Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-03-23
AN OLDFRlEND OF PAPA'S.

nv feet on the fender and gazed with
satisfaction at the miniature reflection
Of my comfortable room in the pol
ished knobs of the andirons. Comfort
able? Yes, and expressed it we'll 1t
might have been called elegant had
| there been woman's hand to add to
the graceful finish which bachelor :
apartment always lacks, no matter
how handsome or costly its furniture
NAV be. However, | felt well con
tented with my quarters and IN spite
of forty years, a few gray hairs, and a
rapidly increasing tendency to bald
ness. | knew that handsome face
and good income were things that no
rational woman would despise; so |
had put off the evil day of slavery
from one year to another, and enjoyed
my liberty, my club, and it may be
also my solitude, too much to be in
haste to take upon my shoulders the
responsibilities Of married life.
But in this memorable evening there
had come a letter from my father.
! The dear old man said he was failing
Ca mere notion of his, and his one
wish was to see his only son married
and settled before he departed this
life. 1t was only fair that | should
humor this fancy of one who had graf
flied every wish Of mine since l was
able to ask for anything, so sat there
musing and making up my mind that
the time TO sacrifice my freedom had
come
/ had always intended to marry, but
| thought of it only as a duty to be
performed sometime in the dim future
a long way off. However, the time
had now come, so it was best TO have
it over quickly. | passed in review
the women Of my acquaintance, from
blushing debutantes to those who had
seen nearly as many seasons as myself
but my heart beat no faster as, one
after another, | recalled their faces.
| The clock on the mantel struck nine,
and with u sigh took my feet off the
fender, stretched myself, gave a last
look at the roaring logs, and passed
into nv dressing room. This will be
a good opportunity, thought, of sing
ling out what sort of a woman will be
likely to make me most comfortable,
and least likely to upset my bachelor
habits. | gave well satisfied look at
my face in the glass as | brushed my
hair Few women would say nay to
such a reflection, joined to n solid
bank account.
4 debutante, or a woman OF sense!
There wavered. Would it be best to
take a girl whom | could form, or a
woman of the world who would not
expect too much? Such, for instance,
as Mrs. A, for whose ball | was
dressing a charming little widow OF
three and thirty or thereabouts. BY
the time | was dressed and ready TO
start. it was after ten, and debutants
were i'm the ascendant The first thing
was to pick out the one fancied, and
then to pay her marked attention. |
smiled, thinking how pleased the dear
old man would be to know how soon
all would be settled. Ny hostess
greeted me most cordially; it seemed
! to me that mine was warmer wei
come than that bestowed upon her
guests in general. She was charming
and it would be pleasure to see her
sitting opposite at dinner or enter
tanning ones friends. Yes, the widow
was certainly beautiful woman; per
haps a little too much of the world
worldly; but one cannot have every
thing.
/ passed on, and dropped into a
chair beside bright, clever young girl;
she looked pleased a. took the vacant
seat and opened a lively conversation
! but tonight | noticed more than ever
a tendency 10 defer to me, as if one
must not assert ones self too strongly
in the face of age. 1t irritated me;
surely was not so old as all that!
Presently younger man came up
and took seat on the other side Of
her-a stupid young ass, | thought
him-and it struck ME that | would
be doing her a kindness TO remain and
deliver her from boredom. 1t was
very annoying that whenever she
turned her head to speak to him her
voice dropped so that could not hear
what was being said. Soon l found
myself left wholly TO my own enter
tainment, so | took the hint and
walked away; but not before | had
heard the youth ask, in a stage-whis-
per: who is the old party
So il had come TO that! | strolled
into the conservatory, and while wan
dering up and down there | heard the
voice of ali old college chum whom l
had not seen for months. What he
was saying l could not hear, and with
out stopping to think hastily sought
the dim end Of the conservatory, from
which his voice came.
We'll. old man, ain glad TO find
you once more" " | cried, pushing aside
the branches of some plants which
hid him from view.
Oh, my unlucky star. | had put my
foot into it again. Instead of the
warm reception had counted upon,
there came an awkward pause, in
which it seemed TO me that my friend
was doing his best TO get as far from
a very pretty young lady as the small
bench upon which they were seated