Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1888 — COUSIN DOLBY’S MISTAKE [ARTICLE]

COUSIN DOLBY’S MISTAKE

“It’s this making a fellow marry in spite of himself that I don't like. Vi hy the deuce couldn’t I be allowed the privilege of choosing for- myself? Uncle George saying, she might fancy me is sheer nonsense. / ~ ‘ : “Oh, dear, t know I'll V gobbled up! What are you laughing at, Lu?’“Did I laugh? I beg pardon, then, Cousin Dolby. I really wasn’t aware of it. I’m such a giggler, you know.” “You say she was as homely as a stone wall the last time you saw her?” “Yes, but that was when we left school, nearly four years ago. She may have grown handsome since then.” “Not likely. I wish George would marry her himself, as he feels so deeply interested in the young orphan, as he calls her. He is only eight years my senior, but to hear him advise me one would take him to l>e my grandfather.” “You"are forgetting yourself, my dear Dolby. What do you suppose would ever beeome of you if Uncle George married? Fancy those shapely, delicate hands earning your daily bread and butter, or the bread without — “For heaven’s sake Lu, do hush!” and Mr. Adolphus Ilaughton sank back quite overcome {ri the bare idea of earning his own bread and butter. There was a merry twinkle in Lu Linden’s clear, blue eyes, as she pretended not to notice the look of dismay that settled on the face of her elegant, easy, conceited cousin; and she continued: “I often wonder, though, why George doesn’t marry. He is so handsome, so charming; but, I suppose, like all you spoiled, curly-headed darlings, he is too hard to be suited. Eh, Dolby? “No, we are not hard to be suited, my dear Lu; but we are compassionate. It is nothing more nor less than our tenderheartedness that prevents our marrying.” “Tender-heartedness!” and Lu opened her eyes as big as two saucers. “Of course, my dear, that is the word. Now, suppose I was brute enough to marry—even the frightful Miss Neville —what would the rest ot your sex do? Poor dears—there isn’t one of them, if their secret thoughts were made known, but expects to write herself Mrs. Adolphus Haughton some day. So you see, my little coz, your spoiled darlings have too much heart to disappoint so many for the sake of one." “Well, upon my word! Did you say all that yourself, Dolby, or have my ears deceived me? I think, sir, if you had left your conceit in the city there would be nothing here of you to present to Miss Neville to-day.” “Miss Neville be hanged! Always Miss Neville!” and Adolphus started up -from hiseasy poatiettr— u Do you reahythinh she ls comihg t6-day, Lu?’ ’ “Easy, my dear cousin; so much force is not beeoming. You’ll spoil vour style if you are not careful. Bertha is surely coming to-day. She ought to have been here two hours ago —we expected her bv the early train.” '“Oh, how I shall suffer!” “Don’t be alarmed, Dolby; I really believe she won’t have you.” ' “Now, Lu, don’t be putting false hopes into my head. I know there is no such blessing in store for me. By Jove! if I wasn’t afraid of offending George I wouldn’t see her at all. I’m his heir, you know, and bv the wav, Lu, it would be a deucedly bad job for me if lie took it into his head to get married. There’s no danger, though—not the the slightest. Ge&rge is just like me,"too sensible to be caught by the thousand-and-one of your sex. Bus, oh, how I hate your homely-as-stone-wall women! Why,even your pink and white face is preferable to that sort of thing, Lu.” “You good-for-nothing ” “Quarreling again, for recreation’s sake, I suppose,” interrupted the pleasant voice of George Haughton, Dolby’s handsome young uncle, as he stepped out on followed hy a tall, graceful figure. “Oh, Bertha!” exclaimed Lu, and the next moment the graceful figure was clasped in Lu’s embrace. YV,'.’. 7 : “Oh, you darling! When did you arrive?—Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” exclaimed Lu in a breath. “I arrived about an hour since; you had just gone for a walk, so I thought I would surprise you, dear.” “Miss Neville,” said George Haughton as soon as the hugging process was over, “allow me to present to your notice and favor my nephew, Mr. Adolphus Haughton.” month pßased away,-and for the life of him Dolby could not, in all that time, - recover his easy, flippant airthat deserted him so shamefully when he first laid eyes on Miss Neville. Gj He is sitting in his old position on the balcony and has juit Thrown away huT Dolby can’t smoke. In fact, Dolby

I can’t do anything when alone hut sit ! listening for the sound of a gentle foot-j ! »tep. - .'■v-'*. ' I A little hand is laid upon his shoulder.] He looke up, but lo! instanter his beamj ing countenance is black as midnight. Instead of the bewitching face of I Bertha Neville he encounters the fair ] face and laughing blue eyes of his cousin Lu. . Adolphus pulled his blode moustache savagely. Somehow, of late, he would j rather stand face to face with his Satanic j majesty than his unmerciful cousin, j- - -“Stop tliat, tlris instant, sir! t)o you I t hink I can stand here and see you pluck the best feature from your face? Why, mv dear Dolby, if you keep on with that spasmodic twitch much longer we will have to get a microscope to ascertain if ever you cultivated any hair on vour upper lip.” x “I)o go avvav, Lu, or you’ll drive me crazy.” “Now, Dolby, that is very unkind. I came out here to do you a service. I have a secret to tell you.” “Keep your secrets to yourself, Lu; I don’t want to hear them. Where’s Miss Neville?” “I’m not Miss Neville’s keeper, sir; but if you want to know where she is so badly, I’ll tell you. She has gone out on particular business with George. I really believe the girl is half in love with him. How would' Bertha do for aunt, Dolby? But the secret —I was nearly •forgetting it. Do you remember the morning of Bertha’s arrival? We Were sitting out here just as we are now.” “Yes, I remember.” “Well, what do you think, Dolby. She was in the parlor alt the time we were talking, and overheard every word we said?” —— - “You don’t mean it, Lu?” “I do mean it, Dolby. She told me all about it the other day, and told me not to mention it. I wouldn’t, either, but for the cousinly interest I take in you. I thought it no more than right to tell you the way you could remove the bad impression you made. Only for George Bhe would have gone home at once. It was dreadful, when you. come to think of it. You remember you said ‘Miss Neville be hanged!’ and all that sort of thing.” “No wonder I did, Lu. What made you tell me she was as homely as a stone wall?” “Well, how did I know you admired a complexion couleur de creme and snapping eyes?” -“How you talk, Lu! You imagine your pink and white beauty cannot be surpassed. - In comparison, my dear, you are to Miss Neville as a tallow candle is to the sun. “She is the most perfectly beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I don’t mind telling you, that I am in lovehead and heels in love, as you express it—and, to show you I am in downright earnest, I will propose to Bertha Neville to-night and introduce you to your intended cousin-in-law in the morning.” “But supposing she wouldn’t have you, Dolby?” said Lu, looking the picture of innocence. “We will suppose nothing of the kind, Miss Linden. You are forgetting that Bertha Neville lias been in my society for the past month, and I have yet to know the woman who could refuse me after making mvself agreeable that length of time,” and Adolphus elevated his feet upon the railing, leaned back in hia chair, and twirled his mustache in a manner that even the fastidious Lu could find no fault with. “Ah, here 4hey come now!” said Lu, as the handsome carriage- rolled up the avenue. - ■ Handsome George Haughton stepped out and assisted Bertha, looking radiant and happy, to alight. She took his arm and they ascended the steps ■■ Dolby, like a dutiful nephew, scowled at his uncle. “My dear nephew and niece—come here this instant, Lu. What are you running away for? Allow me me to introduce to you your new aunt, Mrs, George Haughton.” *