The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-02-12
n
HOW / FOUND
MY WIFE.
--XNx-
pY PETER OUNCE.
{ sYXSTE ELL, Walter, and you
M are married:"
K V Eyes, answered,
pY PETER OUNCE.

Il.
"Of course you think So" said my
friend; but l cannot understand how
one who was such a confirmed cynic
as yourself could be so easily caught.
Fray tell me how it was?"
And so, with my feet on the old desk.
and myself cozily ensconced in one of
the huge armcnairs with which every
lawyers office is or ought to be
adorned, | told my old friend, Harvey
Burt, how found my wife.
You know, Harvey, that | was. as
you say, confirmed cynic, sneering
at all womankind. loving to flirt with
them, it is true, but only to kill time, or
for little amusement. When the hot
weather came on, did rot care a fig
for Long Branch or Saratoga I had
been to Newport and the Springs, and
by the way, they bore you horribly;
and so 1 began to look about for some
quiet spot where l could have a
months fishing and shooting. The vii
laGe of n" attracted my attention
and | went at once, rejoiced to think
that | might have quiet and peace, no
matchmaking mammas, with marri-
ageable daughters, no extra toilets for
dinner; but a quiet home, where l
could do as pleased.
IN, you know, is on Long Island
Sound, and | rejoiced in the prospect II
boating and bathing, without the nui-
sances that infest Il fashionable water
Mt &c i
stage drove up to the door of the Aker-
man House, the only hotel in the place.
l saw at glance that my dream Of
peace was dispelled. Young women.
Bah! Harvey-and such young women,
l assure you that l was eyed and COM
mented on for at least an hour by three
or four amiable damsels, who were on
the lookout for something new l
went to my room and made ready for
supper, as they styled it, and had the
honor of an Introduction to several of
them at the table. One attracted more
than a passing notice, and in the even
ing found myself flirting with Miss
Hall, after the most approved fashion.
Such a girl, Harvey! You never saw
the mate for herv
s'Was she your Divinity"
mo, my boy. Don't interrupt me.
No, she was not; but she was the most
self-satistied young woman l ever saw
rather good-looking, gifted with a
tongue, and a correct knowledge of its
use-believing firmly in what Thackeray
says of Becky Sharpe, That any
woman with a knowledge of herself,
and a little common sense, and per-
sistence, may marry whom she likes
This was Miss Halls creed. To make
a long story short-we fiirted all the
time, and until we were the talk of the
house. But began to tire OF the game,
and to wish for something new.
"One night, as l rowed Miss Hall to
the village, we met a party of three
coming up with Tim, our porter-two
ladies' and a gentleman-one was an
invalid. Harvey, that face, with its
look of utter WEAKNESS, haunted me-
There's no use to describe it. 1t
wouldn't bear it, but thought it the
sweetest face l ever saw. 1t was more
than a week before 1 saw it again,
though | had been dreaming of it con-
tinuallv.
"One night, as came in from q bath,
on entering the hall, saw pair of lit
tie feet, in red slippers. Laugh if you
will, you rascal, but those slippers, or
rather, their contents, finished me. AS
I advanced / saw the same face-the
invalid was at last able to be down
stairs-and l was introduced to Ella
Benton. OF course / dropped Miss
Hall. thereby causing much scandal.
i had thought to win an easy victory
with the newcomer, but the cool way
in which she repealed my attentions
put me at my wits ends, and made
mental vow to drop flirting. BY what
particular process / came to that con-
clusion it would be difficult to explain.
I tried everything. felt myself falling
in love, and suppose that l showed it.
/ proposed on a weeks acquaintance,
and was quickly refused. Nothing
daunted, determined on change OF
base. asked her to consider me her
friend-and only that, for life-a true
friend. L got that foothold, trusting to
kindness and little attentions to win,
but all failed.
81 saved her life, Harvey, taking q