The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-21

sweetheart, in the kitchen. He had no
doubt whatever that the letter in his
hand was meant for his young lady.
The "bit of a girl" her niece, he still
considered a child, and go with slow and
solemn steps he made his way to Miss
Eastman's own room, raped on the
door, opened it and entered on tiptoe.
miss Cora" said he in an awful whis-
per, master Sarnslwell-I mean MI.
Wadleigh-tould me to give you this
quite private, and to be particular about
it."
"Thank you, William" said Miss East
man, and when he was gone she sat
looking at the envelope rather dismally.
At last she opened and read it.
II thought so,' she commented, with
a little groan.
On the evening he had appointed in his
letter Mr.. Wadleigh rang the door bell
e little apprehensively. He had a
carnation in his buttonhole and a big
bouquet in his hand.
William opened the door. His smile
was confidential.
"Miss Cora said if you would take a
safe in the library she'd you in a
few minutes" he whispered, and Mr..
Wadleigh entered the library. Here all
was very quiet and no callers would
intrude. Here he would learn his fate.
"And why should I fear it?' he asked,
surveying himself in the glass over the
ma~ntelpiece. Yet all the same he was
conscious of a certain tremor. rather
inward than outward, and his ears
burned.
Ten minutes at least were Given him
in which to quiet himself. Then a door
opened at the end Of the library and a
figure entered-Cora. He started up
and advanced toward it. 1t was Cora
certainly, but not the one he expected
not his new love, but his old. He
stopped-stood stiIl. She advanced: she
held his letter in her hand. It suddenly
dawned. upon him that William had
made a mistake.
pray be seated said Miss Eastman,
and he was very glad to sit down.
Il beg" said the lady, ''that you will
give me q little time. I can not formu-
late my ideas as I desire to. p
"Oh, take time, take timer said he,
and walked away to the window.
1t was all up with him, he felt. She
would shortly exclaim, Samuel, I am
yours!' and perhaps fall into his arms.
All the mistaken spinsters and widows in
the plays did that, and he must make up
his mind to it. There had been a tacit
engagement between them. IT had never
been broken off. He had written to
Cora Eastman. She was Cora Eastman.
Nothing could alter that, and he could
not injure and insult her. After all,
she was a nice little woman, and Of the
proper age for his wife.
She was pretty still, she was good.
He had not the strength of mind to get
out of this fix, unless it had been bad
enough to warrant him in cutting his
throat. And at this moment she spoke.
Samuel" she said-she had not called
him Samuel since his return-s'Samuel,
l have found words at last. Come
here"
He came and sat down in a great chair
opposite her.
"You can't tell how / feel,'' said she.
''You tell me I must have expected this
letter, but I did not. I thought you had
forgotten. IL you had said a word-one
word. l was very constant for years,
but time has an influence. I've altered;
SO have you. / did not know you when
! first saw you, but still had I guessed
! should have thought it my duty to try
Lit must come out somehow. I
am engaged to be married to our pastor,
Mr.. Sweetsmile, and I feel that I have
chosen for my happiness. Don't feel too
bad, Samuel. will always be a sister
to you"
Ten minutes before this Mr.. Wadleigh
would have fancied that he must rejoice
at this termination of their meeting.
Here he was out Of his dilemma, free
again. All he had to do was to bow,
look grave, accept the position of friend
and brother, and retire gracefully; but,
after all, he had been refused, and he felt
angry. He had been informed that he
was no longer an Adonis, and he was
hurt; and somehow Cora, in her excite
ment under the influence of emotion,
and in the shadows Of the library, looked
SO charming that some portion of his old
love sprung to life again. Now that he
knew he could not get her, and that
some one else wanted her, she became
desirable.
81 am an idiot" he said aloud, and
Cora answered:
"Oh, dear, no! I shall always remem-
Der your truth and constancy very ten
He bowed and took his hat. He
bowed again and retired to the door. As
he went along the passage to the central
hall Of the large house he heard the
door open.
William, where is auntieg" said Cora's
I'm the library" said William. "But
you go there. Mr.. Samuel is in
offering of hisself. Poor gentle
man, I'm afraid it's the day after the
fair; but such is life"
Then Cora giggled and ran upstairs.
Mr.. Wadleigh proposed to the
youngest Miss Eastman. Later he mar
ried a snowy widow who admired him
intensely. She had no young Samuel
.adleigh with hyacinthine locks and
slender waist to compare him with, and
still Mrs. Sweetsmile keeps a little for
ring in a little Russia leather
box and looks at it sometimes,