Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-11-20

Or,
Engaged 10 Three Girls i'm One
Night.

/
"If you will take my advice,
said Mr.. Wilding, making a las
noble but futile effort to balance tn
paper-knife on the tip of his frs
finger, "you won't go TO the Brown
rigs ball"
HAnd why not ?' asked his com
panion, irritably.
"Well, l really wouldn't, yol
Know said Mr.. Wilding, givin;
up his struggle with the impossible
and laying the refractory paper
knife upon the table, "for variety
of reasons. Girls play the very mis-
chief with you, and you know wha
trouble it gave me to get you out o.
your last scrape. There are foul
Browning girls, aren't there? An6
they are all pretty ?''
II don't see what that's got to dc
with it," said Snooks, sulkily
"There's safety in a multitude. ]
can't marry 'em all, can ?''
"Happily, no! though, if the laws
of your land did not forbid it, am
inclined to think you might try
to accomplish even that. Still, be
advised, Snooks, and be conspicuous
by your absence at the Brownrigs'
small and early Papa Browning,
when incensed, is not nice, and you
know you are decidedly intimate
with Miss Kate"
"No, l am not" said Snooks,
with decision, 'not a bit of it..
Though l allow she is a handsome
girl, and has lovely eyes. HASN'T
she, now ?'
81 don't know. As rule | never
look into a wOman's eyes. / con-
slider it a rudeness as well as a beast
ly folly" said Wilding earnestly,
telling his lie without a blush.
"Never mind her eyes. If,'' warn
ingly, "yOu must go to this ball, at
least try to forget that she has any
eyes at all. If you don't, you will
propose to her, to a moral"
"One would think that l was a
raw schOol-boy," said young SnOoks
wrathfully. "Do you think l can't
look at Woman Without commit
ting myself? Do look like a fool?"
Whatever Mr.. Wilding thought
at that moment, he kept it to him
self. Before he spoke again, he and
his conscience had agreed to dissem-
BILE.
"My desr fellow, do not let us
even hint at such thing" he said
amiably. 81 only meant that you
were slightIy-very slightly-sus-
ceptible, and that Miss Kate has
certain amount of pleasing power,
and that positively would give
up this ball if I"
care HOu going?" broke in Snooks
impatiently.
"Well, yes, dare say shall look
in about r."
''Then / shall look in with you,"
said Snooks, defiantly.
Fact is, the fellow wants to spoon
her himself, and don't see the force
of being cut out" said he to him.
self complacentlyi as he ran down
the steps of Wildmg's stairs.
Beyond all question the Brown
rigs ball was a decided success.
The rooms were filed to overflow
ing, the staircaSes were chOked, the |
heat was intolerable. Sir Thomas
and Lady Higgins had actually put
in an appearance after all, and the |
supper, if uneatable, was, assure |
you, very expensive. No pains or
money had been spared everything |
was what the mistress of the house |
rallied "rug regal :" and all the Miss |
Brownrigs looked as charming as
anyone could desire.
There were four of them. There |
was Katie, the second daughter
Snooks' friend, and the possessor of
the lovely eyes. And they were
lovely large, "and dark, and true,
and tender" like the north, accord
ing to the laureate; "black as sloes,".
said her fond if slightly oppressive
and Of the languid, melting
order.
Then there was Hetty, the eldest
girl, who, if her eyes were not dark
IS midnight, had at least the dear
est little nose in the world. A pure
Greek feature, perfect in every re-
;pect, ignorant of colds in the head,
hat made one long to tell her (only
;he would have blushed, they were
Ill nicely brought up) about Dudu
md her Phidian appendage.
Then came Georgie-"'George the
Third" a. she was playfully termed
n the bosom of her family-who, if
he had neither nose nor eyes like
Ter sisters, had certainly a prettier
mouth than either; a sweet little
rosebud of a mouth that
,outed and laughed alternately, and
lid considerable execution.
And finally, there was Lilly, a
all, pale girl, with blue eyes, a fine
y cut chin, and great deal Of de-
all round.
Katie's eyes were larger, darker,
nd (when she looked at Snooks
nd thought of the thousands) more
netting than ever that night. Her
Iress, if slightly bizarre, was i'm
nensely becoming. Snooks, for the
irst half-hour kept himself bravely
lOof from her destinations, declined
0 notice her reproachful glances
nd languishing eillades, and for
eward was wretched. Finally, be-
ng driven into a corner during a
atal set of Lancers, he met her eyes
nd was conquered. She would
ance the next with him? Yes {
coIdly). And the next? Yes {
more gently. And the ninth-he
an see she is disengaged for it ? (,
yes this time quite warmly.
An hour later the deed was done.
ONE capital champagne, a dark {
venue (I believe there were some
hinese lanterns there originally,
ut kind wind had blown them
ut), and soft little hand, slipped {
lto his, did the work and Miss
latte had promised bashfully, but
nth unmistakable willingness, to
e the future Mrs. SnoOks. Whether
was SnOoks or the property per-
aiming to Snooks she most affected,
eponent sayeth not.
When, however, her betrothed
lund what he had done, and re-
rendered bis former words, and all 4
ne awfulness of parental wrath, his
cart failed him. He went, as he
sually did when in sorry case, in $
earch of Wilding and having dis :
Dvered him, took him into a side
pom, and shutting the door, con-
'onted him with a rather pale face. |
$50 the eyes were too many for
ou ?'' said Mr.. Wilding calmly,
fter a deliberate examination of I
ne disturbed face before him. 81
)ld you how it would be-"
''That's the sort of thing any fell
Nv might say" returned Snooks |
II didn't think you {
,Ould have been so aOpra Vatinp / 4