Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-23

One Gay about three in The afternoon. q
mlddleaged gentleman ran up the steps of
. handsome house, In q handsomer city
street. and asked the servant WHO opened
me door 1t Misc Neville was at home. Be-
ing answered in the Affirmative he sent Ia
nls card. Written uponit wa this name
William Belmore.
The servant having shown him into the
tront psrlor took the card up stairs, and re-
turned with the information that Miss Ne.
vile would be down in q moment" and in
q moment Miss Neville herself entered. She
was q beautiful young woman, Of three-and.
twenty. She was dressed stylishly and bore
herself with an air that told she wa used to
society.
She heidi her hand q newspaper, around
which was g folded wrapper, directed to her,
sch, which she had taken from the hall table
as she passed. She had only glanced at the
direction, and a. yet had not opened il.
That paper was myself had Just arrived
from Washington.
AT her entrance, Mr.. Belmore arose and
advanced, holding out his hand. She gave
him hers, which be certainly kept q moment
or 50 longer than was necessary. He was a
tall, WelEbailt man enough, Of fifty years of
age, with gray sidewhiskers and q high
nose.
OF course as a newspaper. and one de-
voted to fashionable intelligence, / have q
great experience In love affairs. / saw at a
glance that Mr.. Belmore wa in love with
Miss Neville, and that be intended to offer
her his hand and heart at some time. After
they had conyersed awhile, / knew that he
had resolved to do it that very day. She
knew il, too, when he had remarked:
MY dear Miss Neville, have something
very particular to say to you"
He began By telling that she was her
beautiful Then he told her that he loved
her. Then he mentioned the amount of his
property and real estate, and asked her if
she would marry him.
She thanked him in q very welLarranged
speech, at the end OF which she declined his
offer.
When she had done this there was silence.
Mr.. Belmore broke it BY an inquiry:
Would she ever change her mind?
Might he not hope that having thought his
offer over, she would view it in q better
EghtY'
She replied that it was not a question Of
time, and that she certainly should not
change her mind. She hoped, however, that
he would always be her friend.
AT that he grew very angry, though he
tried not to appear so; and IN q moment he
arose to 60.
She bowed him to the psrlor door, and
he ven out into the hall, into the vestibule,
and to the front door. There a new lock,
which was the torment of every stranger,
bafled him. He stood q prisoner between
two doors, vainly struggling to open either
of them for Eve minutes.
In this space Of time Miss Neville had
seated herself in a great armchair, and
taken me out Of my wrapper. As soon as
she did so, her eye rested on q paragraph,
on each side of which were paced Two pen
~cilbraekets.
There we're not fifty words between them,
but as she read l felt myself begin to trem.
bic IN her hands.
as it possible she cried, aud tears arose
to her eyes; and Just then q faint sound in
the hall attracted her attention.
Mr.. Belmore had managed to open the
inner door and stood at that of the parlor.
Il beg q thousand pardons, Miss Neville"
he said, "but / cannot manage to-to get
out of the house as rapidly as, doubtless,
would be agreeable to you"
He was very angry by this time, and the
marks Of two redhot tears Of rage and
grief-middlesged tears-were on his
cheeks. / don't know whether she saw
them, but he noticed those in hers and the
change in her face.
Il regret that l should have distressed
- IL NT kA-Al a. ,nEA
you as happy as q different answer would
have made me"
AS he spoke she put me down IN the
table and advanced to him.
Would 3 different answer have made
you happy said she.
That / asked the question is sufficient
proof of that" said he.
Then be happy" said she, and held out
her hand.
l never saw so happy a man since l was
q newspaper.
BE took her hands and put them to his
lips.
IF it had not been for the door lock, my
dear" he said, how miserable / should be
at this moment! Bless the door lockl The
angels must have been watching over me
when l grew so stupid over it-eh, dsr-
ingT
Il am glad you came back" said she.
"And don't cry. It's all over. l did not
go away" said he.
Just let me cry 8 little while" said she.
what has happened to-day will never
happen again" you know. 1t is only for
once"
"Yes, it's not likely to be done over
again" said be. "Aud to think | might
have gone of. Thy always told ms that
ladies said no when they meant yes but
/ did not believe il until to-day"
And, after . while, he took bis leave, vel
satisfied.
They are married now, and he oAen
speaks OF that day. BE says that but for
the door-lock he might have been a miser-
able bachelor; for he never should have
asked her q second time for what she had
once refused. She always smiles on him
when he says that. All the world knows
the story Of the doorlock, and how she
changed her mind while he wa opening it,
and t is quite amusing and romantic; but
no one knows about me. / Am quite an old
paper now, for l bear date 1872. l lie in q
little box, in which are a photograph, four
letters and . ring. The box is always
locked, but the penciled brackets have not
faded out yet; and between them lie these
words:
One Of the most elegant weddings Of the
season took place yesterday at St --s
Church, where Captain Leslie RsWden was
united in the holy bonds of mstrimony to
the young and beautiful society belle, Miss
Eva La Croix, the heiress Of one of our
most wealthy merchants, Mr.. c. La Croix.
The happy pair have started upon 8 tour to
Europe.
The letters on the inside Of the ring are
FL R. to A. n"