The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-08-07
How to Woo n Woman,

Mrs. Mattleway was not very pretty
woman, but she did not need beauy tot
make her attractive to gentlemen. AS
she was u widow instead Of maid, she
| could look her admirers full in the face
without blushing: AS for her figure,
that spoke for itself 50 well that many
maidens coveted it, as Mrs. Mattleway
well knew.
Her greatest attraction, however ac-
cordlng to many gentlemen who admired
her, was the house she lived in, for it
belonged to her, was in very good
street, 1t was tastefully furnished, and
there was no mortgage on it.
SO Mrs, Mattleway was the recipient
of innumerable attentions, most of
which she enjoyed. 1t was only when
| men proposed that she did not enjoy
once, and so dreadful was iier mistake
! on that occasion that she did not intend
to repeat it. A spirited woman who is
nearly 80 must interest herself in some
thing if she hasn't q husband, so Mrs.
| Mattleway made attempts at business.
She invested little money III a manu-
| featuring enterprise, and she took such
solid comfort from examinations Of bal
ance sheets and weekly statements that
she was sure she had a head for business;
she therefore, began to make ventures
in the stock market.
The inevitable results followed, and
the first of them was that Mrs. Mattle-
way became an enthusiastic gambler.
Two or three times she succeeded; for
her broker, Platt Winston, was a very
shrewd fellow, as even his enemies ad-
mitted; beside, he had hopes Of persuad-
ing Mrs. Mattleway to reverse the de-
cided "no" she had spoken to him Oh
another subject year or two before.
No one who is possessed { f a single idea
can help talking Of it to every one. So
Mrs. Mattleway began to make the
stock market a subject of conversation
with her acquaintances. One of these,
a journalist, named Barth. had known
so many persons afflicted with the Wall
street malady, that he recognized. the
symptoms in Mrs. Mattlcway's case at
once, and did all he could to discourage
the ladv's mania. But he did not sue
ceed. Mrs. Mattleway laughed cruel
little laugh, and venturcd deeper than
before. When her ready money failed
to- keep good her margins, she mort
gagged her tenement houses; then she
mortgaged her own residence; finally,
she gave her individual notes, which
Winston discounted.
Then the crash came. THE bottom
fell out' Of Watertie Preferred, and
Mrs. Mattleway found herself almost
penniless. Winston called upon her,
noDly offered to eXtricate her from ali
her difficulties (which he could easily do
as all her money had gone into his own
bank account), and asked in return
'No" of year or two before. ore" =" "''An'i'ii
Mrs. Mattleway sent Winston away
sorrOwful; She had endured him only as
a shrewd broker, but he seemed not to
have been even that. She heard her
door-bell ring-could it be visitor?
A servant came to the door of her
chamber, but she would not let even q
servant see her face. She merely put
her hand to the edge Of the door and
took a letter; it contained, beside a
package, the following:
Dear Mrs. Mattleway:
l want to confess some undcrhand
proceedings and pray for forgiveness.
have for months been Dribing Wilson s
bookkeeper to let me know the extent
| of your ventures, and have obtained
! much more alarming information than
| had expected.
1t is so seldom that Il man can be of
genuine service to lady that I have
unspeakable pleasure in asking you to
make use Of mclosed government bonds,
| of the face value of $500, 900 for as many
| months or years as you like.
For fear you may suspect me of sci
fish motives and personal designs, |
| shall start for Europe in the morning
by the City Of Timbuctoo, and remain
abroad an indefinite time. Should you
! change your name before | return,
please say to the fortunate man, for me
| that he ought to be the happiest being
alive.
Very respectfully,
CLEMENT BARTH.
Mrs. Mattleway started again to cry
but her rising spirits got the better OF
her rising tears, and she went into an
ccstacy of laughter. Here was man
indeedl Could she accept his money!
she would, at any rate; but ohl for 4
chance to thank him-to apologize to
him for even having thought him lil,
other men, though how could she have
avoided it, when she often detected hin
in the act of cycling her curiouslv?
''The City of Timbuctool'-'To
morrow morningl''-"An indefinite
timel' She sent for a newspaper, look
cd for the mail notices, and found the
Steamer would sail ut II o'clock. Sht
called u messenger, wrote two or three
notes, tore them to bits, and finally sent
the following with orders to get. Mr.
| Barth's address at his Office and follow
him until found:
| DEAR MIR. BARTH-A thousa,,t
thanks, but cannot accept unless yol
come and let me say ''thank you'' be
fore you start. The circumstances vii
justify a very early morning call.
ours truly.
| FRANCIS MATTLEWAY.
Mrs. Mattieway did not sleep mucl
that night, and in the morning she as
tonished her cook by a ppearing in th
dning-room before s o clock, demand
ing breakfast and eating scarcely ;
mouthful. Then she ordered the par
lors opened and aired at once, and slit
flew to the windows SO often that he
maid hurried up to the room Of Mrs
Mattlcway's invalid mother and mad
alarming reports. The clock struck 8
after which Mrs. MatCleway counted
the moments, and looked cXpcctantl.
L