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Indiscreet Made Bangs Of Ann Arbor

Indiscreet Made Bangs Of Ann Arbor image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
February
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Miss Maud Bangs, of Ann Arbor, was an unusually pretty young lady, whom to see was to admire, and- in the case of most men - a person to fall in love with. However, Miss Maud's young lady friends were not disposed to take quite thia view of her merits ; but then we mtn know that women are notoriously jealous creaturen. Still even a wondrously pretty young lady of twenty surrmers may be coDsidered as abusing her privileges if she becomes erigaged to several young men at once. And this is precisely what Miss Maud Bangs, of Ann Arbor, had done, and tbe time arrived in due seaon wbeo she found herself not a little perplexed in consequence of her rashnes. Not only had she, unbeknown to, and in direct opposition to the wishes of her parents, continued her engagement with Tom Morton, of the literary class of '85, in the University, but to please her father and mother, as also to satisfy her oen ambition, 6he had consented later on to accept Professor Horace Temple, of the literary department, as her future husband. And now, to crown all else, only a little later still, a dashing young widower of wealth and social standing, who had reeently taken up his residence in town, in the person of Harry Weston, of Detroit, had proposed, and Miss Maud had cot been able to refuse him. Respecting her first lover, Torn Morton, she bad little reason to feel disturbed, since he had left the University, and Ann Arbor also, and had gone to England to heal his lacerated affections after being peremptorily forbidden the hand of E-q. Bangs' only daughter by the irate parent, who considered the handsome but extravagant young undergraduate by no means a suitable match for his only heir. But it had taxed Miss Maud's utmost skill to keep Professor Temple and Mr. Harry Weston ignorant of each oiher's claims upon her. The former, who had no jealousy in his make-up, had never suspected the existence of a rival ; but tne dashing young widower, it must be confessed, had more than once resented the air of proprietorship assumed by the professor, whom he had observed, time and again, riding out in company witn Miss Maud behind his fleet-footed roaüster. More than once had he pretsed the young lady to allow him to address her tather on the subject uppermost in nis mind. To Miss Maud the situation of affairs was horribly perplexing. Esq. Bangs was a wealthy, seltmade man, whose fortune had sprung - as he was fond of boasticg- from a single penny. His heart was net on making a "match" between his daughter and Professor Temple, since the latter was, so to speak, "a man after his own heart," being quite as independent among his fellows, and as tond of a good horse as he, and, moreover, a mortal gifted with the practical wisdom to accumulate money, and to save it. 11 there could be a possible objection to the match in question it was owing to the fact that Professor Temple was a trifle more than twice as old as Miss Maud. But what of that? Such a dispariiy in years, so far as the marriage relation was concerned, often íesulted in the most happy unions. Did not Grover Cleveland marry a girl some twenty-eight years his junior, and were not he and Frankie Folsom very happy beingB ? Yes, indeed, Esq. Bangs would be only too delightful to cali Professor Temple his son-in-law, and feel that he was truly member of his family. Reflecting on the situation in which she had placed herself, Miss Maud feit thai her father, having once pledged his worc to Professor Temple, would not permit her, undor any circumstances, to throw him overboard, even for so de6irable a party as Mr. Harry Weston. So she told her last lover a most doleful tale of stern porents, an nnsympathetic suitor, in the person of the amiable Professor, and an oppressed daughter divided between duty and dislike to the proposed match. "But are you engaged to that frigit professor?' exclaimea Harry Weston impatiently. "No ! O, No ! Certainly not engaged but it is quite possible I might have be come engaged to please father - had I no met you." This was said with the sweet est timidity imaginable, and appeared to have the effect intented. "Bilt now, Miss Maud 1" "Well now," said xhe latter, interrupting, "I must make the professor understand that it is impos8ible - most impossible, indeed, for me to - to give him a decisive answer at present." But Mr. Harry Weston insisted. "But don't you see, Mr. Weston - well, Harry, then - that if you go to father directly after I have sent Professor Temple adrift he will suspect what has oceurred, and will not hesitate to treat you in the same way ? Por, do what I will, I can't help his considering me engaged to that susceptible mortal," and a dark cloud passed over her counteaance. "Well, when will you give him your answer?" "Tomorrow forenoon. He is coming to see if I will ride with hi m lo Ypsilanti in the afternoon. I will improve the opportunity during his cali to inform him concertnng my decisión." "Very well, dearest; and may I cali when I think he is gone, to hear the reSull?" "Tes Harry." And so it was settled. Slill it must be acknowledged, the situation was a most troublesome one to the young lady, and, sitting in the library next torenoon, she thoupht over her plans not a little anxiously. Mrs. Bangs was somethiug oE an invalid, and Beldom showed herself in the morning betore the dinner hour, so her daughter was free to arrane matters as he pleased. Accordingly she told the ervant girl who usually waited upon the door, that if Professor Temple called he was to be shown at once into the library, but that if Mr. Weston happened to cali in he meantinie (MissMaud for some ieason feared a hitch in her last lover's calcuiaíods), she must inform him that ehe would presently be at liberty, and so usher him into the parlor to await her presence. But a ring of the door-bell startled her from her reverie, and she rose up expecting of course to see Professor Temple walk in. Instead of that, however, the visitor was uehered into the sitting-room and the servant announced ''Mr. Morton." The blow quito staggered her, but arousing all her strength she went into the sitting-room, and the next moment was clasped in Tom's strong arms. A few words sufficed to explain