The Wahpeton times., 1888-08-30

so disinte teFestedly, Of course / could
do nothing less than take his advice
in this respect, as we'll as other things,
though it went sorely against my in
clination. The impatience with which
l awaited dispatch from Harry,
was much augmented by my usual
daily occupation being taken away.
A week passed with no news; two
more days of anxiety dragged their
heightened hours along; but, on the
tenth Il received q note which reused
me at once. 1t said:
DEAR GnEENE-Come down at once. and
quietly: oil is right, so far. When you arrive
will give you your instructions.
Yours. HIS.
That Lilyville stage ought to have
been lighter by a hundred weight
than the one in which had departed
from the village-that being about
the difference in the weight of nv
heart. Harry was waiting for me,
and carried me straightway to his
lodgings. There he gave me an in
sight into the state of affairs.
Harry was handsomer than I; he
was, also, richer; so he appealed more
forcibly to the foibles of, both young
and old. He called upon the Buses:
he was devoted to Miss Cilly; his
manners We're grand, yetmelancholy;
his conversation romantic and poeti-
cal. Need it be said that the win
dow-seat again had two occupants;
that the stars were again made to
impart brilliance to Miss Cilly's con-
versation? Her intellectual resour-
ces again did good service. Harry
was constant in his attentions; he
was her slave. When matters had
almost reached their consummation,
and Harry had found himself, several
times, artfully drawn to the very
verge of proposal, only re-
serving himself by great pres
ence of mind, was recalledto
the scene of action. The crisis had
arrived, the forces were marshalled,
the moment of victory or defeat drew
near. That evening Harry went
again to the Buses. I gave him
half an hour to get the elders out of
the room, and then followed. The
hall door was opened; Ipassed silent
ly into the parlor, and there. in that
very window where Miss Cilly had
owned herself mine,1 discovered her
in the arms of Harry Sinclairl
Though this was exactly what I
wished and expected, yet for the mo-
ment, my Indignation at Cilly's faith
lessness cvercame every other feeling.
/ groaned out her name. Cilly
started-for q moment seemed in
clined to rush out of the room; but,
apparently doubling the advisabillty
OF leaving her two lovers together,
she remained.
"Mr. Greene" said she, "this intru.
sion" =
eyes, SIR" said Sinclair, ''allow me
to ask when it became customary for
acquaintance to walk into houses
without ringing at the door?"
"Acquaintances, sir? Ask that lady
if I have not q little betterright than
an acquaintance; yes, sir, q better
right than you to be tete-a-tete with
that lady, to say nothing of more in
innate terms" ':
Cecilia" said Harry, with the
most admirably acted horror, sis
this true? Are you betrothed to Mr..
Greene?"
"No need to question, sir. Here
renounce oil claim upon her hand;
her heart seems to have departed
from me already. Farewell, Cecilia
false one-for-ever-!"
With these words, spoken with an
anguish of manner which, for the
moment, was almost real, I rushed
frantically from the room. had
not gone very far, however, when
Harry joined me Then we were both
SO overpoweredby by the recollection of
our dramatic efforts that we leaned
against the fence and shookit with
laughter. 1t was the same place
where l had formerly carried my de-
spair.
"Well," said Harry, "I think that
young woman has had a lesson
against flirting with two people at
once. AS soon as you went out Ide-
livered to her q small sermon ON the de-
ceit of which she had been guilty;
told her that my confidence had de-
parted; that the words which l had
been about to utter when you enter
ed, had been driven from my heart.
In short, I backed out, in the same
frantic style with which you made
your exit. You did that very we'll
Greene-very well-would have q fine
effect upon the stage. Are there any
fried oysters to be obtained in this
quiet little place? Emotion makes me
hungry"
Next morning I awoke with fran
tic headache and q vague feeling of
remorse. Every other sensation,
however, was swallowed up in the
horrible agony produced by the fol-
lowing epistle:
DEAR GREENE-I hope you appreciate the
disinterestedness ofmy devotion to you.
have freed you of your disagreeable eagage-
ment and left you q free man once more I
hope your love for Rose Maryland is IL merely
imaginary sensation, us that young lady is,
and has been for some time, engaged to
Yours very sincerely,
HARRY SINCLAIR
Rose wants to know If you would like to be
groomsman next week?
There is no need of my describing
my feelings at such barefaced treach-
cry. Of course l was not grooms-
man. I hope there's a gray mare
in Mr.. Harry Sinclair establishment.