The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-04-04
BACHELO OR s
IS. COUR'T SfiIP

" apartment, where he changed MS
dress. aud thence to his club. Some.
tines he would dine with friends, bun
cilbmen are not to be depended upon
for dinner at clubs, as they often dine
out and he usually dined alone in the
great dining room at table By win.
dow.
Winthrop resolved to end all this. BE
was not In love with any one and he
was no longer in the first dush of
youth. He was thirty-four. He resoly-
ed to marry for convenience. Casting
about among his acquaintance, he Sc
lected Miss Enderbury, aged thirty
Ave, and resolved to make her a propo-
siton of marriage. he was wise enough
to know that bare domestic arrange
ment would not please n woman. and.
not being in love, he would be unable
to make love feelingly. He resolved.
| therefore, to propose by letter, for he
was a fluent writer and in this form
could counterfeit love admirably. Miss
Enderbury was well spoken Of by ev-
erybody. She needed a homeland was
old enough to know that opportunities
| for marriage would not be likely 10
come to her thereafter. Winthrop had
met her in society only and made sew
eral calls upon her In the usual formal
way. But. for the matter OF that, he
was intimate with no one bur men.
Having made up his mind, he sat
down in his room to write the letter.
but threw down his pen, suddenly dis
covering that he did not remember the
lady's Christian name. The matter
must be deferred. The next day, meet
Ing an acquaintance, young man of
twenty, hurrying along the street. he
caught him by the sleeve and asked II
he could tell him Miss Enderbury's
Christian name. The man answered.
Adele, Winthrop made another effort
| that evening 10 write the letter and
succeeded In producing a very delicate
| epistle, so churmingly expressed that
It could not fail to touch The heart of
any woman. He closed 1t byrequest'
In that il Miss Enderbury would listen
to his proposal he might be permitted
to call the next evening and hear of his
Acceptance from her own sweet lips.
After finishing the note he read it over.
pronounced 1t n success. signed 1t and
sent it to the Enderburyss
The next day he was rewarded with
a little note. written in q feminine
hand. acknowledging the receipt of his
letter. the lady admitting that after his
kindly attentionSon the occasion of her
debut In society She had gone home and
dreamed of him. Winthrop tried to re-
member the meeting. which must have
been some ten years before, but failed.
The note was closed by an Invitation
to call in the eyenina
ut is astonishing" he said to him
self, "how long romance lasts in Won
en- and how sensitive they are to n lit
tie attention, especially when passing
from girlhood to womanhood."
That evening Mark Winthrop walked
up to the Enderburys' door as coolly as
he would go to his Office. His only
dread was that he would. not be able TO
talk as he had written. He was ush-
cred into a small drawing room. where
be sat waiting for Miss Enderbury.
Presently he heard rustic of skirts
and an apparition stood in the doorway.
Young girl OF nineteen,, covered with
bushes and seemingly unable to cross
( the threshold from an intensity of feel
Ing Winthrop saw ut once that there
was some mistake, but had the pres
ence of mind to await developments
without showing embarrassment. In
deed, the sight of so ;0uch loveliness
gave him tiutter aboiIt the heart. In
her he recognized one whom II few
months before he had met at her debut
and had passed some time In her com
pany. He had not caught her name on
being Introduced and. though he had
met her several times since, was still
ignorant of 1t. The explanation flashed
upon him This must be younger sis
ter OF Miss Enderbury. The young
man of whom he had asked the lady's
Christian name doubtless thought only
OF one Miss Euderhary, about his own
age. Winthrop remembered that the
night after her debut he had dreameG
Of her and the next day regretted that
he was too old to, hurry n rosebud.
Winthrop proved himself fully equal
10 the occasion. Advancing toward her.
he took both hen hands in his and gen
tly drew her into the ROOM
81 am fully aware" he said feeding
ly, "of the presumption Of an old fellow
like myself aspiring to such loveiiness.
but cannot help 1t. After that meet
ing when you made your entrse into
society l dreamed OF you. and l. am en-
chanted to know that you dreamed of
me-"
He dropped into loremakins with
astounding ease. 1t was no trouble
whatever. His words came TO him east
liz, and he was able to express himself
with delicacy suited to this tender
flower.
.oh. Mr.. Winthrop" said the girl.
..what can you. mature man Of the
world. see TO admire, to love. In mere
chit like MYSELF"
Your modesty, little sweetheart, on
Is renders you more lovely. From the
moment saw you on that evening"
Why recount the lies Winthrop told?
They were excusable, for he was so
transported with rapture that he partly
believed them. AS in the case of the
oath of Uncle Toby, the accusing angel
must have blushed as he handed them
in. BY mistake Winthrop had found
n woman who could not only make a
home. but who could throw over that
home the enchantment Of fairyland.
q. nh