Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-12-29
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ET UAN i.alWdys had Il remarkably large
/ number O; iiicEds of my own sex.
Lest this shuuld lead people to give me
an undLc amount OF credit for anna.
'bility und Sweetness of disposition, |
may as well state At once that | have
,marriugeaGe brother,
Being possessed also Of fair amount
lof brains, ! was never for Il moment de- i
Iceivcd ms to the nature OF the affection
ilavished upon NE Ey most of my female !,
friends. Dutthen my dearest chum, the !
girl | really thought loved me for my |
self alone, told me she was engaged to
be married 10 my brother Fred, my
grief ard anger knew no bounds.
had sone over to stay all night with !
Maud, and had laid awake till three n. 1
m. exchanging condolences, and all the
time the sneak never said word about |
Fred. At last dropped off to sleep and
was just in the midst of glorious /
dream, in which | was leading II cotil !
Ion with n magnificent man with soul. |
tful eyes ard Il bank account in seven fig. |
lures, when Maud suddenly threw her
ARMS about my neck, entirely shutting
off my wind AID soaring me almost il to
nervous Erostration, and with Il burst
of tears confessed that she had been
keeping q secret from me for two whole
days, and, that we were to be really,
truly sisters, not just sisters in affec-
.tion, rs heretofore, etc.
managed to wriggie out from under
Maud's arm, and then sat up in bed
and said things. l don't remember cX.
actly what they were, but they must
have been pretty bad, for Fred didn't
speak to me for week (of course, Maud
had to tell him), and Maud herself went
around looking like a suffering martyr
whenever we chancedi to be under the
same roof.
was convinced that I was the most
miserable girl in the world after that,
and the worst of it was that everybody,
including Maud herself, thought was
only mad because she was engaged first,
an imputation which Ineed not say was
entirely unjust.
I'm sure / could not see what Maud
had done that was so wonderful any
way. Fred is anything but brilliant,
and I never considered him even good
looking, while as long as mamma lives
he hasn't penny to his name except his
salary, which is by no means princely.
But Maud! You'd have thought she'd
landed Vanderbilt or poet-laureate
the way she acted.
pretended not to notice her airs and
nursed my grief in proud silence, but /
had no doubt that 1 was the most
wronged and unhappy creature that
ever lived until subsequent events
taught me that our affairs are arranged
by an all-wise Providence, in whom we
may safely trust, no matter how dark
our way may seem at the time. shall
never doubt he wisdom of Providence
again.
10 begin wi:il, found that WAS li!e-
ly to get Il lot CT amusement out of this
engagement. Fred was NG;!ly jealous
of Maud all the time, though anyone
could see with half an eye that she was
simply mad about him and in deadly
fear Of losing him herself.
He would come home at least three
times week, pale, haggard and wild
eyed, man bereft of hope. The rest
of the time lie was madly joyful and
talked about Maud as if she was several
degrees higher than the seraphim. 1t
was enough 10 make St. Bernard dog
laugh just to see him.
/ also found further consolation in
the fact that his state of mind inter
fered seriously with Fred's appetite,
that got all the extra pudding and
things that had always fallen to his
share (Fredwas always a greedy thing),
and then Perciyal Jones came from
abroad.
Percival was n millioaire's son, with a
face too beautiful for words and taste
for Ibsen.
OF course, all this made him desirable
beyond most other men, but must say
the way the girls of Archerville made
different kinds of fools of themselves
about him was enough to disgust even u
woman's rights advocate with her sex.
I need hardy say that was smart
enough to treat Mr.. Jones with marked
GOODNESS. The first time met him my
behavior seemed to puzzle the pam,
pered youth. The second time he ap.
Ipeared distinctly grateful. On the third
he asked permission to call, and went
home at peace with all the world, even
Fred.
For five consecutive afternoons after
that I sat by the tea table in the back
drawing-room, attired in my best gown,
expecting Percival-in vain.
On the sixth he came.
''What delightful SURPRISE" said
gushingly. / was trife nervous from
waiting so long.
"Ah. thanks" he remarked, looking
disappointed.
And then mamma came in, and in