Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-05-16
SELECTIONS.
OLD BULLIoN'S BRIDE.


Let me see--where was it chat
first met herr Oh, yes, it was unde
the superb arches of High Bridge
boating by moonlight. A globe o
reddish pearl slowly assembled out o
the East-the shadows of the grea
bridge resting softly on the mirror
like surface of the Hudson river; th,
sound of "a flute played softly afal
off, and all of a sudden the keel O
my boat came sharply in contac
with somebody else's oars.
"Hallo, you9" cried out cleal
incisive young voice. "Where ar,
You going tos Why don't you lool
which way you are steeringW
"Charley Dresdenl" cried out
little needing the torrents ofobloquy
he was beginning to heap upon me
"Old Mottimore," he responded
joyously. why, who ON eartl
would have thought of finding you
dreaming on Harlem River. Here
Come into my boat; hitch on your
old craft behind, and let me intro
duce you to Miss Sophy Adriance.n
Hooked as sharply at Miss Sophy
as modesty wonld let me, for
knew that she was the especial ad
miration ofmy friend Charley Dres
den.
She was pretty, slight, round and
rosy, with china-blue eyes, a dimple
in either cheek, and golden brown
hair worn in long, loose curls. There
was something flower-like and deli
cate in her prettiness-something
unconsciously imploring in her way
of lifting her eyes up to your face.
We rowed home together--or, at
least, as far on our way home as the
Harlem River would take us. Sophy
sang little boat ballads. Charley
rOared out tenor barcarelles. even
essayed German student song
which | had learned in Heidelberg
no one knows how long ago, and we
parted the best of friends.
A week afterward Dresden and
met face to face on Wall street.
"Hallo, Mottimore w said Charley,
his honest visage lighting up. "What
do you think of herr"
81 think she is a pearl-a jewel-a
princess among women ~ | answer
ed, with perfect sincerity.
Congratulate me, thenw cried
Charley, beaming all over, "for / am
engaged to herl Only last night!
Look here ~ opening a mysterious
silver case which he took from his
inner vest pocket. "What do You
think of that for an engagement
ring 7"
"a fine diamond" said 1, putting
my head critically on one side ssand
fancifully set"
"We're to be married in October y
said Charley, lowering his voice to
the most confidential tones. at
might have been sooner if | hadn't
undertaken that business in Europe
for our firm. But l shall be sure to
be back by October, and the money
| shall make will be acceptable to-
ward fitting up and furnishing our
new home. Because, you know,
Mottimore, Pm not rich"
| spent an evening with her after
ward at the genteel boarding house
where she and her mOther-a nice,
bright-eyed little woman, the full
blown rose to correspond with Sophy's
budding loveliness-dwelt in the
cosiest of apartments, furnished in
dark blue reps, with turn-up bed
stead, ingeniously disguised as a
high backed sofa, and canaries and
geraniums in the windows.
alt is SO kind Of you to GOMEZ" said
Sophy, with gentle pressure OF the
haad when / went away. 81 am SO
glad to welcome Charley's friends"
And / felt that l could cheertully
sit through another evening of com.
monplace chit-chat and photograph
albums for such a reward as that.
Well, Charley Dresden went away
and as he didn't particularly leave
Sophy Adriance in my charge, I
didn't feel called upon to present N.Y.
self at the genteei boarding house.
/ supposed, naturally enough, that
all was going right, until one day I
receiveda note from my old friend,
Bullion, the banker, man of sixty,
who wears wig and spectacles,and
counts his income upon the double
figures.
Bullion wrote from Saratoga, where
he had gone because he didn't know
what else to do with himself ia the
dull season. He asked me to be his