The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-09-22
NUMBER 80.
The Lovers Stratagem.

| pald attention to one of the fairest
daughters of Cleveland, and had been
engaged to her, when suddenly she
concluded to marry some one else.
The unsuspecting young man WENT to
call on her at her aunt's house, and as
she drew back her ruby lips, when he
prepared to meet her with loving
KISS, he at once thought there was
something up. and glanc.ng at her
again, he noticed that she wore none
of his gifts, which he conjectured were
lii an ominous-looking parcel on the
sofa. This conjecture was proved to
be correct subsequently.
"Mr. Jones'" she. .said-she had
been want to address him as Angus
tus" and darling" "Mr. Jones, [
have been consulting my heart SER
lously, and have discovered that we
are not fitted to make each other
happy our engagement is at an
end"
Her words sank into him like blue
pills; but he instantly composed
himself and settled uponAa plan of
action. Bounding ioyfulIy forth
from his chair he danced lightly
around the room, shouting:
"Hurrah ! you're the bulliest girl
in the universe. l feel as if the
whole Palmer House had been lifted
off my brow"
The beautiful girl gazed at him for
a moment, and in surprise said:
"What does this mean ?"
"Mean ?" cried the young man;
"why it means Pm free. I've been
trying to muster up courage to ask
you, for week past, to cancel our en-
gagement; but couldn't for / knew
at this period Of commercial depres-
sion that husbands are hard to get"
"Sir.r-r!" cried she. glaring at him
like tiger-cat, "your presents are all
in this package. Take them and re-
turn me mine. This painful inter-
view had, perhaps, better be brought
to an end"
"Pll send you all of 'em l can finds
but l guess our cook carried off your
TennySon-I lent it to her-and some
of your locks of hair and rosebuds and
things | burnt when | cleared out my
room: but as for the ring. 1 don't
think Cora will give it to me-"
"And, pray, what may this creas
, ture Cora be? Is she the cook at
your boarding house ?"
"Oh, bless you no. She is the girl
F Pm in love with, and that Pm going
to propose to this evening, as soon as
you give me that package of presents
and let me 60. hope you didn't
, forget to put the diamond earrings
, gave you into it. I'll give them to
her, and be 5000 ahead"
The beautiful Cleveland girls
cheeks glowed so that you could
have lighted a match on them, if you
hadn't been afraid of having your
fingers burned off by the glare of her
eyes.
"Tell me about this 'Cora' of yours.
Is she very good-looking ?''
"Good looking ?" said the young
man, eXcitedly, "hold on till / show
you her picture" and he searched
eagerly in his pocket. "No, 1 must
have left it in my overcoat. Well.
meyer mind : she's beauty. 1 used
to think that you were pretty fair
looking, but yOu-Hair so long that
she steps on it when it is let down
and she tries to walk eyes that make
you feel as you were getting back
ten dollar bill you had never ex-
pected to see again; waist very
much like yours, only much smaller
and as for her feet. why you couldn't
put more than forty per cent. of your
toes into one of her boots. Well,
good night, Miss Brown; / told her
I'd be round to night if l could I'll
trouble you for that package"
"Augustus JONES'" she hissed, in a
low, concentrated tone, putting the
. package of presents away under her
chair, "if you go out of this house be-
, fore one O'Clock tomorrow morning
Til scream. And [ want you to UNI
: derstand our engagement is to hold
and if you don't marry me by the
first day of November, which will be.
[ as soon as [ can get my trousseau
[ ready, I'll sue you for breach of prom
Use, laying the damages lor $4,000
. and I've got letters from you that'll
l make the jury find for the plaintiff
I without leaving the box. And if you
( ever mention that wretched crea-
:, ture's name to me again, the longest
, day you live. I'll shoot you and
scratch her eyes out-so there, 1
I don't care for you one bit, but Pm
< going to marry you out of Spite"
e She hurled herself into his arms
like whirlwind, and sobbed upon
his shoulder. He smoothed her hair
| and 90 lp1 hnr q larUa and xyo rio1 aG ,