Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-06-04
"What selfishness Write and toll

or any Olhtf ihCohVcN''"t Piaoc'
"NoI have better plan than that
-Clementlne, do stop reading q few
minutes, | will take the pretty cot
tage at Rye-bank for the SUMNER and
Mr., Selden and his friend shall visit
us there. No one knows w In the
place and | will take none ofthe SER
wants with me"
"Well 7"
"Then, Clcmentlne, you arc to bo
the widow Clare, and | your poor
friend and companion"
"Good very good The Fair
Dcceiver-an excellent comedy. How
! shall snub you Fan ! And for once
1 shall have the pleasure Of outdress-
Ing you. But has not Mr., Selden seen
you r
"No; | was married iu Maryland,
and went Immediately to Europe. ]
came back a widow two years ago,
but Mr.. Selden has never remembered
me until now. / wonder who the
friend is that he proposes to bring
with him T.
ooh, men are always thinking in
pairs, Fan. They never decide on
any thing until their particular friend
approves. ! dare say they wrote the
letter together What is the gentle
mans name T.
"The widow examined the note.
MY friend Mr.. eleven Sullivan Do
you know him Clementine 7"
"No; I am quite sure that | never
saw Mr.. eleven Sullivan. l don't fall
in love with the name-do youi But
pray accept the offer for both gentle
men, Fan, and write this morning
dear Theh Clementine returned to
the consideration Of the lace in coquil-
les for her new evening dress.
The plan SO hastily sketched was
subsequently Thoroughly discussed
and carried out. The cottage at Rye.
bank was taken and one evening at
the end of June the two ladies took
possession of it. The new widow
Clare had engaged maid in New
York, and fell into her part with
charming ease and very pretty as
sumption of authority and the real
widow in her plain dress, aud pensive
quiet manners, realized effectively the
idea OF a cultivated but dependant
companion. They had two days in
which to rehearse their parts and get
all the household machine in order,
and then the gentlemen arrived at
Rye-bank.
Fan and Clementine we're quite
ready for their first call the latter in
rich and exquisite morning. costume,
the former in simple dress OF spotted
lawn. Clementine went through tho
introductions with consummate ease
OF manner, and in half an hour they
were very pleasant party. Johns
"cousinship" afforded an excellent
basis for information and companion
snip, and Clementine gave it full prom
inence. Indeed in few days John
began to find the relationship tiresome;
it had been, "Cousln John do this"
and "Cousin John come here" con-
tinually and one night when Cleve
and he sat down to smoke their final
cigar, he was irritable enough to give
his objections the form Of speech.
"Cleve to tell you the honest truth
1 don't like Mrs. Clare.
81 think she is a very lovely woman
John"
81 say nothing against her beauty
Cleve /; I 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
a woman to whom she is every way
inferior makes me angry enough l
assure YOU"
"Don't fall in love with the wrong
woman, JOHN
"Your advice is too late, Cleve
I am in love. There is no use in us
deceiv,ng ourselves Or each other.
You seem to like the widow-why
not marry her! lam quite willing yeu
should"
''Thank you Johu l have already
made some advances that way. They
have been favorably received / think"
"You are so handsome, fellow has
no chance against you. But we shall
hardly quarrel you do not interfere
between lovely little Clement aud my
self.
81 could not afford to smile on her
John; she is too poor. And what