The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-02-12
A STORY SUCCESSFULLY TOLD.

| 'sJoLn must come down here at once,
I whether you can spare him or not. Our
! dear little Laura Is greatly taken with a
tall. thin young man, with a hooked
/ nose sad thin lips, called Stuyyesant.
/ 1t is whispered about the hotel that ne
I is a very good match and has the verita-
/ ble blood Of the old Dutch governor in
I his veins. must say that it has queer
way Of showing itself, for the young man
/ is as pale as a spectre: and dressed in
/ that white duck, with his sunken eyes
and biIious skin, is enough to frighten
one. I have grown TO hate him, while
/ laura is growing to be quite the contra
~. I am afraid. All the evening he
/ leans up against the wall, never dancing
! or opening his mouth, save 10 give vent
I to some hateful, sarcastic criticism upon
| the scenes around him, and yet dear lit
! tie I4aura's eyes-as indeed, all the other
pretty eyes about-are perpetualiy be
seeciinc him for attention. In the Gay
time he is always with a long black
horse. that covers more ground with his
legs than OTHER animal | ever saw. When
Laura goes out to drive behind it, and
yauishes out of sight with the bony crea-
tnre, I tremblc to think how dreadful it
! would be if our dear little girl would be
part and parcel Of this wretched beast.
/ So I think John had better come down
at ouce. I quite long to see his hand
some face and hear his honest voice, and
[ think It is about time that John should
tell his little story to Laura, aud have
things settled comfortably"
Mr.. Archibald Steele smiled when he
put the letter of his wife in his waistcoat
pocket, and picking up the morning pa
Dcr scanned through his gold-rimmed
spectacles the news Of the day. Finding
nothing therein to refine the exceedingly
satisfactory condition of affairs, he put it
down smiling as only a prosperous, con-
/ tented, down town merchant can smile.
He was one of those happy exceptions to
| the ordinary rule of mortals, with whom
everything went well. His whole exper-
ience was an exclamation point to that
/ effect If he ventured little hazardous
! ly in trade, fortune trimmed her sails to
favor him. If he set his heart upon any
thing relating to domestic felicity, all
| the clements of srt and nature cOnspred
to bring it about. So when he stepped
to the door of his Office and beckoned to
! Young man with a strip of commercial
paper in his hand and pencil behind
/ his ear, with the general air of brlskness
and shrewdness about HIM that betoken-
ed a successful down town merchant en-
bryo, Mr.. Steele smiled the third time,
with the air of one who was not at all
afraid of any bilious, blue blooded OBJ
staele that might be thrown in the path
OF domestic happiness, which he firmly
agreed had been arranged by an Omnip-
Otent hand.
John, said Mr.. Steele, closing the
door ofhis private Office and locking upon
his young clerk benevolently, "I've got
an order from Mrs. Steele, which l wish
you would attend to-"
"Certainly, sir" said John; ''shall [
80 out and get the articles myself"
"Why, the fact is john" said the
merchant, enjoying his joke more and
more, "It's only one artice-a rather
bulky one 1t was bargained for long
time ago. L think you will have to go
down with it, John.
"Down to the sea shore" said John,
getting a little hot and fustered; sis it a
very valuable parcel, sir ?"
"Well, perhaps your natural modesty
may depreciate its worth, John, Mis-.
Steele and L think a good deal of it, and
Laura, too, am sure does. The COM
modify is yourself, John. Mrs. Steele
wants you to 60 down and take little
holiday there.
When the name of Laura was mention
ell the young mans face grew more
fastered and hot than ever.
''You are very kind sir, he said, land
Mrs. Steele is more like an angel thar q
woman"
Rather solid and plump for that, .
interposed Mr.. Steele, but liking the
phrase nevertheless.
"But it is a simple madness, pursued
John, to dream further happiness than |
enjoy now-your affection snd that of
your wife-mY position here; l don't
dare, I can't hope for anything more.
Oh, Mr.. Steele, can't tell her my story.
4 She would turn from me with horror and
aversion. She is SO young. so beautiful.
Let me at least enjoy the present.
"And in the meantime some cadaver-
Gus, bilious, blue blooded scoundrel
will carry her off from rs ALL"
Then Johns face grew pale and stern.
''If there is the slightest feeling upon
her part for-for any one else, then in
deed, Mr.. Steele, my case is hopeless. -
The commercial paper fiuttered from
his hand, the pencil fell from his ear,
and he leaned his head against the desk
and trembled.
''Why who would suppose you could
be such coward ?" said Mr.. Steele,
impetuously. "You shall go down with
me this very day"
All the way to the sea shore Johns
face wore the look of one who had re-
solved to storm deadly breach, but
who did not hope to survive the attempt.
Even the ocean, when it confronted
them wore threatening look. Upon
the horizon pile of clouds formed a
back ground wan and gloomy, great
black mist lay in the zenith, and dense,
red yapor almost touched the water.
a very nasty seq" ;" said Mr. StaaIe