The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-12-15

+ lhGltSS lllrttllOh. Even tiir llONcrS Nnich
he sent Miss Rosa were usually accom-
panied by Doscgay for her mother, and
with which he would have offered the hospi-
taity of his own home, did not scruple to
accept the perfectos which Middleton show
cred upon him, or take many y toddy of the
ancient whisliev which flowed like water
in the fastidious bachelor apartment while
the pair chatted into the small hours after
b the ladies had zone to bed.
On one of these occasions Middleton went
50 far as to eNpound in II familiar way his
own circumstances and matrimonial intent
ions to the general courting, us it almost
seemed his advice, though never abiding
in the least to his daughter. The Southerncr
was full of delightfully."- old fashioned views
of the honorable state of matrimony and
the deplorablc condition of bachelors and
spinstcrs. He advised Middleton to he
bold with all his heart, expressed his
establishment that he should have waited
so long, with Il calm prudence that he
could not und + ,tand and when he gaily
pressed his hosts hand and said: Good
night: my dear sir, 90 in and win! Twill
come and dance at your wedding" Middle
ton felt as if he had received the parental
permission to press suit to fair Albanian.
1t was in the park that the lover had re-
solved to put his fate to the test. In his
waistcoat pocket was a circle of the APP
proved fashion of the period for an en-
gagcmcnt ring, and he sought with Miss
Rosa one of the least frcqucnted paths and
placed himself on a bench by her side,
near Little fountain and basin.
Il hope you have had a happy time here,
Miss Rosa, " said Middleton.
''Oh, Observation-Disclosures to you. What
should we have done without YOU"
II wish | might presume TO think you
could not do without mc-may |, dear
Miss Rosa: and he fumhlcd in his pocket
for the ring which folded in paper, had
been mingled with other odds and ends
there As he took out handful of these
he unconsciously put on his eyeglasses
and as he separated the little folded square
paper from the other articles he glanced up
at Miss Rosa who had grown rather pale.
But, alas. this was not all which the tell
tale lorncttcs revealed, His Dresden shcp-
hcrdcSS was turned into rather coarse
featured, ordinary young woman of the
common clay Young? There were even
crows feet about her eyes
Her hair was rather coarse and exhibited
evidences of concealing that horror It
'switch." The lips We're little dry and
showed signs of Cracks. The small
parcel fell from Mddlcton's paralyzcd
fingers into the pool. His presence of
mind had nearly deserted him, but at
Miss Rosa's cry nj the accident lac recovered
/ himself sufficiently to Stammer: 'oh, no
consequence whatever was going to roll
a cigarrttc-it was only package of my
plpcr-and, a. was saying, Miss Rosa,
when you We're speaking 50 kindly about
my little Efforts to amusc you all-may
hope you won't really miss me SO very
much when leave town for a few days
Us do-to-morow?'
What the girl answered, Middleton did
not know If by the tclcpathy which
usually enables us to read each others
thoughts, outrunnng coming words or
contradicting false ones. She had antici
patrd what was on his lips to speak he
fcrvcntly prayed that the confusion of his
mind since he had QuHzcd his companion
with his eyeglasseses had prevented the
last underlying thought from passing from
/ his consciousness to hers. This was togct
possible situation-to free himself from a
person for whom his attraction had turned
to a very active repulsion. Fortunately
his honor had been saved though by II
mere fuke.
He breathed freely for moment until
the thought of the ardent Southerner cross
ed his mind. Had his attentions been to
ma. ked. his condolences too apparently
apropos, for Gen. Rosa to tolerate his
Change of base? This aspect of the affair
flushed through his mind as he was at the
door Of the boarding house after a home
ward walk, cold and reserved on the ladv's
put, preoccuped on the cavaliers He
bowed and left her there, putting on his
glass for one final, conclusive, desperate
stare, and went to his club.
In very few minutes one of the servants
brought him a portmanteau and few
clothes from his chambers, and, mailing a
note to Miss Simmons to account for his
absence by plea of business which took
him away from the city, in which he
forced himself to send message of regard
and regret to his good friends" the
Rosas, he took the night train to Chicago,
leaving no address.
! \ card which Middleton found at his
club, upon which General Rosa had per
mitted himself to pencil some very strong
expressions, and a letter which was living
at his lodging, breathing vengeance and
/ almost a cartel nroyp1 tn him nm his rn