Milford chronicle., 1885-01-09
NOT so BAD, AFTER ALL.

Con Creighton had got himself into Q
scrape, and, man-llke, had no very
definite idea how he was to get out oft.
Last winter, in a flush Of enthusiasm.
he had rewarded Emily Cumminqs's
seraphic smiles by an offer of his hand
and fortune, and she, having been for
months an earnest competitor accepted
the prize with . show Of tenderness that
YVES perfect in its way.
She was belle and beauty, but, to
give the poor fellow his due, he was not
very much In love himself, and had
moreover, a faint heeting notion that his
100000 had more to do with her ac.
ceptaace than any purely personal
merit of his own.
However, the marriage in all human
probability would have taken plfoe and
my little love story been entirely pipped
in the bud, had it not been for the grim
hand OF fate, which beckoned the unfor
tunate Con to a little watering-place. on
fishing excursion ostensibly, but in
reality to fall in love with pretty little
Mabel Gordon.
Fle met her at some village catherine.
and it being a fixed principle of his ia
attach himself to the prettiest girl in the
room, he IN the present case adhered to
his purpose with a rigidity which would
have been extremely amusing only that
it soon became serious, for after two or
three meetings had followed the rustic
soiree, Master Con was fairly infatuated,
and innocent Mabel began to think that
her ideal hero had stepped out from his
"castle in the air" and taken earthly
lodgings forever and ever more.
For a week the dream was bright and
undisturbed; then Con began to feel un-
comfortable.
With the prospect of being married to
one girl in a month, he was hardly dis
honorable enough to propose the same
course with another; but being neither |
very clever nor original, he couldn't see
the slightest loophoIe. So, by way of |
perhaps, he fingered on at
Mabels side; and she, poor child. was
happy even in the uncertainty.
OF course people talked, as they al
ways do talk and some, more daring
than the rest, encompassed Con, and
looked unutterable things as they spoke
1f Mabel's parentage.
Lives with her father and mother?
Oh, yes. But they don't happen to be
ler father and mother. She is their
daughters daughter and as to who was
Ter father-well, we don't know. and
he Blalrs take care to give us no in
Then Con was aWfully angry.
He was Just young enough to be
1uixotic, and, of course, he wanted to
marry her, shame or no shame: to take
lis little star-faced angel to himself for
vermore-to transplant his little field
aisy to a more luxurious soil.
''By Jove but this is a cheering
Grape. Those Cummingses will be after
le like vultures; but all 1 know is that
II never have a wife if I don't get
label Gordon.
So, with trembling determination, he
ent into her presence-pretty Mabel,
ith her white face appraised and her
ondrous hair falling around her like I
Orious golden cloud
81 thought you would come" she
I'D, shyly, the color family flushing 1
n fair cheeks. And then, though I
lture hadn't made him so, Con felt n
ore utterly foolish than ever. . =
Gas if I could stay away p he an
Tered, half reproachfully; then added, a
.thetlcally, cat least if have to, for y !;
n going away in day or two. 's
l suppose Mabel had the natural CO.
Iettishness of her sex; but at that par .
'ular moment it deserted her entirely. y
Or eyes wandered down the road and "
Q leaned more heavily than ever St
ainst the garden gate.
"Oh, are you? ?" very faint and tremu- u
IS. she murmured. O'
Yes; but III come back again if any y y
e wants me" =
She stole one quick glance at him Nd
m under her doWncast lids.
DO you want me, Mabel? Shall I oi
ne back to you p ea
No answer came from the parted lips,
think he knew she wanted him,
, leaning over the garden gate, he I'e
,wered her silence by saying, every ~
j, dear, I'll be back in very little Or
lie and you will be waiting for me, w
ut you2" sh
t was not very definite to say the TO,
It of It. ~
my other girl would have preferred a f.
re lucid proposal, but poor little Ma r.,
had one Of those rare natures which svi
satisfied to give all and take almost en-
hing-to love pre-eminently, perfect bs
and receive in return a trifing need wi
fection. =,
he world doesn't contain a great al
y like her, and ], for one, am heart 60,
glad. -,
think the women who hold their Ii.
F, and anything else they can get, are ten
more preferable; but then earth and IN