Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-03-22
Peterkin's Suit.

Some twenty years ago-I do not know
how many exactly, but it was some timt
during the war-I heard story which
a soldier was reading in a newspaper tt
little group around him. to their great
enjoyment. l shall tell it only in brief
though, | remember well, the filling in
was good part of il, which will be
missing in my recital.
Mr.. 5. C. Peterkin was prosperou;
youngish man of business who got ahead
in spite of his constitutional modesty
This was in his way in society
more than in trade: he was afraid
of women more than men. For long
long time he had set his heart upon a
lovely young lady, whose sweetness was
like her name, which was Violet. He
had often called upon her, aud resolved
again and again that he would make her
AN offer of his heart and hand, but as
often that heart failed him. Through
the whole of the evening be would sit
and
"Gaze upon her as a star
Whose purity and distance make it fair"
and come away without making any
progress in his suit. At last he became
alarmed by the fact that the dashing
Captain Latham, of one Of the Sound
steamers, was often at the house when
| he called to see his charmer, the charm
| ing Violet. At last he could not bear
the suspense any longer, and he ven
tured, with much hesitancy and awk-
wardness, but with do-or-die determine
tion, to ask her il she would be his.
With remarkable coolness she replied
Onn oh hau
Mr. Peterkin; l have been engaged to
Captain Latham for some time past, and
We are to be married very shortly. l am
sorry to disappoint you, but we will be
us good friends AS ever, and you must
come to see me just the same. The cap
tain will always be glad to have your
company
Peterkin went away sorrOwful. But a
brighter day soon dawned, for within
three months after they were married
the captain fell off the. steamer in fog
on the. Sound and was drowned. Now
Peterkin took heart. He would have the
widow.
A year of mourning wore slowly
away. He kept his eye on the widow,
but would not insult the memory of the
dead by proposing until decent inter
val had passed. The year ended, and he
laid his heart again at the little feet of
Violet. She heard him quietly, and Qui-
city remarked, My dear Peterkin, l am
sorry to disappoint you again, but for
the last six months have been engaged
TO DR.. Jones. 1t was hard to make up
my mind between him and his friend
the handsome Lawyer Bright, but DIR.
xrr.an 70 = 10
sick in the winter after my husbands
death that l promised him l would be
his at the end of the year.
So poor Peterkin retired once more /;
the widow Latham became Mrs. DIR.
Jones, and so remained, while the dis
cOmfited Peterkin wished the doctor
might take enough of his own pills to
make an end of him.
Time passed on. Peterkin was walk
ing down Broadway one day, while not
very far ahead of him he saw two men,
enc of whom he knew to be this hated
DR.. Jones. A large flag stone was being
hOisted to the coping of a new building;
the rope gave way; it fell and instantly
killen the two men. Peterkin rose to
the emergency of the memeRt. For the
dead he could be of no avail. His
thoughts were on the widow. He turned |;
he ran, he flew, to her abode. When she
entered the room where he awaited her
he began:
My dear Mrs. Jones, l bring you
dreadful news. I was walking on the
street, when saw a stone fall from
house upon your poor husband, and he
is dead; but yon must let me comfort
you. l beg you row to be mine, my vi
olet, at last.
Dear Mr.. Peterkin, am so sorry but
when DR.. Jones and Mr.. Bright were
both begging me to marry, l took the
doctor. and promised Mr.. Bright, if any
thing happened to Jones, l would GER
tainly be his. So you see am engaged.
L am sorry, for do think a great deal of
you, my dear Peerkin.'
PeteIkin was very calm and self-con-
tanned. He said, And will you promise
to be mine when that lawyer is no
mOreY
Certainly l will with all my heart
and soul
Then como to my arms, my Violet, for
the same stone that killed the doctor
was the death of Bright, and you are
mine at last.'-[Editor's Drawer, in
Harper's Magazine for April.