The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-28

FORTY YEARS.

'Gt won't do" said old Tibbets shaking
his head furiously. II always have hated
those Partridges, and you shan't marry
Fanny"
"a mans affection" s"-began Horatio.
''Nonseasel" cried old Tibbets. "You
talk like boarding school girl. You are of
age, | know; but | give you warming, if
vou persist, I'll take that clever little
johnson into partnership instead of you,
and you may beg or starvc as you please
for the sake of a red-haircd girl like Fan
Ay Partridge"
OF trotted old Tibbets as he uttered
these last words
"Give up Fanny Partridge?-never'
said Horatio.
Meanwhile Mrs. Partridge and Fanny
were hard at it-Fanny i'll tears Mrs.
Partridge in fury.
"Td rather see you in your grave,
Fanny" cried Mrs. Partridge. cold Tib-
hets' son Why didn't you choose a
chimney sweep! 1t was Tibbtts that
cheated your pas brother out of that
piece of property. A bigger ra&al never
walked. No, Fanny; you walk over my
dead body before You 90 to church with
him."
Fanny was seventeen, and very sub
misSive. Horatio, though five-and-twen-
". submissive likewise. Parental author
ty prevailed. One meeting was allowed,
in which the two might bid good-hy to
each other. Fanny wept: Horatio held
her hands in both his, and kissed them
fondly.
'They may yield in time" said Ho.
ratio, "or something may happen to alter
hing, Be true to ME for little while.
shalt never love any one but you."
MY heart is broken said Fanny, be-
ewing it sincerely. "But | shall be true
10 you all my life"
Then he kissed her. He never forgot
low hard it was to take his lips from
.lers; and their arms encrcled each other,
and it was really a wonder that the two
young lovers did not die then and there.
Old Tibbets rewarded his son by max
ing him partner in the prosperous firm of
Gibbets Il Co., forthwith, while Mamma
Partridge hurried Fanny away to the
north of France.
Horatio did not forget easily. 1t had
1ecn cherished plan of his to marry
Fanny. He had mind that was prone
20 dwell upon detail. All his fancies
bout the future had been perfectly fin
shed pictures.
1t was hard TO believe that the little
,ound tea-tahle would never be set with
PAINTED china; that Fanny, As Mrs. lib
hets. would not sit beside him in the
third pew from the front on Sunday
mornings; that he would not 20 with her
20 choose the color for the drawing-room
furniture; that they would not have their
i'ortraits painted, to hang one each side
Ut the parior mantelpieces.
Fanny was his practical or general
l,lea that they might have walked to-
grther for ever in the moonlight was,
perhaps, strongest with her. But had he
'een the most perfect hero of romance
he eculd not have placed him on high
pedestal.
The match would certainly have been
happy one had fate willed it to he
match at all. They loved each other too
we'll to seek comfort in new lovers.
Horatio became very steady, and
,hunned ladies' society; and Fanny, after
refusing an English baronet and Ger
nan baron, declined going into society
amy more, and settled down with her
mother Ia a little town upon the Cont
lent, where the four or five English fam
lies dwelling there exchanged whis
parties, and there was no yonng English
people whatever. There, at thirty. she
was still living; and then it was that
here came TO the place an English tray
aIer who called upon her. He was friend.
of Mr.. Horatio TibbetS, and had been
commissioned to hand her small par
eel, and he was to tell Mr.. Tibbets how
he looked and WAS; and that he was very
we'll, quite bald for his years, and un-
married. Then the traveller went away.
The gift was dainty work-box, worth
4 good de | in money, and in the little
look where the thimble lay was also a
ing, Its motto was "Dinna forget"
"Dinna forget"
Fanny never showed this gift to her
mother. but she wore the ring against
her heart under her dress.
New hope crcpt into her soul; and
Wien, n year after good-looking,
wealthy widower offered his hand, with a
gnuine love into the bargain, she refused
ii without hesitation. Forget? Never!.
lie had not forgotten. But more years
parsed, ten Of them at least, and that
memory of the old family feud dwelt
in the bosoms of the two old people.
At last, at the age of eighty, Mrs.
Partridge died; and Fanny, all alone in
What had always remained strange
land, felt miserably desolate. Youth
rad Departed friends were few. 1t had
i'cen her mothers wish to remain in
france; now her hearts dictates re-,
turned home. The first morning paper
that sne opened there told her Of the
death Of Mr.. Tibbats, aged ninety.
The paper dropped from Fanny's