Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-05-11
A SHATTERED IDOL.
Why Hatty Hyde Still Keeps Her
Maiden Name.

Maiden Name.
My name is Hatty Hyde. People
call me an old maid-or at least not q
young one-and intend to remain so.
But l came very near getting married
last spring, and this is how 1t hap
pened:
l am thirty-fve and not absolutely
ugly; at least when l look in the glass
see reflected there good, fresh COM
plexion, sparkling hazel eyes and an
abundance of brown hair. l might
have married two or three times, only
l wasn't really in love. I dare say you
don't believe this, but can show the
letters of declaration up in my writing
desk now-old Squire Pease, Rev. Mr..
Poppelthorne and DR.. Richford- So
therel
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. q
wife much more suitable In point Of
mature years than i could have been,
and didn't care, not IL must confess
to little womanly dutter around the
heart, for he was tall and handsome,
and, in short, just the hero of romance
that 1 had always dreamed about
"Hatty," said Mrs. Richford-we
were quite confidential friends, YOU
see, and called one another Hatty and
Pamela and borrowed each others
books and all that sort of thing-"Bat-
ty, l think Clarence rather fancies
you"
"Do your" said 1, feeling tho telI-tale
bushes come into my face, and my
heart began to thump beneath the
pretty lace tucker of Valenciennes and
pink ribbon that I had taken to wear
ing every day.
II am certain Of IT," said Mrs. Rich
ford; 'and how nice it will be to have
you for a cousin"
That evening Clarence asked me II I
would marry him, and, of course,
said yes"
1t was very nice to be engaged. He
gave me 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.
derings in the cool, fern scented wood
and moonlight talks ON the veranda,
and l began to wonder whether I
should be married in white satin or \
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 created?" He
was venerable old gentleman with
long silver hair that fell over the col
lar of his bottle-green coat and cloth
CATERS that irresistibly reminded ono
OF black pussy cat, and he took snuff
and talked through his nose.
Harriet" said Uncle Nathan. sis
this true?"
''Is what true, Uncle Nathan?"
"All this fol-de-rol about your being
engaged to man ten years younger
than yourself. Harriet, Harrietl I
thought you had better senseP'
Its only five years, Uncle Nathan"
said 1. pouting. ''And suppose can
get engaged without sending to my
relations for permitr'
Harriet, this is not a subject to be
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 it out"
Uncle" cried, starting up, 'I will
not listen tamely to 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 yet sentimental schoolgirl
Let's talk the matter calmly over
81 decline to discuss it, sir" was INV
dignified reply. MY mind is made
up, and no amount Of meddling inter
ference will ever induce me to alter it"
So my Uncle Nathan went sway,
silver snuff box, pussy CATERS and all,
and sat down to make out Q memo
randum of the things / should require
for my wedding outfit.
For l had resolved not to buy NV
things at the little shops in Buttercup
Hollow, but to make special journey
TO London on that business. All. the
delight OF reveling over counters full
Of choice flmy laces. pillows of bridal
silk, oceans of tulle. 1t brought the
color to my cheek only to think of it.
And, besides, was it not necessary that
Clarence's wife should have ali that
custom required? l didn't care for
myself SO much, but was determined
not to disgrace Clarence.
So, one radiant September day,
when the sky was as blue as the bluest
,ibbon, and the very leaves hung mo-
tionless in the yellow atmosphere like
little ships at anchor in q sea of gold, I
'ook the early train from Buttercup
Hollow, with purse full of money
buttoned into an under pocket of my
polonaise, for had read all sorts of
aorrid stories about pickpockets, and
iidn't mean to part with any of my
srisp bank notes except for value re-
,eived
felt little hustered at first. and
scarcely ventured to look around me,
.or It seemed as If every body must |
<now that I was going to buy my we'd
ling outfit