The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-05-21
oh. Kate. I can

/ $3.50 Va VIZ AOhb
never tell You what wretched two days
passed Jim went on q dreadful spree
ut the hotel with some OF the fellows
from the Branch, and the next day W.
bad an explanation (some people would
have called it quarreD, and-we broke
cur engagement; mean, OF course, thai
broke mine. 1t nearly killed me, and
just cried my eyes out. Jim went
back to New York in the Sunday night
train, and / know shall never see him
again; and it it will serve me right, too,
for treating o poor fellow 80 cruelty. !
could have pardoned him his disgraceful
conduct at the hotel, but, Kate, it came
out in the course Of our explanation that
he had been flirting with Fred Parker's
sister, and that ended everything; any
man that would first with such q
washed.out-looking blonde as that
Well, the next day-Monday-I went
down to Mrs. Parker's, bright and early,
to see how much truth there was in that
story about Jim, and what do you think ?
There, sitting on the piazza, was my
stranger, and the next moment Mrs.
Parker had introduced me to MIR. Harry
Payne, a college friend Of her husbands.
You soon became acquainted at the sea-
side, and the previous meeting somehow
made him seem not entirely stranger
to me. suppose he felt the same way;
ut any rate, we were soon chatting away
NJ merry as could be, and / forgot all
about Jim's filtration with Alice Parker.
The next day Mr.. Payne called; that
evening we walked on the beach; the
next day We drove to the Branch; and
Wednesday - Well Kate, all / am
going to tell you now is that Wednesday
we were engaged. Perhaps You think it
was quick work. Well, it did take my
breath away; but how conld / help it
| do feel sorry for him-Harry, mean.
not Jim-he is 80 good and young and
innocent and enthusiastic, and so
learned Just think, he reads Brown.
ing, and / really think there must he
something in Browning, or Harry would
not like him; so ] said liked Browning
so | do for Harry's sake. And then
he admires RuSkin 50 much, and Of
course / do, for did not see Harry first
in that dreary exhibition ?-I mean it
seemed dreary then, but, as | now
recollect them, the drawings were de-
lIghtful. Strange, neither Of us has
mentioned that meeting Well, as
was saying, / do feel sorry for Harry, he
ia so good and innocent. Poor fellow !
Just think, he told me that night on the
beach, that Wednesday night-that l
was the first woman that he had ever
loved. How little experience some men
have had. Katcl But then women are
so much older and maturer for their age
than the other sex. am sure it wasn't
the first time, or even the second that
mad been in love, but | did not tell
Harry that. Why should / blight his
first ardent affection by such confess
sion? and then ] am sure do love him
more than anybody | ever saw, except
jim, and jim, Of course, is out of the
question.
Well, ! must come to nm end. We
are to be married in the holidays, and J.
suppose shall have n grand wedding ut
the church. Men always say they
prefer quiet wedding, but we women
know better. They are the first to want
n fine display, and show the world what
n prize they have carried of. For my
part, | don't want Jim to think | am not
proud Of Harry, for | am, and j mean to
have II perfectly stunning forgive this
"Reminiscences of our school-day slang
wedding. ! don't know whether
Harry can afford TO go to Europe,
out l presume SO, or ho would never
have thought of marrying girl
in my set However, will tell you
all the particulars when we meet.
Yours with undying affection,
LIZZIE CHAPMAN.
LITTER THE THIRD.
Hurry PaynC 10 s. III. W.
New York, Dec. -, 1888.