The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-03-27

be very wrong, of course; but, at the same
time, shouldn't let it interfere with my low
ing man, If he was sorry for ii. Well, Jim
was; at least he told nae So and how he was
going TO turn over a new leaf and all that. OF
course he didn't tell me all this the first time
we met but after we got better acquainted.
What a winter that was We were out at
x, you remember. every month. Such
parties and tableaux and skating and sleigh
rides and Jim always by. We'll, long before
the winter was over we were engaged. 1t hap
pened one moonlight night in the conserva-
tory, and Jim promised lie would be good
boy. We had dreadful time with our letters,
and once or twice / came within an ace of be-
ing caught. Jim and | met very seldom, as
you can imagine; but one day he sent me a
very pitiable note asking me 10 meet him at
certain art gallery. he was going away for
some weeks or j have forgotten now what be
did want to see me about / had to tell Miss
M an awful fb; but i did get away, and
then was IN mortal terror lest some one Should
see me- / got TO the gallery safely at last
Jim was not there q was fifteen minutes too
soon, but he ought not 10 have kept me wait
ing). IL was an exhibition Of RuskiD S draw
ings Now you know that if there is one thing
lo2the In this world, il is Ruskin. / think
hate him even more than Browning. But
there / was, and / had to go round and look at
those wretched things when suddenly & gen.
teman entered. He attracted my attention at
once, and paid me the compliment of staring
at me. He was a very handsome fellow, quite
young, | should judge, and had such good.
innocent face. Oh. | thought, if Jim were
only ,.s good as that stranger looksi got en-
barrassed al last by his stare, and the fear that
somebody / knew would come in and find me
there with Jim. After an age, as it seemed to
ar Loft n,ire tpS late
came Jim with some very lame excuse about
being delayed He was exactly on time, but
j took good care 7ot to let him know it, We
went out and had lovely lunch at belmont
cos. and no one was ever the wiser for our ut
tie spree.
But now, Kate prepare yourself for the most
wonderful thing you ever heard IN your lie.
! am engaged TO that handsome, Innocent
locking boy / saw in the art gallery. You
could never guess how il happened, and so |
viii not keep you III suspense, but tel you at
once.
You know we have spent several summers at
Sea Girt, lovely place on the New jersey
coast, and there we went again this year. Jim
came TO see me quite regularly, and as his
family were known TO papa, cur intimacy was
taeitiy allowed without any one asking where
we FIRST became acquainted.
Well, last Saturday | had note from Jim
saying he was coming down to spend Sunday
at the hotel; so / drove 10 the station TO meet
him, and imagine my establishment when the
handsome stranger of the art gallery got of
the carsi He stared al me. of course, but
don't think he saw Jim, who was st the end of
the long train. Oh, Kate, can never tell you
what wretehed two days passed! Jim went
on dreadful spree at the hotel with some of
the fellows from the Branch, and the next day
we had an explanation tsome people would
have called il q quarrel), and-we broke our
# hat hroty
mine. 1t nearly killed me. aud l just cried
my eyes OUT Jim went back TO New York in
the Sunday night train, aud | know | shall
never see him again; and it viii serve me
right, too, for treating poor fellow so cruelty
/ could have pardoned him his disgraceful
conduct st 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 firt
with such awashed-out-looking blonde as that!
Well, the next day-Monday-l went down
TO Mrs. Parkers bright and early, to see how
much truth there WAS in that story about jim,
and what do you thinkf There, sitting on
the piazza, was my stranger, and the next
moment Mrs. Parker had introduced me to
Mr.. Harry Payne, college friend of her hus-
bands. You soon become acquainted at the
seaside, and the previous meeting some
| how made him seem not entirely a stranger to
me. | suppose he felt the same way; at any
rate, we were soon chatting away as merry as
could be, and | forgot ali about Jims Irritation
with Alice Parker
The next day Mr.. Payne called; that even
ing we walked on the beach; the next day we
drove up to the Branch and "Wednesday -.
Well. Kate, all l am going TO tell you 'ao0 is
that Wednesday we were engaged. Perhaps
you think il was quick work. Well, il did
take my breath away; but how could help
itz ! do feel sorry for him-Harry, / mean,
not Jim-he Is SO good and young aud innocent
and enthusiastic, and so learned Just think,
| he reads Browning. and I really think there
must be something in Browning, or Harry
would not like him; so / said / liked Brown
| ing-so / do. for Harry's sake. And then he
admlres Ruskin so much. and of course / do,
for did ! not see Harry first in that dreary ex-
| hibition2- mean il seemed dreary then, but,
as l nov reeollect them, the drawings were
delightful. Strange, neither Of US has men,
toned that meeting! Well, as | was saying, /
do feel sorry for Harry, he is so good and inne-
cent. Poor fellow Just think, he told me
/ that night on the beaeh-that Wednesday
night-that ! was the first woman he had ever
loved. How little experience some men have
| had, Kate. But then women are SO mnch
| older and matnrer for their age than the other
sex. / am sure it wasn't the first time, or even
1 the second, that / had been in love, but ! did
not tell Harry that. Why should / blight his
! first ardent affection by such a confession
! and then / am sure do love him more than
anybody ever saw, except Jim, and Jim, oil
course, is out of the question.
Well, must come to an end. We are to be
married in the holidays, and / suppose shall
have a grand wedding at the church. Men
always say they prefer a quiet wedding. but
/ We women know better. They the first to
want fine display, and show the world what
prize they have carried of. For my part,
| don't want Jim TO think | am not proud OF
Harry. for ] am, and l mean to have per.
fectiy stunning forgive this Renaissance o.
our school-day slang wedding / don't know
whether Harry can afford TO go TO Europe, but
] presume SO, or he, would never have thought
Of marrying girl in my set. However viii
tel you ali the particulars when we meet.
Yours, with undying affection,
LIZZIE CHAPMAN.
LETTER THE THIRD
Harry Payne 70 S. H. ~.
NEW YoRK, December -, 1888.