Middletown transcript., 1882-03-24

Enough ! 1 hope you may never be
sorry for it. =
When the meeting Of the club was
dismissed that night, Tom Hathaway
made his way homeward in a not COM
Portable frame of mind.
There were other reasons besides
those Of mere reputation and an unen-
viable notoriety which led him to dread
the coming duel.
CHAPTER II.
THE LOVERS
Back from the main street of lovely
Fairview stood a substantial stone man
sion, whose style Of architecture would
proclaim it dwelling of some age
more after the old Elizabethian pat
tern.
The storms of many years had howled
about its ancient gables and chimneys,
yet it was apparently able to stand the
weather Of another century ere sue
cumbing.
1t was surrounded by noble growth
of oaks and cedars, and from this latter
fact derived its name, Cedarcroft.
llO utUttSUtS tAISuuOu lCtl DttCh nun
the street or avenue upon which it
stood, embracing in all some hundred
acres of woodland, merging finally upon
lower country road upon the shores
of Crystal Lake.
The proprietor of this lordly estate
was New York speculator in Wall
street, by name Howard Stoekwell.
The family consisted of two children,
the mother having died five years pre-
vious to the opening of this story.
The children were a boy and girl,
both now pretty well matured, espec-
tally the former, Ralph Stockwell, who
was tall, splendidly proportioned
young man, generally beloved by all
who knew him, and who held the by no
means unimportantpositio of president
Of the Crystal Wave Boat Club.
But of all the fair girls in Fairview,
and there were not a few, to tell the
truth, pretty Minnie Stockwel was
fairer and gentler than all, and the ac-
knowledged belle of the town.
She was in figure about the average
height, but graceful in her movements,
which lent additional charms to her
fair person. Her complexion was light
but fresh and rosy, and Indicative of
blooming health.
All the gallants Of aristocratic Fair
view were madly infatuated with this
beautiful maiden, who, indeed, seemed
as unmindful of the fact as though she
were not reminded Of it hundred times
a day.
But though wealth, pomp and beauty
paid respective homage to her charms,
and it was an undisputed fact that,
had the capricious maiden so willed,
she might have made her choice among
the vast company Of the young sciOns of
wealth who fawned upon her, and who
would give their all for a single ray of
hope, she coldly turned from them,
and though maintaining her habitual
air Of gentleness, offered no encour-
agement.
And this very eccentricity," as it
might be called, only served to draw
the luckless yet vainly hoping throng
of ardent suitors on, only to have their
ambition most cruelty wrecked by some
new and characteristic move of the ca
priciouS maiden.
InlS fact finally led a disappointed,
deSpairing swain, who had piled his
suit most arduously and gained signal
defeat, which very naturally served to
make him not a very little wrathy and
vexed in spirit, to exclaim:
By the great horn spoon Never
since Diana was there created such a
woman. | could have sworn, a week
ago, that | was the luckiest and most
favored man in Fairview but now, ye
gods Hi III the Il NEST NEST miserable She's
perfect riddle.''
But the riddle was one easily read by
prOSiac mind.
Born and bred from infancy in the
midst of affluence, pretty Minnie Stock
well had become tired and heartily sick
of the vain pomp and display Of the
wearying society life she led, the empty
complimentsand fawning iattery which
awaited her wherever she went, and
longed for that mode of life which,
though humber, was, nevertheless,
in itself the assurance of more genuine
happiness.
In truth, she was heart-sick of the
present life, whose dross was hateful to
her, and sighed for change, but looked
in vain for her ideal of man.