
just little All women are alike, and all
men---spshaw! there was no use in troub.
ling his brain further about the matter
| Uncle Peckham met him on the thresh.
old with troubled look. l5i @j-. s3
| "Have you heard the rumor, Daylmane;
No. Well, of course it can be nothing
but rumor. The house of Esterbrook
q Esterbrook is TOO well established tt
be shaken by a mere fall y of French
stocks" .,.-.... ....tF..l.. -. ss-.-....--
what do you allude to, sirl" asked
Henry, scarcely mprehendlng hi:
uncle's meaning in the abstraction Of his
mind. .s E>-l3 i sa2aa 'er55 u -.
"Why, people are whispering about thai
the Esterbrooks have failed" a1-> Id
And before the sun went down or
Change the whisper became trumpe1
voice-the rumor was certainty. Ester
brook & Esterbrook had failed, and Mr.
Dalmayne was engaged to a pennies
bride. .r -..., - ',..... ~ ,-7--~.-"
Henry Dalmayne, though week and
Vaclilatlng man, was no scoundrel. He
married Sarah Esterbrook, and lives witt
her now in Cover Street lod ging- house
daily growing more and more weary O
his life, while in his heart he cherishes
the sweet memory of Lilias Raymond
now another mans wife. -.,z d., ..t'rs-s,.,
He had broken his plight, given up the
tenderest aspirations Of his soul, and
blighted his whole future, to marry ar
heiress- and he had missed the heiress
after ALL a ..-.ur il. ...l, .,s,s' -f-, ss