The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-05-30
AN OLD FRIEND OF PAPA's.

1t was a cold night. | drew my chair
closer to the blazing fire, and rested my
feet on the fender, and gazed with salts.
faction at the miniature reflection of my
comfortable room in the polished knobs
of the andirons. Comfortable. Yes, that
expressed it well. 1t might have been
called elegant had there been woman's
hand to add the graceful finish which a
bachelors apartment always lacks, no
matter how handsome or costly its furni-
ture may be- However, | felt well con-
tented with my quarters, and in spite of
forty years, few gray hairs, and rapid
ly increasing tendency to badness, |
knew that a handsome face and good in
come 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 nay solitude. too much to be
in haste to take upon my shoulders the
responsibilities of married life.
But on this memorable evening there
had come letter from my father. The
dear old man said he was failing Ia mere
notion of his), and his one wish was to
see his only son married and settled be-
fore he departed this life. 1t was only
fair that should humor this fancy of one
who had gratified my every wish since l
was able to ask for anything, so | sat there
mnsing and making up my mind that
the time TO sacrifice my freedom had
come. Perhaps year hence | would
have TO give up my evening smoke; GER
tainly would not be allowed to lounge
about in smoking jacket and slippers,
aud put my feet up on the fender. The
thought gave a finer flavor to my cigar,
and greater air of coziness TO the
room.
had always intended to marry, but |
thought of it only as a duty to be per
formed some time in the dim future, a
long way off However, the time had
come, so it Wis best to have it over quick
ly. passed in review the women ofmy
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 sigh took my feet off
the fender, stretched myself, gave last
look at the roaring logs, and passed into
my dressing-room This will be good
opportunity, / thought, of singing out
what sort of a woman will be likely TO
make me most comfortable, and least
likely to upset my bachelor habits. /
gave well-satisficd look at my face in
the glass as brushed my hair. Few wo-
men would say nay to such reflection,
Joined to solid bank account.
A debutante, or 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 charm
little widow of three-andthirty OF there
abouts BY the time ! was dressed and
ready to start it was after ten, and debu-
tants were in 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 Strains of waltz
greeted me as / reached my destination,
and hurried down stairs from the dress
ing room eager to begin tour of inspec-
ton, to which my late resolve lent now
ell zest My hostess greeted me most cor
daily it seemed to me that mine was
a warmer welcome than that bestowed
upon her guests in general. She was
charming, and it would be a pleasure to
see her sitting opposite at dinner, or en-
tertaining 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 chair
beside bright, clever young girl she
looked pleased as took the vacant seat
and opened lively conversation but
tonight noticed more than ever ten
dency to 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 a 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
him, her voice dropped so that | could
not hear what was being said. Soon |
found myself left wholly to my own en-
tertainment, so took the hint and walk
ed away but not before / had heard the
youth ask, in a stage whisper, Who is
the old party ~
So it had come to that. | strolled into
the conservatory to console myself with
a cigarette after the chill that sentence
gave me, and while wandering up and
down there heard the voice of an old
college chum whom / had not seen for
months. What he was saying could not
hear, and without stopping TO think,
hastily sought the dim end of the con-
seryatory, from which his voice seemed
to come.
"well, old man, am 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 in it again. Instead of the warm re-
ception 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 very pretty young
lady as the small bench upon which they