San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-22
AN ENGAGED MAN

YOUNG Gallivant Spooner could never
sufficiently regret the day when he made
an offer of marriage to Miss McSnarey.
She was daughter of that rough old GUS
toner, Captain McSnarey, late of the
Indian navy, and was a young woman
in whom strength of will and determine
ton to get a husband predominated con-
siderably over feminine charms and
graces of person. What had made
Spooner propose to her at all was a mys-
terry to the young mans friends; indeed,
it was more or less a mystery to himself.
But he was a weak minded, compliant
young fellow, and Jane McSnarey had
him all to herself for three weeks m
summer, in a quiet country watering
place, whittier she and her father had
designedly pursued him.
Yet, with all this, it is doubtful
whether he would have been drought
up to the scratch" had not Captain Nc
Snarey, a truculent old ruffan, of whom
Spooner stood in great bodily fear, an
nounced his intention-in a general way
and without reference to particular per-
sons-of horsewhipping any man whom
he should find trifing with his daugh-
ter's virgin affections. Quite as much
urged by this threat as allured by Miss
McSnarey's destinations, Spooner pro-
pounded the momentous question, and
received from her faltering lips a bash.
full affirmative.
But as time went on and young
Spooner betrayed no anxiety to consum-
mate his happiness by marriage, Miss
McSnarey grew impatient, and she more
than once limited to her fiance that it
was now high time to start housekeep-
ing. The young man, however, ignored
these hints, except when they were very
strong indeed, and then he pleaded vari-
Gus excuses for delay. The fact was the
better he knew Miss McSnarey the less
he relished the prospect of marrying her,
and though conscious that the dreaded
day of their union must come at last, he
determined to put it off as long as he
possibly could.
In this determination Spooner was
loudly applauded by his bachelor friends,
among whom his engagement was a
standing joke; more especially as he
was always boasting of his conquests
over other girls-notably over one or
two with whom he had entered into cor
respondence, "just for the fun of the
thing" in answer to some advertise
ments in The Matrimonial Herald.
Whether these conquests were all Sc
complete as Spooner represented them to
be, his friends were not unreasonably
disposed to doubt. But, a. his braggart
stories we're decidedly amusing, they
affected for the most part a solemn be-
lief in them, and took a malicious pleas
ure in drawing the self satisfied young
fellow out. One day at the club Dick
Bolus, an intimate acquaintance, strolled
up to him with a newspaper in his hand.
swell, Spooner," he inquired, with a
confidential wink, ''got anything on in
the matrimonial line just now-eh"
Nothing" replied Spooner, except
my standing engagement with Miss Nc.
Snarey. You see," with a languid, blase
air, which he was very fond of assum-
ing, "the girls are all very well for a
bit. but when a chap has had as much Of
'em as 1 have, they o begin to pail,
don't you known
"Well, you should be able to speak
with authority on that subject, if any
body can," answered Bolus. "And, in.
deed, I've always heard that love is a
very-what dye call 'em-ephemeral
sort Of affair, but when there's money in
the case it must make constancy to the
young lady a very good deal easier,
mustn't it,"
Certainly, dear boy" returned Spoon,
er with an air of ~patronizing experience.
"But of what are your remarks apropos:
Are you intending to swallow a 'gilded
pill by any chance?"
BOlus shook his head despondingly.
"No such luck!' he said. "But I've
just read such a ripping advertisement
in The Standard, here-inserted by a
beautiful young lady with five thousand
dollars a year!"
"Why not answer it, them" asked
Spooner.
sit would be no go for me, I'm afraid"
answered Bolus, because" with a conf.
cal downward glance at his own short,
round person, "the gentleman is to be
tall and of a military figure. But it
might do for you, old fellow; for you are
tall and rather of the military cut, es-
pecially since you've taken to having the
shoulders of your coats padded"
"You forget that I'm already en-.
gagged" rejoined Spooner, with a sickly
smile.
"Oh, never mind that" cried his
friend lightly. "You might enter into