Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-01-22
Mr. WALDEMAR' CHOICE
by GERALDINE FLEMING.

Mr.. Nathan Waldemar had determin-
ed to marry. He had IN abundant in
come. his tastes inclined TO the do
nestle, and he began TO feel that the
prims OF his youth was behind him.
Yet he was not at all old. There were
no silver threads among the glossy locks
of his always neatly chopped bro an
hair; his un wrinkled and rather hand
some features were still almost boyishly
round and jolly.
What lady TO select he bad not yet
quite decided. He would like her TO be
comely and winsome and accomplished
OF course; but above all things she must
be dignified and sensible, economical
and thrifty.
He greatly admired Miss Althea
Vernon, the stately daughter Of the
agreeable lady with whom be boarded.
Miss Alihea, with her high bred coun'
tenance, her regal manners, her elegant
toilets, her judiclous say iDgs, seemed
Mite perfection.
But perhaps she was too perfect;he was
rot sure he could, be transcendently
happy with q spouse whose superiority
won Id be O too vivid reproach 10 his
own small human faults aud defects.
He hal All immense admiration for
Miss Althea but, all the same. he had
| q somewhat haunting regard for little
Cherrie, who WAS Vernon without the
high bred Vernon dignity, and who
was niece Of the agreeable boarding
mistress.
Little Cherrie Was dark as gypsy,
as b.iths az = robin In June, as simple
~ q kitten, and az shy as wild fawn.
/ Her big black eyes had thrilled him
oitener than no would have cared to
admit but she was not At all his ideal
and be WAS bot the sors of man 10 be
swa. ed by sentimental impulses--ht
was too clear OF brain, TOO sound Of
Judgment, too dispassionate of heart
And he would only make prudent
marriage he would only wed one who
could discreetly spare and spend his In
come, one who would dignity his home
ons who would never harrow him with
childish prapks.
"IfI were little richer or che wers 1
little more sensitls, l might not hest
tats," he confessed to his circumspec
lself. "But / must have u wife VIII
will be sed ate and digniHed, and VIII
will know the worth and use o
! money"
THAT Cberrie is the most idle ant
wasteful girl in The whole world" Mis-
Althea had Just remarked In her Ian
suid, high. b. ed manner OF animadver
sion. "She insists on tuying q dres
(which size doesn't need NJ all and
she really did need anything of tn
kind she might save the money-sh
Icould have my sky.blue satin, and
could be made as good AZ new, II sh
were not TOO idle to fix IL over"
, Being man. and not being versed II
the art OF Worth, he did not kno'
sky blue satin-even II eminently bt
looming to q pink.and white blonde
. might be hideously the opposite TO tn
/ dark gypsy face AID sloe. black eyes @
0 the pretty Cherrie. However, he had
: vague feeling that perhaps Cherrie wa
. to DO commented for declining tho cas-
/. of costume OF the elegant cousin who's
). home she shared.
Miss Cherrie has suffi cieDt fortune
perhaps, TO be IA prodigsl as she likes?
said he, so much ashamed of the tents
I Tive question that he dared not lift b
! lipquisitive eyes from the skein Of Gu
u broidery silk which Miss Altbe
: was untangliug over his gallant lin
gers.
fortune st al" the young lady sale
"a with an air of pity for his deplofab
n ignorance " Mamma pays her Il
v helping with the work about the hous
lust as we should pay any person &c
3 such services"
q "And the sky-blue satin woul
;. lequaliZe her wages for q month, PEI
* haps," he again commented, with a
lodd curiosity again concealed by b
y Extraordinary attention TO the skein I
u tangled silk.
"She ought to be willing to take
that way" Miss Althea concurred, vii
an air OF injury. But Cherrie 10 |
silly and contrary. The dress 10 such
lovely thing, too. and 1t cost more tbs
we should pay q servant for yea
And i never wore It but ouoe-tl
night we went to the Armory Ball, M
there was q thunder storm comir
And my plate Of turtle soup ",
over your shoulder" he int
Jected, with his jolly laugh.
And somebody wAltzed through N
train aud carried the torn fiounces Q
most across the room," said Miss A
a. thea, laughing too.
To- And somebody else baptized "
ii with an entire bottle OF claret,"
n again interpolated.
AZ &1hN u "oo aEOuCuou WIN ING ia
MT before our cab WAS fetched" she sal
ID Do you remember what fright L WI
n as coming home, mr.. Waldemar 2"
,rs Mr.. Waldemar remembered very di
on tinctly. He remem bered Miss Alth
IS looked so luRubrious fright that
ID, presented her with costly serpen
o o, bracelet, as q soothing compensate
on for q sky-blue satin dress utterly OF
irreparably ruined-the valuable DIRE
which the silly Cherrie was too contrGl
/ to accept.
vi Perhaps Miss Althea would hay
avoided such diverting reminiscence
liz she could have surmised that q
Idiyersion would somewhat lessen b
, admiration for her maLy perfe
., tions.
But then he would not care to havs
IL. wife too perfectl and he certainly q
a. oAf hetff SwhtNh hi