Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-12-19

real widow, in her plain dress and
pensive, quiet manners, realized eff
fectively the idea of cultivated but
dependent companion. They had
two days in which to rehearse their
parts and get all the household ma
chinery in order, and then the gen.
tlemen arrived at Ryebank.
Fan and Clementine were quite
ready for their first call; the latter in
a rich and exquisite mourning cos.
tune, .he former in a simple dress of
spotted lawn. Clementine went
through the introductions with con-
summate ease of manner, and in half
an hour they were a very pleasant
party. Johns ''cousinship" afford
ed an excellent basis for informal
companionship, and Clementine gave
it full prominence. Indeed, in a few
| days john began to find the relation
ship tiresome it had been "cousin
John, do this" and cousin John,
come here" continually; and one
night when Clevc and he sat down to
smoke their final cigar, he was irrita-
BILE enough to give his objections to
the form of speech.
! "Cleve, to tell you the honest
tuth, l do not like Mrs. Clare"
81 think she is very lovely wo-
man, John"
II say nothing against her beauty,
Cleve l don't like her, and L have
no mind to occupy the place that
beautiful ill-used Miss Marat fills.
The way Cousin Clare ignores or
snubs q woman to whom she is every
way inferior makes me angry enough,
L assue you"
; Don't fall in love with the wrong
womsn, john"
''Your advice is too late, Cleve; /
am in love. There is no use in us
deceiviug ourselves or each other.
You seem to like the widow-why not
marry her? l am quite willing you
should"
''Thank you, John; I have already
made some advances that way. They
havo been favorably received, 1 an
thinking"
''You are so handsome, a fellow
has no chances against you. But we
shall hardly quarrel, if you do not in
terftre between lovely little Clement
and myself"
81 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 added to nothing
will not make a decent living"
II am going to ask her to be my
wife, and if she does me the honor
t to say Yes will make decent
living out of my profession.
From this time forth John devoted
himself with some ostcntation to his
supposed Cousins companion. He
was determined to let the widow per.
ceive that he had made his choice,
: and that he could not be bought with
: her money. Mr.. Selden 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 handsome Cleve
made much more delightful attend.
, ant. Thus the party fell quite nat
urally into couples, and the two
weeks that the gentlemen had first
fixed SIS the limit of their stay length
ened into two months.
1t was noticeable that as the ladies
became more confidential with theil
lovers. they had less to say to each
other; and it began at last to be quite
evident to the real widow that
the play must end for the present, OF
the announcement would come pre-
maturely. Circumstances favored
her determination. One night Glenn
entine, with radiant face, came into
her friends room, and said: "Fan,
have something to tell you. Cleve
has asked me to marry himP'
"Now, Clement, you have told him
all l know you have"
mot a word, Fan. He still be-
lieves me the Widow Clare"
"Did you accept him?''
"Conditionally. I am 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
Lis wife tonight
81 told you that men think and
act in pairs
"John is noble fellow. I pre-
tended to think his cousin had i'll
used him, and he defended him until
L was ashamed of myself; he abso-
lutely said, Clement, that you were
a sufficient excuse for Mr.. Glare 6
will. Then he blamed his own past
, idleness so much, and promisd, if ]
would only try to endure the slings
and arrows of your outrageous tenn
per, for two years longer, he would
have home made for me in which ]
i. could be happy. Yes, Clement,
shold marry John Selden if we ha6
not SIS between u.s.
81 wish Cleve had been a little NOR,
t explicit about his money affairs. How