The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-08-23
Select Story.
A STORY SUCCESSFULLY TOLD.

the following paragraph in one of her letters
to her husbands:
John must come down here at once,
whether you can spare him or not. Our dear
little Laura is greatly taken with tall, thin |
young man, with hooked nose and thin |
lips, called Stuyvesant. 1t is whispered |
about the hotel that he is very good match |
and has the veritable blood of the old Dutch |
Governor in his veins. / must say that it |
has queer way in showing itself, for the
young man is as pale as a spectre and
dressed in that white duck with his sunken
eyes and bilious skin, is enough to frighten
one. | have grown to hate him, while Laura
is growing to be quite the contrary, / am
afraid. All the evening he leans up against
the wall, never dancing nor opening his
mouth, save to give vent to some hateful
sarcastic criticism upon the scenes around
him, and yet dear little Laura's eyes-and,
indeed all the other pretty eyes about-are
perpetually beseeching him for attention.
In the daytime he is always with long,
black horse, that covers more ground with
its legs while going than any animal l ever
saw. When Laura goes out to drive behind
it, and vanishes out of sight with the bony
creature, trembe to think how dreadful it
would be if our dear little girl should ever
be part and parcel fthis wretched man and
his beast. So think John had better come
down at once. Iquite long to see his hand
some face and hear his honest voice, and
think it is about time that John should tell
his little story to Laura, and have things
settled equitably.'
Mr.. Archibald Steele smiled when he put
the letter of his wife in his waist. coat dock
et and, picking up the morning paper,
scanned through his gold-rimmed spectacles
the news of the day. Finding nothing there
in to refine the exceedingly satisfactory con-
dition Of affairs, he put it down, smiling as
only prosperous, contented downtown
merchant can smile. He was one of those
| happy exceptions to the ordinary rule OF
mortals, with whom everything went we'll
His whole appearance was an exclamation
| point to that effect. If he ventured little
hazardously in trade, fortune trimmed her
sail to favor him. If he set his heart upon
anything relating to domestic felicity, all the
elements of art and nature conspired to bring
it about So when he stepped to the door oi
his Office and beckoned to a young man with
a strip of commercial paper in his hand and
a pencil behind his ear, with the general all
of briskness and shrewdness about him tha,
betokened successful downtown merchant
embryo, Mr. Steele smiled the third time
with the air of one who was not afraid a
all of any bilious, blue-blooded obstacle
that might be thrown in the path of do
mestic happiness which he firmly agreed haC
been arranged by an Omnipotent hand.
john said Mr.. Steele, closing the door o
his private office, and looking upon hi
young clerk benevoently, 'Pve got an orde
from Mrs. Steele which 1 wish you woulC
attend to-
Certainly, sir said John, shall go ou
and get the articles myself?'
why, the fact is, John, said the merchan
enjoying his joke more and more, its onl
one article-a rather bulky one. 1t wa
ba"gained for long time ago. / think yor
will have to go down with it, John
Down to the seashorep said John, gettin
a little hot and fustered is it a very valua
BILE parcel, sir?'
We'll, perhaps your natural modesty ma
depreciate its worth, John. Mrs. Steele an
I think good deal of it, and Laura, too,
am sure does The commodity is yoursel
John. Mrs, Steele wants you to 60 dow
and take little holiday there
When the name of Laura was mentione
the young mans face grew more flustere
and hot than before
you are very kind, SIR he said, AN
Mrs. Steele is more like an angel than
woman
Rather solid and plump for that intel
posed Mr.. Steele, but liking the phrase ne,
ertheless.
But it is a simple madness, pursued job
TO dream of further happiness than enjo
now-your affection and that of your wife
my position here don't dare, can't hop
for anything more. Oh, Mr. Steele, / can
tell her my story. She would turn from m
with horror and aversion. She is so youns
so beautiful. Let me at least enjoy tn
present
And in the meantime some cadaverOu
bilious, blue-blooded scoundrel will carr
her off from us all
Then Johns face grew pale and stern. =
there is the slightest feeling upon her pa
for-for any one else, then, indeed, NJ
Steele, my case is hopeless
The commercial paper futtered from h
hand, the pencil fell from his ear, and h
leaned his head against the desk an
trembled.
why, who would suppose you could b
such coward said Mr.. Steele. impetuou
ly: you shall go down with me this yer
day.
All the way to the seashore Johns fac
wore the look of one who had resolved [
, storm deadly breach, but who did not hop
to survive the attempt.
Even the ocean, when 1t confronted then
wore threatening look, Upon the horizo
pile of clouds formed background wa
and gloomy, a great black mist lay in tn
zenith, and dense red vspor almost touche
the. water.
"A very nasty sea- said Mr.. Steele.
John snuffed it in his eyes dilating, an
his head high in the sea'scented air.
A tramp on the hard, wet sand, and like
meteor long black horse shot by, disaT
pearing in the mist, leaving for John tn
memory of charming head crowned wit
blonde curling hair, two kind eyes bent uT
on his own, and white, waving hand e,
tended in salutation.
John said Mr.. Steele, did you see tn