News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-17

woman lmperatlyely demand, MISS Rerrls
suddenly began to do a great deal OF
shopping; and at the same time Sell
vidge began to notice that Kate had
ceased to be little girl. He hesitated
long time before adding her name to
his list of candidates for the position of
wife, for the awe in which he had been
taught to hold old Perris and his money
was not easy to overcome. Gradually,
however, he began to notice that Miss
Perris, while discussing possible arti-
Giles of purchase, sometimes looked more
at him than at the goods.
This was indeed unexpected luck; in
stead of falling in love with money and
having to labor hard for his end, money
was falling in love with him, and doing
almost all the work. Selvidge did not
forget that it was old Perris, and not
the daughter, who had the money but
he determined that if he could secure
the daughter he could afford any
amount of effort to gain the consent of
the father.
Naturally Selvidge was impatient, but
he was also discreet, so he did not
ieopardize his prospects by undue haste.
One day, however, when Miss Perris
was aimlessly handling some goods tina
she had been looking at, she mixed
them so inextricably that she had some
trouble in rearranging them. Selvidge
hastened to assist her, and when his
hand met hers under the folds of the
material, he did not resist the tempta-
ton to indulge in a little squeeze. AS
the hand was warm and soft, and its
owner showed no inclination to with
draw it, Selvidge continued to hold it.
Suddenly after a quick glance at the
door, he withdrew and kissed it. Kate
gave him shy look, without a bit of
reproach in it, from under her upper
eyelashes, and this so emboldened him
that he leaned across the counter and
kissed the young lady's cheek. The
counter would have been too wide for
such an operation had not Kate consid-
erably helped the young man by leaning
slightly toward him. Then, with cheeks
aglow, Selvidge looked ardently into
the face that was of deeper crimson
than his own, and murmured
"Forgive me, my darling, but I
couldn't help it, for have long loved
you-oh, so long !"
Kate was not unequal to the situation,
for she said, with downcast eyes:
"I guess I've loved you, too, but
I've only just found it out. But what
will father say ?"
"Don't tell him, my precious one"
replied Selvidge. quickly. "Leave me
to do that, at the proper time"
Kate promised, and then, rather
frightened, left the store, but not until
Selvidge, leaping over the counter, had
followed her and given her close en-
brace and saveral kisses behind one Of
the front door, which, by the merest
accident, of course, Kate partly closed
by touching it with the toe of her boot.
During the few weeks that followed,
the course of love ran smoothly, though
secretly. The couple met daily at the
store and occasionally in the Perris gar
den at an hour that should have found
Kate asleep in bed. But the young
mans prospects were rudely blighted
one night, when old Perris, unable to
sleep on account of the heat, left his
bed and strolled in stockinged feet and
with a pipe in his mouth, about the
| An Of q
shaded rustic seat that attracted his at
tention proved, on investigation, to be
due to Selvidge with the head of Kate
pillowed confdingly on his breast.
Then there was scene, from which
Kate quickly withdrew, and within five
minutes Selvidge had made hum
BILE apology, in which he took all
the blame to himself, and had also
promised to leave the town at once and
,szz.-a-..-.17- D4--z.:=- II--U--v I:----a
thousand dollars with which to set him
self up as village merchant some
where else.
Selvidge departed, without saying
goodbye to his employer, within TWEEN
ty-four hours, but not before he had
bribed one of the servants to give Kate
letter containing ford protestations of
eternal devotion it also contained his
photograph and his address, which he
had determined should in future be at
New York. Within week old Perris
suddenly took Kate off for trip, the
unannounced destination of which was
a country boarding school where the es-
poinage was reported to be very strict.
But fortnight did not elapse before,
in spite of sly father and strict school
principal, the lovers were exchanging
letters that bore double or treblepost-
age.
Arrived at New York, Selvidge did
not make haste to go into business, for
his capital, now about 1000, was too
small to enable him to buy an interest
in any firm strong enough to command
the respect of old Perris in the good
time that Selvidge assured himself must
come sooner or later. On the other
hand, he could afford to live well and
keep up appearances ; and as any we'll
dressed adventurer of passable manner
can readily find his way into some New
York sets that contain many respectable
people, Selvidge soon found himself in
a grade of society where all the gentle
men wore dress coats when making even
ing calls.
Then it struck this discreet fellow
that it might be well to have two strings
to his bow. Kate was darling, and
must be her fathers heir; but suppose
she were to die, or the old man to fail
hopelessly, as he saw some New Workers
of high standing doing? To think was
to act, so after skillfulIy informing him
self about the young ladies in his set,
Selvidge began to pay special attention
to Miss Florence Wernton, who was the
reputed heiress, in her own right, of
one of the handsomest estates in West
ern New York. Miss Florence was the
counterpart of Kate in almost every re-
speet; she was slight, sentimental and
retiring; but as she had heart and had
not an accepted lover, she soon sue
cumbed to Selvidge's attentions, while
the young man, who never before had
met lady of her kind, really lost the