The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-10
HIS C0URTSHIP.

I N-flh4-'5 NOfso il NltN Iblttu Stuti.
up tie beach made low murmur tha
was soothing tc the hearts of true low
ers.
And must you leave me to-mor
row." she sighed.
81 must, my darling" he replied d:
he gazed down into the depths of bel
lustrous eyes wide "ba'penny shock
err "'Twill not be for long. mus
get back TO business, hut ! shall b,
pining for my Stella and will quickly
make arrangements for cur being Unit
ed To part no more ~
The moon conveniently disappeared
again. All, Was that the sound o
/ lips?
The gentleman, who had given hi,
name as Mark Leign had been passing
three weeks vacation at Slopton-on.
Sea, where ne had made the acquaint
ance Of Miss Stella Storey, whom ht
had, perhaps somewhat precipitately
wooed and won. She was the only
daughter of the widow of a smack
owner, who added To her little income
10y letting apartments during the sum
mer, and Stella was so pretty and win
ming that the wonder is she had not
been carried Off by some adventurous
swain long before, but the fact remains
she had not, and as this little story is
nothing unless true the fact must be
recorded.
Mr.. Mark Leigh openly confessed
his love for Stella, and her mother,
who, apart from peculations upon her
dodgers which are not regarded 10y sea-
side landladies as prohibited by the
eighth commandment, was really a
very respectable old soul, had given
her consent to the match, which she
regarded as being a good one for her
daughter, Mr.. Leigh being a colonial
merchant in London.
But the best of friends, AMI of lovers,
too, must part, and the next dag Mark
took his leave Of Slop,on and of Miss
Stella Storey, with many promises to
write early and often on his return to
town.
1t proved, however, that poor Stella
was left deserted and forlorn. She
neither saw nor heard anything furth-
er of the heartless villain, Mark Leign.
1t happened that late in the season
Mr.. Speaker, of the well known firm of
Specker * Spottley, solicitors, staid at
Mrs. Storey's, and hearing a word or
two as To Stella's faithless lover he per-
suaded that young lady to confide her
tale of woe to him, with view TO his
firm commencing an action for breach
of promise OF marriage against Mr..
Mark Leigh, who, as Mr. Speeker well
knew, was good for costs
Mr.. Mark Leign, as known to his
| business friends, was a successful
merchant of about 81 years Of age, a
bachelor and likely to remain 50, for he
had never cultivated ladies' society and
had become 30 welded to his business
/ that no charms of nature or OF art had
| hitherto been able to allure him from
the market, and the desk, and the
! ledger. Arriving, as was his wont, at
his office one morning just before 10
o'clock, he was accosted 10y a self con-
fident sort of young man, who pro-
duced a document from his pocket,
which he handed to Mr.. Leigh, say
ing:
"From Messrs. Speaker 4 Spottley,
sir. \ writ at the suit of Miss Stella
Storey for breach of promise. And, "
flashing another document in the eyes
of the astonished merchant, ''here is
the original"'
Mr.. Mark Leigh turned very red.
"What do you mean?" he asked. 81
don't know any Miss Stella What's
her name, There's scme mistaken
The lawyers clerk winked his eye in
a peculiarly irritating manner. "Tve
done my duty and served you with the
writ. sir. That's all know about it.
Good morning"
Mr.. Mark Leigh stood as if in be-
wilderment. What did it mean?
Could he have 20 soon forgotten that
pleasant little Irritation at Sloptcn-on-
Sea- However that might be, he
knew that writs were things which
must not be forgotten, so he at once
walked round To his cid friend and
solicitor, Mr.. Standwell, in Mining
avenue, to whom he handed the
hateful paper, telling him he knew
nothing whatever about the lady or
the promise.
Mr.. Standwell looked somewhat in
credulous and probed his client with
some rather sly questions, but on Mr..
Leign's repeating his innocence and
showing a little irritation he desisted.
"Umu' he said. "It's very strange.
Perhaps there's been some mistake,
but Specker * Spottley are sharp peo-
ple-very sharp people-and it won't
do to trust to that. You wish me TO do
whatever Is necessary 10 defend the ac-
tion?"
Certainly" replied his client. but,
surely, if you tell them that there Is
mistake, they will drop it at once''
"There is no knowing what they will
do.n returned the lawyer. ''They are
sharp peopIe-very sharp people in
deed. However, | will do whats
necessary, and you need not trouble
yourself any more about it till you hear
from me-"
Mr. standwell looked perplexed after
Mr.. Mark Leign had gone. He had
known his client a long time and did
not care to think that he was a rogue,
let alone such fool as to try 20 deceive
his own lawyer, but-well, he didn't
know what to think.
Later on in the day he wrote letter
TO Messrs. Specker & SPottley, inform
ing them that he was instructed by
Mr. Mark Leign, who denied all
knowledge of Miss Stella Storey, but
the letter. notwithstanding the clear
statement il contained, was so worded
that any one reading it would have his
doubts of the belief of the writer in
what was said. There was something
ahout il TO induce Messrs. Specker *
/ o,o,tia,, to tread between the lines,