The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-02-18

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recreation In the shape Of trout-fshing.
A harmless amusement that, is it not =
The fish do not think So, replied
Clara, smiling. If you Will sit down
moment | will fetch mother, and you
can arrange matters with her.
SO saying, having handed him chair,
Clara departed to call Mrs. Moore.
| That worthy lady was soon in attend
ance, and before Mr.. Cox had Quilted
her roof he had arranged to take the
rooms for at least a couple of months
from the following Thursday.
It is, perhaps, almost superhuous to
state that Clara Moore, being such d
beautiful girl, had numerous admirers.
Although the village-by name Nun
ford-was in itself small, there were
plenty of outlying farms; and not more
than three miles away market town.
From these surrounding quarters came
many and many one to see the village
belle, and many and many one at first
sight fell over head ears in love with and
her.
Added to her charms of face and fig
ure, she had remarkably sweet voice,
and although it was not highly cult
vated, it was not altogether unframed.
The consequence was she was in great
request at readings, which, during the
winter months, she attended with COM
mendable regularity.
At one of these entertainments she
had met one Arnold Carew, well-to-do
farmers son, who lived some two miles
Io1 Il
troduced to him there, and he, like
many another, fell in love with her.
OF all the men she had met she liked
him the best, and, not week prior to
the advent Of Mr.. Cox as a lodger at
her mothers house, she had as good as
consented to be engaged to him.
It is unpleasant to pick holes in any.
body's character, and doubly unpleasant
to pull to pieces the disposition of one
who is in all external things perfection.
But the truth must be old-Clara
Moore was q terrible firt.; and, like
most firts, she seemed to have total
disregard for the feelings of her VIC
tins. She would lead man on to be-
lieve ct least in the possibility of his
one day securing her affections indeed,
the very fact OF q woman tarIying in q
mans society to listen to his love pas
sages, is in itself an earnest of her APP
preeiation Of his society, and then,
when il suited her caprice, would throw
him over and laugh at him.
Clara Moore had tried young Ar
mold Carew's patience to the utmost
more than once. Ay, scores and scores
of times she had destroyed his peace OF
mind by her pernicious fondness for
what she called 6 harmless Irritation .
And we must give her credit for the
fact that her hi1tations were In one
sense harmless; there was no vice about
her She never forgot that self-respect
which renders q woman precious in the
eyes Of men.
When Arnold Carew won her consent
to be engaged to him for she as good
as promised him to become his wife
some day" though she expressed her
self in sufficiently indefinite terms to
admit of her escaping from her promise
If she pleased to change her mind, with
out his being able to affirm she had ever
strictly bound herself to him-he was
well satisfied. He felt he could trust
her and even bear her flirting propen-
sites with greater equanimity than he
had hitherto been able to do.
There were few evenings on which
Arnold Carew failed to walk over from
his fathers farm and enjoy pleasant
stroll with the lady of his love"
Happy evenings were they for him.
Through the dav he looked forward to
them they lghtened his toll and made
his existence much happier than it had
ever-been.
He had double incentive to work.
1t was not self that he toiled for only,
now he knew that he was working for
her
Mr.. Cox had not been located in Mrs.
Moore's small though comfortable
apartments more than fortnight before
Clara's evening rambles with Arnold
CareW became less frequent.
Clara had all along been very silent
as to the lodger and at first It never
entered into Arnold Carew's mind that
that accounted in any way for her less
frequent appearance at their usual rem
devious.
One evening, however, he ventured
to complain, and chanced in his tempo
rary annoyance to say ooh, I sup
pose there is some attraction about this
heavy swell who is staying at your
mothers
Clara flushed up in a moment, and
answered, hotly You are quite well
come to think what you please in that
respect. He is perfect gentleman,
which is saying more for him than one
can say for everybody.
don't pretend to be gentleman, =
was Arnold's cool answer "nor do
profess to be an educated fellow.
know you can beat me hollow as far as
learning goes but learning is not
everything in this world and people
can feel and think with only a little
/ Of it.
Now Clara was very fairly educated,
indeed; and, certainly, was what is vul-
gularlY called more of " "scholar" than
her sweetheart; but he was not an ig-
noramus by any means.
His words made her feel little
ashamed of herself; so she answered:
!" didn't mean to insinuate that I'm
better educated than you, or that you
are not gentleman at heart; but i dc
consider it most unreasonable and un.
iustifable that you should throw out
hints against Mr.. Cox, simply because
he's a gentleman of superior education. .
It's very certain I've seen much less
| Of you, Clara, since he came here, an.
swered Arnold Carew, with melancholy
reproach manifest in his tone Of voice.
Well, if You must know the truth,
answered Clara; but you're SO hot.
! headed and unreasonable I've never
liked to name it to you before; he's
kindly undertaken to teach me French
] and that accounts for my evenings being
more occupied than they were.
1t was your duty to have told me
before, answered Arnold, suppressine
/ his Jealous indignation Where does
he teach you ?''
. in the sitting groom, of course.
/; His private sitting room r.
/ Yes"
And SO You are alone together fol