Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-03-09
A SHATTERED IDOL.
Why Hatty Hyde Still Keeps Her
Maiden Name.


But came very near getting married
last spring, and this is how it hap
peued
L am thirty-five and not absolutely
ugly; at least when look in the glass
see reflected there n good. fresh COM
plexion, sparkling hazel eyes and an
abundance of brown hair. / might
have married two or three times, only
/ wasn't really in love. i dare saw YOU
don't believe this, but can show the
letters of declaration up in my writing
desk now--oid Squire Pease. Rev. Mr..
Poppelthorne and DR. Richford So
there
But when Clarence Raymond. bar
rister, came down TO spend the vaca-
ton with his aunt, Mrs Richford-you
see, the doctor married. after all.
wife much more suitable in point of
mature years than could have been,
and didn't care. not II must confess
to little womanly fiutter around the
heart for he was tall and handsome.
and, in short, just the hero of romance
that had always dreamed about
'Hatty," said Mrs. Richford-we
were quite confidential friends. YOU
see, and called one another Hattv and
-
books and all that sort of thing-"Hat-
ty, l think Clarence rather fancies
you"
do you?" said 1, feeling the tell-tale
bushes come into my face, and my
heart began to thump beneath the
pretty lace tucker of ValencIennes and
pink ribbon that 1 had taken to wear
ing every day.
t..,. II =.
ford; and how nice il viii be to have
you for a cousin"
That evening Clarence asked me IL /
would marry him, and, of course, i
said yes"
1t was very nice to be engaged. lie
gave me n lovely cameo ring, choicer
and more antique than any diamond
could have been-it had been his
mothers ring, he said-and he re-
peated the most delicious poetry and
vowed that it expressed the very senti-
ment of his heart. And we had wan
behring's in the cool, fern-scented wood
and moonlight talks on the veranda,
and began TO wonder whether /
should be married in white satin or a
dove-colored dress.
One evening, just after Clarence had
returned to his unavoidable engage
ments in town, Uncle Nathan came to
visit me-
Uncle Nathan was one of those
people of whom we are apt to ask, in
common with mosquitoes and flies:
why were they ever crcated?" He
was a venerable old gentleman with
long silver hair that fell over the col
lar of his bottle-green coat and cloth
CATERS that irresistibly reminded one
of black pussy cat and he took snuff
and talked through his nose.
Harriet" said Uncle Nathan, sis
this truep"
''ls what true, Uncle Nathan?"
'All this fol-de-rol about your being
engaged TO man ten years younger
than yourself. Harriet, Harriet /
thought you had better senseg'
Its only five years. Uncle Nathan"
said /, pouting. "And / suppose 1 can
get engaged without sending TO my
relations for a permit"
Harriet, this Is not subject 20 be
hippant about" said Uncle Nathan
"You may depend upon it that this
young man is a mere fortune hunter
You have property Harriet, and he has
found IL out"
"Uncle," cried. starting up "I will
not listen tamely 20 such aspersions on
the character of one who"
"My dear. my dear, don't get ex-
cited" said the intolerable old gentle
man, tapping upon the lid of his silver
snuff box. "You are not child, Har-
riet not vet sentimental schoolgirl.
Let's talk the matter calmly ever +"
II J..Isr. o. Ill.,. "A - -.
dignifed reply "My mind Is made
up, and no amount Of meddling inter
ference will ever induce me 10 alter It,
So my Uncle Nathan went away,
silver snuff box, pussy CATERS and all.
and sat down 90 make out a memo
randum Of the things / should require
for my wedding outfit
For ] had resolved not 90 buy my
things at tire little shops In Buttercup
Hollow, but 10 make a special Journey
20 London on that business An, the
delight of reveling over counters full
Of choice filmy laces, pillows Of bridal
silk, oceans of tulle. 10 brought the
color 90 my cheek only 10 think OF 70.
And, besides, was IL not necessary that
Clarencc's wife should have all that
custom required? / didn't care for
myself so much, but l was determined
not to disgrace Clarence.
So. one radiant September day,
when the sky was a. blue as the bluest
ribbon, and the very leaves hung mo
tionlese in the yellow atmosphere like
little ships at anchor in a sea OF gold,
took the early train from Buttercup
Hollow, with a purse full Of money
buttoned into an under pocket Of my
polonaise. for had read all sorts OF
horrid stories about pickpockets, and
didn't mean 90 part with any of my
crisp bank notes except for value re-
ceived.
felt a little hustered at first, and
scarcely ventured 10 look around me;
Tor u seemed az " everybody must
Know that was going TO buy my we'd
ding outfit