Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-09-25

ing surprising that any lady should iAii IN
love with them; but when man comes to
that more insure period which We cail-or
st least eAli-tbe prime OF lie, he sppre-
cistes the compliment.
do not say that Mr.. John Riddel had
not some admirers among the fair sex who
loved him for his own sake. Indeed, II was
whispered among his detrsctors that, like
! the first Duke Of Marlborough and other
| great men who ought to have known bet
ter, he derived pecuniary advantage from
| their devotion to him that the sums eX-
pended in macassar oil, &c, for the adorn-
ment OF his appearance came back 10 him
| twenty fold In substantial tokens from
| duchesses and countesses and the like.
Goodness knows whether there was any
truth In such stories. Perhaps IL pleased
| his rivals To Invest the drudxefy that was
| their daily lot with this halo OF romance.
/ For my part my tastes are sensational. and
/ do what eau 10 make my beliefs CORE
| spond with them; but. on the other hand.
/ nv strong common sense declares for mod
1 Grafton as regards Mr.. Riddel aud the la
dies Of rank; therefore draw the line at
/ duchesses.
But he WAS certainly as fascinating as he
was hard-hearted. When any lady eus-
toner who was unknown 10 him got out OF
/ her brougham-ior no one ever came In q
\ cab to Mcssrs Moonssouc's establishment
! and moved up the shop 10 his direction,
| he would look nj her through his halt-shnt
cyes-for they were OF the dreamy order OF
beauty-amd murmur to himself. Now. Il
this a swipdler or bona fde parfyy Aud
many a bona Ode party aij he serve with
/ much external politeness who little dream
ed Of the suspicion " Inch she excited with
/ In him.
! He thought It = bad Sign When they took
| oil their gloves aud under such circum-
| stances would always decline TO show them
! those specimens OF rough diamonds which
! wet finger can carry away With Il. And
! when they offered To pay. for their little
! purchases by check. II wa- quite pretty to
| hear him explain. In his soft voice. bow the
system" OF the Grm wss a ready money
| one. aud that no exception could bc made
in favor OF any oBs. however highly con
| nected, who WAS not personally known to
| IL.
You might have thought, perhaps tha,
I the entertainment OF such suspicious, not
I TO mention the "evIi communc aiinns"
/ (when they turned out 10 be wcll.foundcd)
to which be was necessarily exposed. would
have corrupted his own integrity; but this
vas not the case; his employers inrrusted
him quite literally With untold gold. aud
! he Wa. the last man to have sbused their
I Confidence.
! And vet. IS | har. said. he WAS NOT pop
/ ular. Indeed. the story which | arm about
/ to relate concerning him, and which Is GET
! tsluiy OF a character 10 arouse sympathy
| aud compassion, was told me by his fellow
I clerk. Mr.. Nation, (~ho has given me h,
own ar re-of-spad adventure tn a very dit
/ frrcul style with a great deal Vt sAsgisL-
nes- aud eiDoy oyment-
| One afternoon n hron shsm with = " idow
! In IL stopped Al Messrs. Mounstooe's e-tab-
/ lishment. About the broughsm there could
/ bc no SOFT Of doub,. Il was no; a privat-
/ vehicle. bat one Of those which are hired
/ by The day OF hour. The appearance OF the
I driver. not 10 mention that OF the horse.
I prcciuded the possibility OF IL being tie
I property al the person " ho eny loy ed IL.
! II she thou ghi TO be set down among car
riAgc people" becaus. she used such a con
NrYancc. abe musI have been sapggine in-
I deed. And 80 Tar that was good Sign.
| People that came TO rob on scale worth
tncutsouiug.-l am not thinking OF those
who slipped an uneons idered tritic. such a.
a ring OF a spray INFO their murs; they
serc always detected aHd bowed out OF the
/ shop into the arms OF a policeman 10 plain
! clothes sho stood A. the door. people.
say. who wanted TO soiRdle we're always
very particular about the vehicle that brot
them.
What aroused suspicion in the watehiui
eve vi Mr.. John Rlddel was the lioS her
self. Like Weller senior, though without
HE matrimonial experience to excuse II, be
had a prejudice against ~idoSs-a least
IN Jewellers shops, nor, am bound 10 con
fess. vas Il altogether without grounds,
the garb aud the mlen Of sorrow being the
stalking horses under which good deal OF
knavery Is accomplished. Aud then thi,
widow was so bealiehiug 10 look AZ that
he was naturally alarmed. From every
! neat plat OF her beautiful haig and every
fold OF her modest .uiI OF mourning there
seemed 10 him to hutter a danger signal.
| He va. wont to declare. Indeed, that ne
knew she Mas after no good from the first
| moment he set eyes on her; bot that state
! mept must, | think, be received with eau
ton. II his face grew severe aud his msn-
! ner painfully polite a. she came up TO
where he stood. IL was because he knew
that Boltby .nd Nation had got their eyes
upon him. and were looking ou. for some
align OF weakness.
II wish TO see some rings" she said In
soft and gentle voice; ''m"urning rings;"
and then she took of her glove. displaying
| the ~hitest little hard imaginable.
OF course he could not help seeing her
hand. nor yet Der face. from hitch she had
put back her veil. IL wore al expression
| OF sadness, but also one Of sniranchiseme nj
and content. II seemed 10 say, My late
husband was very unworthy Of me but he
| has left me free, and | forgive him"
Who has not seen such widows, who
wear their weeds almost as they were
flowers. and who have apparently selected
black as their only wear because it Is be-
! coming to themi l have often thought
that. II could have the choice OF my own
calling. next TO being ''companiOn To a
lady, should like IA be n young jcweier
J trying on rings. Ii must be almost ss good
| as Digawy. trigamy, poiygamy. aud with
| none Of the risks.
Mr.. Riddei said, ALLOW me, madam"
in his most hOnsyed voice, and slipped
"eAsed.r he called it. and certainly IL WAS
very easy work ring after ring upon the
| widows daiaty finger.
II hope l am not hurting you" he wur-
INJURED.
| ''Oh. no., she sighed 'there wAs time.
but thai Is passed now, SheD il would have
given me plexsnre; | lncsn," she added
hastily aud with u tnodest blush. when
rings would have done SO; but jewels and
ge~gaws have NO loager any attraction
| for me
Mr.. John Ridiel b, no means felt certain
| VI thls bat he had an eye Tor Uuuber. anh
would have missed a ring from the tray IN
an instant. tho.ish he had been exhibiting
u Thousand.
AT last she made ieT choice, (it Was the
most expensive al the whole lOt.) and pro-
dnced IRON the preitiest little Dag 10 the
world a check-book
Pardon me, madam We do not take
checks except irom-ahem-old custom
ers''
We'll. sm not = very old customer
she said. smiling. ("No; but you are s
queer one" he thoaxht. .'or AN much
mi.faken.") "StiH. l should have thosght,
in tne case VI . lady like myself"
''MadalH, said this crafty young man,
III it ssy Ia my power to Oblige you, there
would OF course be no difaculty 10 the mat
ter. The rule of the nrm is, unhappily.
what have stated .fr ..........
Then the firm will take my last six
pence" she rejoined with tender play full
ness: and from the most elegant Of porte
mOnnaies" she counted him out the sum
required. when It's contents, In truth, were
quite exhausted,
I ~ =. toS..f... - ~ a.. n.i.s. a.. onnri