The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-01

case of some of us these may have been more engrossipg than exhilAFating. Pole looked as solemn as a judge, and hardly opened his lips the whole time. When we had seen the ladies home, and were walking away arm in arm, he began to remonstrate with me.
 say. old chap, aren't you rather overdoing this?'
 Mot in the least," replied decisively you can't overdo thing of this kind. 1 lave an object before me, and pursue that object. You ought to be admiring my thoroughness, instead of perpetually grumbling" Aud then, as did not wish to prolong the discussion, hailed a pass ing hanson and said Good night"
 The fact of the matter was that Poles warning was only too justi6able. was conscious that was indeed overdoing it nay, that had already overdone it, and had committed myself to line of conduct the possible consequences of which were too painful to contemplate. suppose a good many readers will smile when they hear what it was that caused me to spend an almost sleepless night. Well, can't help it they must smile. All can say is that if they had been in my place, the same conviction would have been forced upon them that was forced upan me, have stated before that, in forming my little stratagem, had no thought of in- spring lady with sentiments which | was unable to reciprocate, nor any sus- picion that so lamentable result would occur Yet, of course, it might occur; and remembering Mrs. Wilkinson's agi- sA nN t@A | feared-l greatly feared-that it actually had occurred This was what thought about during the silent watches of the night and must say that 1t made me dreadfully unhappy.
 went to call upon her next day, and my worst apprehensions were at once confirmed. The slight pressure of the hand with which sNe welcomed me; her questioning glance her somewhat forced gayety; the vibration of her voice all, all combined to tell the same sad tale, and to show me beyond the possibility of doubt that, in trying to extricate my friend from an awkward predleament, l had got into far more awkward one myself Far more awkward, because | was now convinced that Mrs. Wilkinson had never been in love with Pole. Sue would have consented to marry him, perhaps, on account of her loneliness :; but at the worst it was only her pride that would have suffered by h;s assertion of her Pole must surely have been able to see that much for himself; yet he had felt very strongly, and still continued to feel, that, after having paid Mrs. Wilkin. son marked attention, he was bound in honor to propose to her. And if he was bound to take that course, what, in the name of gracious goodness, was l bound to do? q do not" said certain pom pous radical polili clan, speaking in the house about tais time, upon forget what question connected with army matters - "I do not envy the feelings with which the honorable member for Weehampton must recall at night the reiterated mis- representations of which he has been guilty during the day"
 was unable to join in the laughter that greeted this burst of censure. l dare say you den't," thought l, and you would envy them still less if you only knew what they were !"
 prefer not to dwell upon the truly wretched period of three weeks during which was tossed upon the ocean of fate and driven hither and thither by baffi,ng winds. Like the unfortunate persons described by Byron, the magnet I of my course was gone, or only pointed in vain the shore to which my shiver'd sail should never stretch again" I allude to the quiet shore of celibacy) An, yes! ] knew, though tried not to know, whither was drifting. couldn't see my way out of it; couldn't help becom ng more and more lover-like in my manner to- ward Mrs. Wilkinson; couldn't help stammering and looking guilty when Pole roundly accused me of being his rival. To carry on the novel imagery with which began ihis paragraph, 1 may say that had given up all attempt at scien- tihc navigation, and that probably no man was ever more hopelessly out of his reckoning since St. Paups celebrated Mediterranean cruise.
 "Poie." said one day to my friend, with dismal jocularity, "can you take an observation P
 "No," he replied, "l can't. But can make an observation and willp
 Pray don't" interrupted. "You needn't; it's quite unnecessary. know what you want to say, and you are per- fectly right. have been m 4dly, crimin- ally rash, and have come to howilng griet But at least il doesn't lie in your mouth to blame me"
 Doesn't i,r' said he; "I'm not so sure of that" And he walked off with his hands in his pockets and his head bent
 Well, after all, light dawned upon me at last, and was able to shape course Somehow or other, in the midst of all my misery had not been quite so miserable as by rights ! ought to have been, and this struck ne as a singular phenomenon, which might repay investigation. sat me down, looked things in the face, and said to myself, why not ? What if Mrs. Wilkinsons husband had been a pork- butcher, or her father a swindler? What if she had no father at all, to speak off She herself was charming-I found her more charming every day-and my case was not like Poles. am no, a county