Litchfield enquirer., 1878-09-12
A WIFE HUNT.

We.came slowly down the steps of George Brooks house. It was late.
 .'What did you think of them ?" said l, as we walked toward Broadway.
 -"How did he ever get herY' exclaimed my friend, by way of answer.
 'I will tell you all about it, if you will come around here to the Chess Tunnel, and take some Budweis with me-"
 So walked around to the International Chess Tunnel, dived into the cellar, passed the groups around the billiard and chess champions and the players at devii-among the -tailors and took our seats in separate compartment under the l sidewalk. The alcove made close enough imitation to a wine-cellar. A fOaming tankard of Liebotscliauer was placed before my friend, and glass of Budweis before me. A fine l round frOmGge de Brie-from New Jersey graced the centre of the table.
 We sat a while in silence. thinking of the couple we had just left-ef George, big, gruff, lank, shock haired, full of unexpected huinor i; as asfash, whom George was always regarding with gaze partly amused, partly frightened. Their house was not large, but crammed with furniture and knicknack of the most incOn- grlous kind-s0 crammed that George never knew quite what to do with his legs, and was conscious that the eagle eyes of Jennie knew just how near they were to upsetting some thing. There was not place even for his bun- dle of law papers 90 whenever he brought any of these articles home, he took them to the room up stairs, which Jennie called the nursery. But there was no child in the nur- sery, nor was there prospect of any.
 ''By Jove!" said my friend, bringing his hand down on the table with smack. .'What pretty little thing she is, and what little devil! Did you see how perfectly she sat, the ruddy hair just showing over the back of that sofa, or chair, or whatever it was? And the dress just swept right"
 Restrain yourself, my dear fellow, said l, in a1ofdty way. Perhaps you wouldn't have noticed those particulars with so keen zest if you did not happen to be pretty good-looking, and Jennie had not been firing all her small batteries at you for the last half hour.
 ''Oh, pshaw '" said he, reckoning lttle, and burying his nose in the Lebotschaner.
 ''Well, you know," said I, in patronizing tone, 'Tve been there. In fact, there was a time when thought her the loyeliest woman in the world, and-would you believe iti-it was just the very time that George captured her, took her away right from under my nose !"
 ''Believe it 2" said my friend, in still, small vOice-"why not ?"
 Come, nov, that's too bad :" said I, sulki- ly, and siTEs7sed myself to the Budweis.
 
 with your rat-killing," he said, and laughed again, this time so loud that the billiaFd.play- CTS looked around. That was his idea of wit.
 'sWell, then," said 1, after an uncomfortable pause. ''it happened after this wise. But I want you first to understand that tolerate no interruptions. Let me tell my story straight 3hrongh, and then you can make what cem- ments you please"
 My friend settled himself so that the light was not on his eyes, and prepared to listen.
 "Jennie Graham belongs to respectable rich people herer who, by giving a certain number of entertainments, can put their sons, daugh- ters and neices into what is called good socie- ty. They are accepted people. I began to pay attention to her at little parties, chiefly by MaaaleS nefF Asr sE oysr S her swrllng my tradition among the young men of New York that steady pursuit of that system will, in the end, bring down the'most stubborn heiress. l did not go in for the heiresses Jennie was by no means of that variety; but fell insensibly to admiring and then to loving her. No one told me that the way to win girl was to; stand over her twlrling my mustache Imere- Iy followed the example of some older fellows used to see Don't you know the kind of man who comes into room in nsOsssey way; not timidly mousey-yeu know what mean but with a kind of tremendous quiet and
 
 aloud would scare something? Girls like that kind of thing, especially the young ones; they think such man must have seen great deal of the world. So he has-of New York. They think that when he does speak, it will be something very fine-and SO it is. .Women's imaginatiOns will do anything,
 "Well, practised the mousey way of enter ing room, the mysterious manner that waits for tete-a-tete, before saying anything, the mustache-twirling business which means that no other woman has any charms for the devo- knew all the patterns of dress that Jennie af- fected, the different kinds of trimming, ar- engagements of her hair, and SO on. After while she began to consult me on such impor- tant subjects, and we became better acquainted. You have no idea how interesting such things can become under certain circumstances. Soon was asked to her house, and was sfterward a regular visitor. One day when came in with my mousiest and most concentrated man. ner found George in the drawing room. -
 .How air you ?" said he griping my hand with force that almost made me faint. ssI declare, you come in 90 quiet you'd think it was ghost Fact 1" ''i
 "Poor dear George he will say air do what poor Jennie will, but he. is otherwise more changed than you can think. If there ever. twas rough. diamond of man. it was George Brooks when he first came to see his little cousin. He was Hurried during that first visit
 They are cousins, but so remotely connect ed that Jennie vowed that she thought it absurd of her parents to recognize him. The Grahams lived in . large broad house in Bond Street, with bit of hard furniture put against each wall of the rooms, and certain fearful old DOT traits hanging about. There was piano, on which Jennie played a little, and 8 wide chim- ney-place in which they burned wood. With all it's guinness and baroness. liked it better than dc Jennie's little 6ric-a-6r0e shop In winter it was cold in the front parlor-I have called it a drawing -room-but then that only made you draw upcloser to the wood fire; in fact, when Jennie was at home, that was one of it's great advantages.
 ssWell, of course saw at once that the biz uncouth country lawyerwas dreadfully in love with little Jennie. You know what ] sweet. straightforward soul he is-you anght to if you can read faces Well, he came to me pretty soon and asked me plumply if I was in love with Jennie, if she were still free: Because said he, I am so in love with her myself that shall either have to go away or try to win her. Are youin my wayrs
 .s My dear fellow said I, in pursuance of my rOS, we men of the world, yeu know, don't fail easily in love. We see 90 many girls I Miss Jennie and are the greatest of friends, but nothing more-I assure you. noth- ing more. It isn't at all the thing for young men to be engaged newadys.'
 ssqeorge looked at me for moment and then food of delight made his ugly face handsome for a moment, and he threw his arms about me with hug ttat almost broke my ribs. Seeing my disgusted look, he apolegizea very hnmbly, and said
 Fact is. didn't suppose it possible any enc could know Cousin Jen day without be- ing dead in love with her.
 Miss Jennie had positively forbidden him to call her Cousin Jen,' but the poor boy al- ways forgot.
 ''Now it was cowardly lie in me to make him such an answer-in one sense it was. Jennie and were not engaged, but we ought to have been. But the difficulty was that I felt in no hurry toann0unce it, while Jennie positively refused to consider it an engage ment at all The plain truth is that Jennie at that time had no more heart than broom stick There was not the faintest suspicion of tenderness or romance or even sentimentality