The Florence tribune., 1892-08-25

hour ago; even freer, for then your mind was entangled by singular error. may never be my uncle's heir; he has told me that he means to marry; did not know whom. I am only a poor toiler. It is not for me to harbor vain ambitions. however sweet"
 His voice died away in an involuntary sigh. The touch of self pity in the last sen- tence of his great renouncement was almost tragic.
 Dusa had recovered the control of her fac- ulties, if not her self possession. She smiled through tears.
 But you made a promise, too; and unless you wish it will not release you" she said.
 There was a happy pause, in which But the narrator relents, and leaves the hiatus. And Dusa added, with flash of mischief irradiating her tremulous confu- sion:
 'sOnly I wish I'd been familiar, Godfrey, with your handwriting"
 III.
 Philosophers, who differ in some other mat ters almost as vehemently as politicians, are agreed that success is not synonymous with happiness. It is possible to have big bank ing balance, costly freight on many seas, and even seniority in the procession to the civic chair, and to hobnob nevertheless with dis content The foot may have its corn and vince at the slightest touch beneath the vel vet slipper.
 These moral reflections owe their origin in this place to the profound dissatisfaction that had crept like Mersey fog of December over the spirit of Godfrey Middleton, ship broker. His position was precisely that dex- terously insinuated above. And the cause thereof was bis own hastily adopted purpose of matrimony.
 His tateful letter, once posted by his own hand, for fear of accidents or the impertin- ent curiosity of domestics, he felt for the moment triumphant. It was in this mood that he had dealt his sharp thrust at his nephew over the wine and dessert in the din ing room.
 But when he retired that night it was to weary vigil in which carldng care was biting like an acid into the pattern of bis heroic re- solve. With 6 young and ardent love the major uncertainty would have been whether be was to be accepted or rejected. But old Geoffrey's thoughts did not tarry long at this stage. He had witnessed too many sacrifices of fair, ingenious springtime to wan, satur- nine winter to have much doubt that he could lead to the altar yet another victim He was wealthy, and it was enough. Guardians would advise, and the girls own vanity and desire to possess the advantages credited to the station of rich mans darling would give her strength to crush down any natural Tepugnance-
 The anxiety was of different sort. Was he sure that he had fully calculated the cost of the step in personal security, comfort and easel And every time he went over anew the ground of the argument pro and con the keener became his doubts. In the morning he got up with feelings surely cast on the model of those with which Mir. William Sykes may regard the final ceremony in a prison court yard, at which his presence is ever likely to be required
 Nightly glad was old Godfrey that he had not to face his neHhew, who was late riser, at the breakfast table.
 | And if on the previous day . nor'easter | had rattled about the ears of his Water street employees, it was veritable hurricane that blew anathemas hither and thither from 10 ! to 8 on this date of doom. One of his 1 clerks resigned then and there.
 Everything went wrong; though, as he was at bottom scrupulously fair man, there could be little doubt that old Godfrey would by and lg come to acknowledge that the fault was in himself.
 And a fellow trader who dropped in with budget of gossip did not throw oil on the troubled waves.
 Sad about Danby, isn't itF he asked
 "Whatl 1 haven't heard. I thought his firm was as solid as-as St. Georges halln
 "Oh, so it is; there's no screw loose in Dan by, Porter & Porter. But the old mans shAky here.n and the friend significantly tap ped his psrchment-like forehead; "they're sending him to an asylum. Married young wife, you remember. That's done it. A mice dance she led him. Better have stayed as he was-as you are, Middleton"
 "Quite so," said old Godfrey, grimly. And he relapsed into his ledger again.
 "Quite so; and next month everybody will be saying that I'm as big fool, and prophe- sying on my account, ,n he muttered irrele- vanity, when, with farewell word about a shipment of wool from Melbourne, the visi tor had gone.
 "Confound the boy" he went on in hi, bitter sohloquy; awhat did he want to be SC cock sure about coming in for my money for As for the q, ,580-it was heavy figure--l could have forgiven him that. And now he'i let mo in for worse scrape.n
 Remorse was working. But what could fl avail man who had drawn up document as compromising as half the inane compost tions that figure in reports of breach oi promise suits, and had watched it with { malicious smile committed to the charge ol her majesty's postmaster general With { groan his conscience supplied the response none. He was bound by every consideration of honor and probity to go through his enter prise. And this meant call that eveninl at Gartmore. His exact expression in hi old fashioned and somewhat cumbersom phraseology had been:
 ''In so important matter, my dear Mis- Venn, would earnestly desire that yol should eschew nasty decision, and there fore will ask to be permitted to wait in per son at your home for your reply during tn early hours of tomorrow evening"" And he went
 Not altogether to his surprise Mr. Venn re ceived him It was quite in keeping with hi |; notions of propriety that the preliminarie of the momentous contract should be settle with his future brides father; and, in truth he was very considerably relieved to have t enter las he supposedl upon purely bushes
 discussion and to postpone the ordeal of mal ing love- What he should find to say whe the latter labor had to be undertaken i passed his power of conjecture to imagine
 He could only hope that the crisis-and b dreaded it worse than an interview with hi dentist-would by it's very severity kindl
 within his mind illumination for the road h : had so fatuously elected to travel. .