A Great Mistake.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 275, 23 June 1888, Page 6

A Great Mistake.

«' Sim really i» the prettiest little creature I ever saw," said Mr Willoughby Vane, as he turned from the window for the fiftieth time that morning. "Jane," he added, addressing the housemaid, who was clearing away the breakfast things, " have you any idea who the people are who have taken old Mr Adderly's house opposite V " Well, yes, fcir, if you please," returned the hand-maiden. "I mot their cook at the grocer's the other day, and she said that her muster's name was Black - Capting Choker Black — and that he wab staying here on leave of absence with his wife and daughter, sir." " Oh, indeed ; did she happen to mention the young lady's name V " Yes sir; sho called her Misp Eva."' Mr Willoughby Vane was a bachelor, twenty-oight yeais old, lich, indolent, and tolerably good-looking. He lived with a widowed mother in a pleasant hou.se in Albany, and having nothing else to do, had fallen desperately in lo\e with his pretty vis-a-w\, and anxiously sought an opportunity for an introduction. However having discovered the name of his enchantress, he detet mined to address her anonymously by letter. Having decided upon taking this step, the next thing to be done was to put it into execution, and having shut himself in his little study, after many futile attempts, he succeeded in framing an epistle to the lady to his satisfaction, begging her, if she valued his peace of mind, to return an answer to " W.V., Post-otnce, Albany." That done, he went out for a walk, and dropped the letter in the nearest box. Regularly three times a day for a week afterwards ho called at the Post-office to see whether an answer had arrived for him. He was beginning to despair of ever receiving a reply, . when, to his great delight on the seventh morning, a letter was handed' to him by the post-master, written in a dainty female hand, and addressed to " W.. V." Almost unable to conceal his emotion,' he quitted the post office, broke open the seal, and drank in the contents. They were evidently of a pleasant nature, for he read the letter over again and again, kissed the envelope, pub it into his breastpocket, and hurried home to see his inamorata looking out of the window of the opposite house as usual. For a moment his first impulse was to salute her respectfully ; but immediately afterward he bethought himself that as he was still incognito, the young lady would perhaps feel insulted by the action. Besides, how could she have any idea that he was " W.V." ' So he went in-doors, and amused himself for three hours in inditing a reply to her letter, which he posted the same afternoon, and in due course a second answer arrived. " Confound it !"' he would sometimes say to himself. " How very provoking the dear girl is '' She never will look this way. I do wish 1 could catch her eye, if only for a moment. What a horribly sour-looking old crab the mother is ! Depend upon it, Willoughby, that poor child is anything but happy at home with tho?*e two old fogies. Indeed, her letters hint as much."' Aud ha 1 * ing given vent to hi* feelings, he would put on his hat and walk to the postofiice, or shut himself in his room and compose another note to his (< Dearest Eva. 1 ' At length, three week? having flown rapidly away in this manner, he received a letter one morning from the young lady, which ran as follow s : To " W.V." Sir,— As it is useless to continue acorrcspon d once in iliib manner. 1 think it is now time for j ou to throw off your incognito, and reveal your t rue name and position to one to whom you are not totally indifferent. Believe me that nothing inspires love like mutual conlidem-c. Prove to me that I have not been imprudent in answering your letters, by at once informing me who you are. It i^ with no feeling of idle curiosity that I ask this, but snnplj lor our mutual satisfaction. Yours, etc.. Eva. To which Willoughby replied by return of po-t : Dk \Ki<ir,r Kv\ (if you will permit me to oar you so.')— Have you not for weeks past observed ajoung man, with his hair brushed back, anxiously watching you from the window of the opposite house? And although you ha\ c apparently never taken the slightest notice of him. I •trust that his features arc not altogether repulsive to you. lam that individual. '■Charmed by the graceful magir of thine eye, Day after dar 1 watch and dream and sigh ; Watch thee, dream of t hoc, sigh for thee alone. Fair Star of Albany -may I add, mine own .'" I —to quote with some alterations the noble stanza of the poet Brown. And now 1 have a favour to ask you. "Whenever you see me at the window take no notice o£ me at present, lest my mother should observe it. In a few days she will be going out of town, and then we can throw oft" j all restraint. Till then, adieu! Adicn, my J adorable one. adicn ! My eyes arc crer on you. Your ow n, Willoughby Vane. I To which epistle came the following answer : Dkak Sir,— Your explanation is perfectly ' satisfactory . I may also add, your features are j not at all rcpulsh c to Eva. " Bless her ! what a delightful little soul ohe is !" ejaculated Willoughby. And he went out, ordered a new suit of clothes and had his haircut. " Willy," said Mrs Vane to her son the ne\t morning, "I wish you would do something to improve your mind, and not waste your time looking out of the window all day as you have lately done. Come and read the Assembly debates to me, if you have nothing else to do." The worthy lady was a red-hot politician, and for three mortal hours sho kept him at this delightful task ; at the expiration of which time he succeeded in escaping to his own room, where he wrote the following note to Eva : Dkaukst Kva-I am OTerjoyed at the contents of your brief communication. If, as you say, my features arc not altogether repulsive to you, may I hope that you will consent to bo mine— mine only? Willoughby. Back came the reply the next morning : Dkar Willoughuy— Your reply has made me feel very happy. It is very dull here— no society except father and mother. I long for more congenial companionship. Thine, Eva. In this delightful manner the days flew on— halcyon days, too, they were for Willoughby, and sweetened by the interchange of thisand similar lover-like correspondence. On the following Monday morning, Mrs Vane left town on a visit to some friends in Saratoga, leaving her son to keep house at home. Tho same afternoon one of Captain Black's servants brought the following note for W illoughby : WiLiiiK—Havc you any objection to ray lolling my dear papa all ? Matters have now gono so far, that it will be impassible for either of us to retract what we have written. Let us take papa into our confidence. I know his kind and generous nature well, and have no fear that he will oppose our union. Pray send me a line by bearer. Eva. The answer was as follows : My own Eva— Do what ever you consider best. My fate is in your hands. If your papa should refuse his consent, I But I will not think of anything so dreadful. Fear not that I shall ever retract. Life without you would bp a desert, with no oasis to brighton it t — Yours until death, Wuxoughky. That evening, just as Willoughby had iinished dinner, he heard a loud double

