The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-17
Pr.sss By Specie, Arrsro.me~.. -cepw'sassa 1855.
CHOLLT'S PREDICAMENT.


story by II. n fratss
4 ''Cholly," as the girls called him, had oeen
reared in family of sisters. He was smooth
faced youth very gentle in manner; ana the
girls thought no more of him than Of one OF
themselves. He and his sisters, Dora Emmie
and Fannie and his sisters three bosom friends,
BERTHE, Gerte and Myrtle had many game of
'.hide and seek" and .blindmans buff" together.
For in quiet feline way the sisters were what
might be called romps
In some respects it is great advantage to
young man to have been thus brought up in init
mate association with sisters and sisters bosom
friends 1t cultivates gentlemanliness which
Is rarely attained by other MEANS softening the
manners by constant contact with gentler ma
turos. and, at the same time, from being habit
sally looked up to as the escort and protector of
weaker beings, it cuffvates certain of the more
masculine qualities Another advantage
sometimes considered not the least, is that
companionship of this kind often destroys the
tendency born in every masculine heart to defy
femininity. There is much nonsense said and
written about the respect due certain members
of the human family, irrespective of personal
qualities worthy Of admiration, simply because
cynic has said that DO man is hero to his valet
? de chambre. In like manner thorough &C.
quaintance with the ways and wiles of woman
is apt to divest her of that witchery which casts
a glamour over the eyes of the more distant
devotee. And thus it happened that Charles
reached the age of twenty-one without ever
having INDUCED in those morbid fancies which
are the symptoms of the condition known as
being ''in love-
Soon after attaining his majority he received
an advantageous offer from old friend of his
fathers engaged in the commission business in
the leading town of his section of the State.
When the arrangements for his departure had
been made there was great commotion among
The girls They we're really sorry to lose him.
Whom would they have now to climb the cherry
trees for them2 Who would bring the sisters
home at night from visits to the three bosom
friendsl Who would take the three bosom friends
out sleighriding in the winter. and who would
push them by the honr over the icel But never
mind said Dora, ''Cholly will come back in
few years a rich man and marry our little
! Myrtle"
Myrtle grew redder than cherry. but said
never word. She was the gentlest the young
est and the prettest of these six sweet kittens.
Charles did not know that he cared more for her
than for the other FIVE dear girls Such things
are ofton detected by an outsider before We are
conscious of our own condition. Probably, but
for the foolish remark of Dora's and the blush on
Myrtie's cheek. and the coming parting from her.
it might have been years before Charley would
ever have sighed and softly breathed her name,
as he did the night before he left home to enter
upon the business of life
The next day, when the hour of parting came
Charley kissed his mother and his three sisters,
and then BERTHE and then Gertie, and then
> but Myrtle drew back
Its only Cholly," said Gertie, and SO said
BERTHE. But it was not till all FIVE of the dear
girls had shamed her we'll that she modestly
turned her cheek and allowed him to touch IL
with his lips Over the bright crimson that
gathered beneath the gentle pressure of his lips
glistened solitary tear. She turned and
quietly withdrew The other girls waved their
handkerchiefs TO Charlie as long as the stage
coach was in sight; but when it passed the bend
in the road they looked at each other in blank
dismay, then fell upon another's necks and
walled and lamented. Seven minutes later the
family conclusion of croQuet rnallets and balls
was heard upon the lawn. and five voices cried
in chorus Il bid for first CO."
When the stage turned the bend in the road
that shut out from sight the old homestead. and
the group OF girls waving fond adieus was seen
no more Charley experienced for the first time
strange feeling for which he did not even know
the name. 1t was dull pain in his throat and
chest and his heart seemed to stop beating for a
moment and to sink from it's proper place. He
learned to know the feeling well in after years.
as, perhaps, have some of US.
Well he went to work, and was too much en-
gagged learning the details of his new business to
have much time to think about the girls but now
and then Doras foolish remark and the blush on
Myrtie's cheek and the tear she shed at parting
: would come back to him, ard he would dream
bright day dreams of the future, and in them she
was ever the central figure.
Once in a while he went hack home, but. for
some reason, he did not seem to enjoy the visit
much Perhaps it was because his time was so
short Perhaps it was because his youngest sis
ter, Fannie, had gone off to boarding school.
He always liked the youngest girls best he said
to his mother. Myrtle was away, too at the
same school with Fannie. The home folks told
wonderful stories of the progress they were
making, and these accounts always interested
him more than any OF the other things they had
to tell him.
He went on working industriously, laying up
little money month by month, and after two
years he was able to purchase a partnership,
though he did not by any means at once become
a rich man. as the girls at home supposed.
new sign was painted, bearing in large Roman
gilt letters the euphonious device, Smith, Job
son d Montgomery"
Jobson was the friend of his father who had
assisted his progress in making start in the
world He and his wife were an aged and child
less couple, and it was, doubt on that &C.
count that they did so much for Charles Smith
the other partner. of those most prom
inent men in the community" Though not
possessed of much education or culture himself
he had taken care to buy large lot of it for his
children His son, De Montaigne Smith, ESQ,
was attending lectures at the Columbia Law
School; and mis- daughter. Miss Clytemnestra
DEM. Smith fClytie for shortl, had inst finished
off at Miss Polygots Private Parlor Seminary
at the time Charles entered the firm.
Having his time more at his disposal now
ne was not at all reluctant to attend Miss ely
ties debut reception. and to pay her some polite
attentions thereafter. He had been working
hard during the last two years. had seen little
of female society. and it was with no little
sense of enjoyment that he entered upon the
mild social designations of the little city in
which he was fast becoming lone of the most
prominent young business men, He met Clytie
at one place and another. took her to little enter
tainments, and soon came<to know her right
well. She was very polite to him.
Clytie WAS a choking vouno womar Che