The Wahpeton times., 1888-08-30

= So 5si1 8.
ia, dsnayed and cont dsd mo. u
believe We wsse talking about the,
stars; Miss Cilly was sped king as she
generally did. hepointed out to my
admiring gaze the evening star-the
star oflove. From thencewe digress-
ed to the affections. Miss Cilly's
ideas of love were of the loftiest char
acter. She could surrender all, en-
dure all, accomplish all things for
the object of her love. Ifloved, she
desired no other bliss; if scorned, she
sighed out that she would carry her
love into the grave. She knew that
she never could love more than one
her first love would be her last.
She could not believe in the possibili-
ty of any marriage other than one of
adection-money, poor dross, what
was it, that it should take the place
of the only thing which could render
existence happy? These ideas were
not precisely original. Then Miss
Cilly began to be inquisitive as to my
experience in the tender passion. She
determined to know the object of my
affections. Being O nervous and
bashful man, the state to which q
quarter of an hours cross-examina-
tion reduced me can, perhaps, be inn
agined; l know of no writer who
could depict it. After having OBJ
! tanned thorough and complete infor-
nation as to the substance of every
conversation / had held with any
young woman in town during the
last month, Miss Cilly proceeded
to draw deductions. This was
the climax to my agony, and I
burst forth in Standardization. I
assured Miss Cilly that I had been
nowhere tithe of the times that
had been to see her; that I liked no.
body else as we'll as liked her; and
that if she was determined to declare
me in love with somebody it must be
with herself. I cannot be certain
that these were the words ofmy speech
but they were certainly the intention.
Judge, then, of my horror and con-
fusion, when beheld Miss Cilly first
blush, then draw forth her pocket
handkerchief, and then, in a voice
broken with emotion, reply; "That
she had long thought that Icared for
her a little, but that the shocksof SO
full an announcement of my feeling
was very trying, that she reciprocated
my affection, and was ready to4o for
me all that she had stated befote," of
whichshe now gave an enlarged and
improved edition. ''That my own
heart must tell me what hers felt at
that moment, and must pardon any
inaccuracies in expression;whereu
she subsided into her pocket hand
kerchief. .
I.believe I did the correct thing-I
believe I kissed her hand-I have
heard her say that I appeared en-
raptured. 1t may be, l cannot tell
anything about it. remember moth
ing between the conclusion of her
speech and my finding myself leaning
exhausted against a fence q. quarter
of a mile off. Then the whole horrid
truth burst upon me. With no in
tention of doing SO, with no idea Of
changing my happy state of single
blessedness and peace, had become
an engaged man-another PERSONS g
property-and that other person was
q young woman. sat down quietly
on the grass and reflected. l did not
care that the dew had fallen-itmade
no difference that the night was
damp and the locality swampy;
felt that I couldn't die-that fate
was upon me-that, till that fate was
fulfilled, I could not commit suicide,
catch fever and ague, or anything of
this kind; that fate was to marry
Cilly Busse. / had never looked at
her with matrimonial eye, had
never thought of anything except en-
ioying myself-and how dreadful
were the consequences to be. I be-
gan to think of Miss Cilly Busse's per-
sonal appearance. I doubted
as to the tinge of her hair;
my mind misgave me that her nose
\ turned up; had a decided objection
to her style of chin. Then I shrank
with horror from the thought of lis
tening tor life to Cilly drawing moral
| AAs1-NA"C AOh ONCAJ OOJCSo VI AdOuAC
and art, and letting loose upon me
at unexpected moments small snap
pish pieces Conformation and instruc-
tion. In short, here was hopelessly
and involuntarily betrothed to a
girl whom was rapidly convincing
myself that detested.
walked gloomily home with my
hat very far down upon my ears and
my despair evinced by the depth to
which l buried my hands in my pant
aloons pockets. went to my room
my feelings were too highly strung
to bear the light of q candle; conse-
quently, during the process of retir-
ing for the night, the constant and
unexpected collision of various por-
tions Of my frame with every article
of furniture which had a sharp edge
rather added to my sufferings. I
went to bed and dreamed that l had
successfully emigrated to the Sand
wich Islands. There Ihad just wooed
and won a dusky bride, when her fea-
lures changed into Miss CiIly Busse,
who, grasping me by the hair and
brandishing parchment inscribed
'breach of PROMISE hurried me
again into wakefulness and misery.
dreamed thatI attempted suicide,
but the rope changed into Miss Gil