The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-12
IN LOVE WITH A WIG.

4
ing no credit to myself. I ought to say
that have never told this story to my
wife, and she would be scarcely likely to
appreciate 1t II did, but mean to set the
truth down here, though shall not give
the real names.
will call myself George Grey, and my
wife will call Amy-nee Ferrers. Well,
WAS engaged to Miss Ferrers and loved
her pnssionately, the moro passionately
perhaps because my position held out no
prospect Of py making her Mrs George
Grey for years.
She was the second daughter Of q rector
in the shires, and had met her when I
was In the neighborhood fishing. An &C.
quaintance took me to the house, and II
was very pleasant one. The rector was a
charming man, his daughters were worthy
of him, and, as to Amy, she was the love-
Hest and sweetest girl had ever seen in
my life.
staid down in Threegates, fishing, for
nearly month, though had originally In
tended to limit my visit to a week, and !
think that Amy was sorry when at last
told her had decided to go.
II shall never forget this holiday OF
mine" said, "but now must bring II
to an end and get back to the dust and
bers, I shall often think of Threegates and
the trout stream and-and my friends"
Unconsciously adopted the tone Of a
GO. at least. Ispoke as II I were returning
to legal treadmill though II received a
couple Of briefs year held myself ex-
tremely fortunate.
We were In the rectory garden, and she
was wearing broad brimmed hat Of straw
and held bunch Of daffodils Id her nahds.
Was 1t my fancy, or when she bent over
them did she do 1t to hide the regret In her
facet ~ am glad you have found It en-
place, l think"
She had never looked so beautiful. I
was saying "Goodby" to her. and was s5.
The result might have been foreseenl 1
took her hands in mine, daffodils and ALL
and told her that loved her; that had
never loved before, could never love again.
] cried to her that had not the right to
ask any girl TO be my wife, but my pas
sion was stronger than my self restraint.
She was my world, my all. adored her.
Life without her was an agony too awful
to contemplate. Would she, could she,
reconcile herself to waiting for beggar
who today could offer her nothing but the
widest devotion that had ever been laid
at a wonans feet?
Words altogether unprecedented broke
from me in a torrent of fervor. My heart
pounded furiously; my excitement seemed
even to communicate itself to the rocks
among the boughs overhead, who cawed
SO violently that they appeared to be
drowning my speech. When / ceased, her
head dropped, and my darling was all
smiles and tears at once. The daffodils
lay scattered on tho lawn, and was en-
gagged
Well, 1 postponed my departure for three
days, and those days were delightful. Her
father-least mercenary of men-consent-
ed cordially. We were both young enough
to be able to afford to wait, he said, and 1
was adopted as one Of the family without
demur. The girls were warm In congratu-
lations-no fellow ever had nicer sisters
in-law-and Amy was the divinest little
fanoee that 1t was possible for human
imagination to conceive Yes, those three
days were ecstatie, and SO were the weeks
that followed whom wrote and received
love letter por diem, and 1t was only as
the weeks merged into months and the
months into year that began to ask
myself when and how 1 expected to be
able to marry.
was depressed by degrees. My pros.
1 was still doing nothing to speak Of at
the bar, and even when 1 ran down to see
Amy, and she did her best to cheer mo up,
the futility of her encouragement was not
to be blinded by a man possessed of toll
erably clear sight
I'VE must be patient, George" she
would say. Everything will come right
at the end. am sure of it, and when tho
briefs are rolling in we shall look back at
all this time and laugh"
thought it very possible that should
laugh under those conditions, but there
was gulf between tho present and that
opulent future which her words did moth
ing to bridge
At length 1 decided to do what many
another young fellow has done similarly
eiroumstanced. I resolved to consign my
profession to tho deuce and to seek pas
lures new and America. What proposed
should bo my plan Of campaign in Amer
lea Is at this date not very clear to me, but
/ remember that 1t seemed to me then
most desirable and practical step to take,
and not even Mlcawber departing for Aus
tralia felt more confident OF something
turning up on the foreign shores than l.
OF course Amy wept and was desolato,
but VIC had been engaged now for nearly
three years, and firmly and with the busi-
nesslike lucidity on which prided myself
Il remind myself most strongly of tho
Micawbers ip retrospection-I showed her
that it WAS the only course for us. said
that EnglaDd-I called 1t "the old ooun-
try" already-was played out. In tho
United States, 1 observed, energy and
youth had chance of coming to the 'front.'
To cling to a sinking ship--the "sinking
ship" was tho bar-was cowardly and
disastrous thing. declared and finally
painted picture Of my rising to dizzy
heights in the United States and her COM
ing ncroas to me in 10 months time to be
my wife.
The pictures of making her home in the
United States did not seem to attract her,
so altered that part, and in the amended
ynrsion l returned after 12 months with
my pile in my pocket, and we settled in
London.
Besides Amy aNd her people, who re-
garded me as peHeot hero and gave mo
keepsakes to think Of them by In tho dis
tant land, the only person to whom 1t was
necessary to anpoapoe my intention was
maiden AUNT OF mine, who lived in Dork-
ing. She told mo frankly that was a
fool. As she looked at mo with certain
admiration, however, ! was inclined to
think that In her heart Of hearts she was
not without q sentiment of approval for
my action, and was firm once more and
reiterated the arguments with which had
favored Amy.
Ny relatiYe gave me an excellent lunch
and a bottle of burgundy than which
never wish to drink a Esster, and after
wishing her an affectionate farewell-for
she had always been very nice to mel
went back TO town and commenced my
preparations
My furniture, consisting Of desk, an
armchair aHd few dilapidated articles