The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-23

and try your chances first But seeing we
are neck and neck on that, 1 don't know
that there's anything to do but go ahead"
And go ahead he assuredly did from tnat
hour. He astounded the old uncle by re-
monstrating with him directly against nj,
supervision of Miss Raslaff. s. 1t ism t falr,
he said. d" You don't know how to manage
things in this country. l don't say woman
ought to vote; but anyway she ought 70
listen to man who wants to tell her wnat
| he thinks of her. Do you suppose couiu
tell your" with a glance by no means
polite in its contempt at the desiccateu
little figure before him. Sand how am 70
talk to her about it when you are around!
The result Of this attack, which he made IN
my presence, was q violent outbreak from
the old man; and the next day Steayens was
asked to meet Miss Raslaff and her uncle III
their salon, to receive from the young Wo-
man herself confirmation of her uncle
objection to receiving any attentions from
him. The girl was pale, but composed ana
very beautiful. could not make out whether
or not she had taken any fancy to my brusque
compatriot, but she acted her part firmly
| When at last she said, in pure English, My
uncle is right; you must not seek my ac-
qualntance any more-more ardently; let us
be quite as we were befOre.' l declare so
sweet a suspicion of a blush came over her
| cheeks and her voice died away so delicately,
around us, that l almost fell in love with
her myself. A great change instantly came
over Steavens. All his jauntiness, his unre-
serve, his child-like confidence, were ex-
tinguished at blow. After moment he
collected his voice, and said, with great gen.
tleness, g Miss Raslaff, will never do any
thing you ask me not to, so far as speaking
Is concerned; but that won't prevent my
thinking about you just as much as ever,
and shall keep just as near the place where
you stay as / can. -
This was the end of the interview, and /
thought my countryman had the best of it,
1t so happened that Scharach that very
day came to me with his tale of despair.
Thinking the field was his own, after Stea-
vens's discontinue, he had formally proposed
for Miss Raslaff's hand, and had been re-
Jected. He could not understand it. He
had addressed the young lady with her I'M
cle's permission, and she had refused him. l
gathered from what he said that he had
pressed his claim as matter of right, that
he considered himself to. have bought her
love by long patience and the accumulation
OF competence, and had put forward this
theory with undue bluntness; for he con-
fessed that she had dismissed him with a
cold anger and disdain that left no hope.
We were sitting on the great stone steps
hewn in the height above the hotel as he told
me this. NO" he cried, springing to his
l.
had shown heat of temper, l might have kept
up hope. But she petritied me with her con-
tempt. am no better than these rocks.
And it was that fool from America, that
friend of yours" he added, fiercely, turning
upon me all at once, as if l were an enemy
sit was he that did this. 1t is because he is
novelty, and because her uncle opposes it,
that she has taken fancy to MIN, and
thrown aside the man who was slave to her
for eight years. That's it, l am sure. Take
him away! Take your American awayv'
Fearloe knew nothing of these events,
having gone to Egypt for the winter. But
more than q year afterWard, when had been
at home for some time, l was one day telling
lady at dinner party something about
Steavens's eccentricities and absurdities,
when she exclaimed: 'Oh, have heard of
that man before! Your friend Mr.. Fearloe
was telling me about him.
l was decidedly annoyed by this, because |
had frequently made an anecdote of Steavens
with great effect, and now here was Fear
loe spelling my fun by telling it in advance.
questioned my companion at dinner, to see
If could learn any thing more about that
part of his history, but could get no infor-
nation on that subject. My irritation con-
tinued all the evening, for it is no slight mat
ter when man who painfully boards ma
terials for small conversation, and uses them
frequently, finds an insidious friend depriy-
ing him Of them. But had an ample re-
venge upon Fearloe afterward, as you shall
see. When l next saw him, which was some
months later, he had an experience to re-
count which certainly put him at my mercy.
l will tell it in his own words.
81 was staying at North Conway for few
days, late in July, and there was a most
beautiful woman there. l hardly know
whether to call her girl or woman, Middleby,
there was such an immortal freshness about
her face and figure, combined with retiec-
tive sadness that showed she had had more
than girls experience. l have always
cared more for foreign women, though, than
for our own; and this girl or woman was
German, so was doubly taken with her.
Her name was set down on the register as
Well, | won't tell you what the name was,
just at present, but it was registered in such
way that | couldn't tell whether she was
maid, wife, or widow. l fixed on the last.
in my own mind, from her wearing black.
There was no one with her; none of the peo-
pie in the hotel, with whom l talked, knew
any thing about her. There could be no
question that she was rich; but that was all
l could find out concerning her.
% 1t was delicate business, as you can
imagine, to make her acquaintance in the
face of such state of things; but managed
it, fortunately, through doing her little
service on the piazza and from that went
on to press my society upon her cautiously.
In few days we were on very good terms,
and took few of the customary walks and
drives in the neighborhood, with other per-
sons at first, and then alone. l was puzzled
to find her so easy as to this, being for
eigner; but believe L convinced her of nv
trustworthiness, and she must have found
out easily, from my acquaintance in the
place, just who was. Then she seemed tn
have outgrOwn foreign prrud..es iU some
way; and | confess, beside .hal 7 ace
counted for it at the time b f4ug that
had begun to make some impI svu upon
her.
az determined there slfouH'. be aar
doubt about it.
at was the evening befole ln in.eu5e.
excursion" he then went on 'She and
were sitting on retired par Of the piazza.
just about sunset. Every ching about n,
was rarely beautiful 1 shall never for
get that scene. 1t came upon nG
with kind of surprise, AFTER an
that we could have any thin 80 lovely bore.
and began contrasting it with EUi1os.
wanted to hint something al0gj gong baos
there, you know-lead up in ort OF ,gag TO
my intended declaration il the moluing
So it was natural that, in tai ne of the other
side, and the voyage, and o. rhat shaGia
begin to tell her about that III fellow 90 tho
Weser when we went over, ou know, Ca
vens."
miserable man." I excAimec, al sh,s
point, remembering my disoluiHWrs ~ hat
dinner. L" You told her, and then got iaiud
she was some one had alrea ne ana told
before?D
orla Of 81 .,