The Van Buren press., 1893-11-25

learned that she was MISS Ella Hafr1nR-
ton, eldest daughter of "Barrington's
Starch" as. we called him at the bank,
where he lodged portion Of the wealth
he had acquired In the manufacture of
that commodity.
"Barrington's Starch" lived in .
brand new stucco palace he had built
for himself. near Richmond Hill; and,
slthough he was not exactly "Perkyn
Middlewick." could never understand
how he could be the father of 20 re-
fined and lovely and fairy like being
as Ella.
Before the gates Of Darlington hall,
as he called his brick and mortar mon.
strosity, We paused. We were friends,
dear old friends, by this time knew
that she was nineteen, and that she
loved nothing in the world 80 much as
her bull terrier pup. except her father
and her brother Bob, and she knew
every detail of my uneventful life OF
seven-and-twenty summerA
She asked me TO come in; papa would
want to thank me, she said.
found papa genial enough. albeit
somewhat condescending. THE young
man from the bank" afterwards
found he called me, although my name,
Ernest Wynter. was known to HIM, and
he himself had begun life ~ mill
hand at six shillings week. Still
was allowed to visit at Darlington hall,
and to play tennis with the girls. and
every day grew more sbjectly in love
with Ella, whose unaffected charm of
manner no parvenu surroundings could
impair.
OF course dared not TO speak OF my
love to her. In my position, that was
out Of the question. l could only try
to kiss the dogs head, just after her
lovely lips had rested there, and TO de-
tain her hand as long - possible In
greeting and parting from her.
Yet she must have guessed something
Of what l felt; for she took me one day
into the kitchen-garden away from the
children, and there. looking ct me with
lovely, tear.dimmed eyes, she suddenly
remarked:
81 am SO unhappy. Mr.. Wynter. Papa
wants me to marry Alderman Sir John
Westbury. He is nice old thing, and
papa says shall be lady mayoress.
hut 1 think he is quite as fond OF my
sister Bertha as he is OF me, and-l am
| in love with some one else"
The look with which she accompanied
her last words was revelation. She
grew very red the next moment and
began rapidly talking Of something
else, while l. like q fool, stood and
stared at her until her wretched young
brother Bob came bawling down the
garden after her, and SO took my
chance Of speaking from me.
For the rest of the afternoon Ella
avoided me, and, cursinR my own stu
| pidity, went home and wrote her the
following letter:
"MY DEAR MISS HARRINGTON: ] don'tknow
whether you will think INC the most conceited
ass alive for supposing that few words Of
| yours today encourage mo TO tell you what I
| meant to keep secret-that ever since hrst
met you, three months Aeo I have beeA 20
madly In love with you that I cans think Of
nothing else. But o. my entire income does
not exceed two hundred and nfty year have
thought 1t would be prcsumptuous to talk Of
marriage TO you, even had felt hopeful Of
| gaining your love will not venture into your
presence again until have heard from you
Only, entreat Of you, for the sake Of our de.
| lightful friendship, II have made mistake,
and It ID some one else whom you love, npt 10
write to toll me what fool have been. l shall
understand and respect your silence. and,
much as may suffer, will not intrude upon
you again.
you wish me 10 be-your sincere friend or your
most devoted adorer.
..~>~.n okh hnu \ ~,a oh - @r,vs
the postman before now, but surely no
man ever waited upon his footsteps as
l did for three whole weeks.
| Even at the end Of that time should
have gone ON hoping, but for the fact
that, meeting Ella and her sisters In
the street, her manner toward me left
no doubt as to her decision, for, whereas
the younger members Of the family
were ~ friendly as ever, Elias manner
was chilling to degree, She would
not even look ut me, nor would she
shake hands when we parted.
own l was thoroughly miserable,
, and developed faculty for caustic
epigi ans at the expense Of the sex in
general, writing several stories enti.
tied respectively, "Jilted," mo Heart, y
! IA Coquettes Conquest" etc.
!, Then. one dresry November day,
met Mr.. harrington In the streets oi
Richmond. He was unusually genial,
and insisted upon my coming home Il
dinner with him. @44l't- s'sit'
"Never mind about Dress" he said.
ut is quite an unceremonious oc.
casion. And, to tell you the truth,
shall be glad Of q strangers presence
to control the family weeping. My
Ella leaves us tomorrow, as suppose
. you know, upon her marriage with my
friend Sir John Westbury, the future
lord mayor of London"
No, did not know, and could have
gone home and blown my brains out
But instead, I went to dinner with him,
feeling that must zee Ella for the last
time.
She was looking very lovely, but ex.
tremely pale, and her red-rimmed eyel
seemed to dwell ON me reproschfully.
could not congratulate her. the words
stuck in my throat Sir John West.
bury was there, handsome, we'll
hammered man, who hardly looked hil
fifty years Of age
After dinner, Ella stole out to take Z
long farewell to her precious ''Bull
Sir John objected to dogs on honey
moon trip, and she feared she would be
too nervous to attend to him In the
morning
Suddenly, as Sir John and Mr.. Bar.