Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-06
A LIBRARY LOVE STORY.
The Faithless Maiden and the Quar-.
rel of Her Lovers.

rel OF Her Lovers.
From the New York Mall and Express.
There is an odd little story connected with
the New York Society Library, which is
fully as interesting as the personality OF
its patrons
The charter Of the institution was granted
in 1772 by George Ill. and in those days IL
was a place of resort by the fashionable
people Of the town. Some time after the
war had ended young Englishman, who
had been an officer in the British army and
attached to Gen. Howes staff, visited the
library TO while away an idle hour. He be-
came absorbed fl his book and cid not no
tice that he was being closely watched by
a man who sat near him. When he arose
to go he was followed to the door and tap
ped on the shoulder
Pardon me-" said the stranger, but
were you not a soldier in his maJesty's
army some years ago, and were you not en-
gagged in a hand-to-hand encounter with an
American whom you left for dead on the
field of honor?"
Il remember the circumstances perfect
ly, was the reply. What do you know
of it?'
Il am the man with whom you fought
and have TO thank you for this" POINTING
to an empty sleeve.
'One of us had to suffer-" was the reply.
Il am aware of that" answered the
other, and / can forgive II, but 1 cannot
forgive or forget that you took from me
something more precious than my arm.
You robbed me of my affianced wife"
The story may be told briefly. The Amer
lean was engaged TO be married 10 a beau
tful girl, the daughter of one of New York's
n ost prosperous merchants. She was good
and true and the day for the marriage had
been set. One day her lover quarreled with
the Englishman in place OF public resort.
The men were strangers to each other. A
challenge follow ed and IL was agreed to
meet the next morning at daybrtsak on the
Jersey shore and fight with rapiers. The
American went home TO arrange his affairs,
and in the evening called on his intended
bride. His unusual seriousness aroused her
fears, and she begged TO know The cause.
The young man, after much entreaty, told
what he was TO do on the morrow. The
young woman swooned and when she re-
covered found that her lover, fearing he
might be dissuaded, had left ner. She at
once dispatched a trusty servant 20 visit
the various public houses-for there weren't
many oe them-and learn II possible the
place Of rendezvous. The quest was sue
cessful, and at the next morning. after q
sleepless night, the girl was at the meeting
place, but too late 10 interfere. The duel
had already taken place, and her lover lay
wounded nigh unto death. The English
man and his friends were gone and she
could not learn their identity. He was
taken home and nursed back to life and
strength.
Some months later the young woman met
the Englishman at a social gathering. She
did not know him. did he know her.
The young man fell desperately In love. In
less than a month the maiden's heart had
changed, and her affections were trans
ferred. When she gave up her engagement
ring and told the old lover the name Of the
new one he shocked her by the statement
that the Engiishman was the man who had
so nearly killed him. There was a great re-
vulsion of feeling. The girl became III.
brain fever ensued and she died.
This was what the American referred to
when he met the Englishman in the old
library building. In his excitem emit he had
carried a book which he had picked up I'M
Willingly to the door with him. and. over
come by the remembrance of his WRONGS
dashed il into the face OF his enemy. The
assault was so sudden that the Englishnan
lost his balance and fell His head struck
the wall. and he became unconscious. The
constables came and took him away. When
the attendants rushed out TO see what Was
the matter they picked up the book. One OF
them looked at the title-page. and saw that
il was called The Fate OF the Inconstant"
and its author, whose name was not UNI
known, was the mother OF the girl who had
Tilted the American. The English cficer
mind became impaired, and he died some
sane.
The New York Society Library is the old
est in the city. II is patronized largely by
men of leisure and by persons Interested In
political literature. There have been but
six Librarians I'm 100 years. Wentworth s.
Butler, the present incumbent has held tha
position since 1856.