knock at the street door ; and on its being opened, a strange voice inquired in a loud tone, " Is Mr Willoughby Vane at home ?" His heart beat violently as Jane, entering the room, said : " A gentleman wishes to apeak with you in the librai y, sir." And 3he banded him a card inscribed " Captain Choker Black, 1001 st Regiment, N.G.S.N.Y." " I will be with him in a moment," said Willoughby ; and he swallowed a couple of glasses of sherry, to nerve him for the interview. " Captain Choker Black, I believe?" he said as he entered the library. " Your servant, sir," said the gallant captain -who, glass in eye, was busily engaged in scrutinizing an engraving of the Battle of Gettysburg. " Your servant, sir. Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr Willoughby Vane ?" " Then, sir, of course you know the business that has brought me here ?" Terribly nervous, and scarcely knowing what answer to make, our hero bowed again. "Come, come, sir, don't be afraid to speak out ! My daughter has made me her confidant, so let there be no reserve be tween us. Eva has told me all !" " You sec, I know all about it. You have fallen desperately in love with the poor gh*l : and although you have never exchanged three words together, you are already engaged to be married. Mighty expeditions, upon my word 1 Ha '. ha ! ha I Pray, excuse me for laughing, but the idea is somewhat comical ! Ha !ha!ha *" " Don't mention it, sir. You are her tafcher, and have a right to do what you rjlease. But I sincerely trust that you have no objections to offer." "1? None! Believe me, I shall be delighted to see my Eva comfortably settled. But, hark ye, sir. Business is business. I am a plain, blunt man, and fifteen years sojourn with one's regiment on the plains doesn't help to polish one. First of all, what are your proposals ?" And the captain diew a note-book out of his pocket and proceeded to examine our hero as if he was in a court of justice. " You are an only son, Ijbelieve?" *I am." "Good." And down went the note in the pocket-book. "Your age?" •• Twenty-eight next birthday.'' "Twenty-eight! Good. Is your constitution healthy ?" " 1 believe so. 1 have had the measles, whooping-cough and mumps.'' "Di&orders peculiar to infancy. Good.'' And the captain scribbled away again. "Are you engaged in any business or piofession V" " None." " Then how on eaxth do you live?" " On my private income, captain." "Then all I can say is you're an uncommonly lucky fellow to be able to subsist on that. I only wish I could. What is your income ?" " About four thousand a year." "Is it in house property, shares in limited companies, or in 'Governments?' If in public companies, I should be sorry to give two years' purchfi.se for the lot." '' In the new four percents."