his presence. The death of an oíd únele in Maine, after whora he was named, had made him master of a large and valuable property, and on the strengih of this improvemeut in his. affairs, he had tushed baok from England, and, as he fondly hoped, to plead his Buít suocessfully. Whatever heart Maud Bangs possessed - and that was little enough- belonged to Tom Morton, and she had feit real eorrow when her father so posiiively declined the young rnan's proposals, and treated hiin so unkindly ; for a moment, however, she wondered if, after ull, Tom's regard for he.r might not be worth a sacrifice. But of the professor she thought not for one moment, - though she did remember Harry Weston. and this thought dampened her ardor. Tom was as hatidsome as ever, and moreover he was rioh now ; but so was Harry, and if her regard for him was not quite so deep as for Tom, why, she should be gatisñed with him notwithstanding. So the oíd story was told again, and by its means she induced Tom to forego his purpose of seeing her falher until she, herself, should give htm liberty to speak; ana at last, to her great relief, she sent Tom away, if not aatisfied, certainly more in love with her than ever. During her interview with Tom, Miss Maud's sharp ears had caught the sound of the door-bell, so ehe was fully prepared to meet the professor on her return to the library. But what she did not know, and in her hurry would not give the gervant time to teil her, was that Harry Weston had also arrived, and that very moment was in the parbr awaiting her. iSTow Harry Weston was not a particularly impatient man, but he had ampie time to get tiied waiting; and having exhausted the Evening Jcurnal of the previous day - which had escaped him till now - was beguiling bis leisure in gazing out the window, when suddenly he caught sight of Tom Morton leaving the house. "By Jove ! there's Morton!" he ejaculated. "Why? I thought he was in England ! I must hunt him up. How well he's looking ! Helio 1 what's up now, I wonder ?" Voices loud, not to say angry, could be heard in the library close by. "Humph ! thought the proiessor was gone; but that's his voice sure enough. He's got his answer, I guess, and is now giving Maud a piece of his mind. After all it serves him right. Needn't try to lorce her to marry him, when any one can see with halt an eye the doesn't care a fig Lor him. O I I must not stop here any longer ; if I do 111 hear what they say 1" Taking his pencil he wrote on a card the following: "Maud : Cannot wait any longer. Will cali later in the day. H. W." Leaving the card on a table by the door, he hastily lelt the house. Ten minutes later, while pausing to look at a lovely picture in Randall's show window, a gentleman brushed passed him. It was Morton. "Helio Tom ! How carne you here ? Thought you were ín Eagland ?" "Why, WestoD, is that you?" The two shook hands with great warmth. "Well, how'a the world used you since you left for fields, Tom ?" "Splendidly ! By the by, have heard of the change in my affairg lately, - I mean the streak of luck which has come to me?" "Why, no; what isit?" "Come down with me to my room at the Cook House, and 111 teil you all about it," returned Morton, as he took his friend's arm and proceeded wiih him down the street. Once seated in easy chaira by a window looking out upon the court house square, Tom Morton in the joy of his heart informed his companion of the handsome fortune which had come to him through a deceased uncle in Maine, adding : "Right here, Harry, I want to gay that I'm tired enough of single blessedness, and am goiug to try matrimony." "Allow me to congratúlate you, Tom," said Weston with a hearty smile. "Do I know the young lady ?" "I guess you do, for everybody, I think, is acquainted with her. Maud has always Hved bere." "0, her name is Maud, is it?" quoth Weston, rather amused at the coinciöence in question. "Mighty pretty name ; my favorite. Have you known her long, or is U 8 recent affair?" "Why, I've known her a little more than two years; but money stood in the way at the time, so I went to England to wail for better days. ("Always thought there was a girl at the bottom of that nasty departure from town," mentally ejacjulated Weston.) But when my uncle died and lef't me all his property, I carne back as soon I could get back. I'm confident enough 111 marry the girl, - though her dad wants her to marry eome one el6e." "Who is it ?" interrogated Weston. "Why, Temple,- Professor Temple." "What, is he the chap? But- say Tom, hold on a bit. I'm getting mixed ! - what'8 the young lady's name - not Mau( Bangs is it ?" "To be eure. Don't you envy me ?" "Why - see here, Morton, are you certain there'8 no mistake ?" "lts rather early, Harry, rather early in the day to be like this I" remarked Morton laying his hand goodnaturedly on hi riend'8 shoulder, a nearty Uugh breakinj from his lipa meanwhile. Weston wa: silent. "Hang it, man, a joke's a joke; but to be like this at this hour ot the day i rather " "Why, Tom, I'm not drunk, or mad either, - though you're enough to drive me mad. What on earth do you mean - all this talk about Maud Bangs ?" "Oonfound it Harry, ahe's the girl I'm engaged tol" There was a look of pride in his face. "Maybe you'd like to see this ?' and going to his trunk he took therefrom a photograph, and holding it up to the gaze of hia friend, eaid, "It's true to life, sn'tit?" "ZouDds! it is she, sure enough, exlaimed Weston, taking the picture in his ïand. "Hang her!" "See here, old man !" "O, don't go into a fit, Tom ! Ii's my urn dow!" and Harry Weston produced rom his pockets not ouly several letters in ,he handwriting of Miss Maud, but a du)ücate photograph of the one which the stonighed Tom Morton held in his hand. "You se e I have her picture, too; and o far as these letters are concerned, I have no sort of objection to your looking at hem," remarKed Weston with a look of riumph in hi.s countenance. Morton took the several letters and examined them carefully. They were genune truly, snd moreover each was signed n the "same happy manner as wera the cores which he had at varioua times received from the same fair maiden - "Your cws loting Maud." "But what does it all mean ?" he exclaimed in a half-dazed condition of mind. "Meanl" rcturned Weston, indignant ly. "It means that she is tfraud! Tom, I'd like to know how long you've beeu engaged to her?" "Since before I left for England ! Long enough, ain't it ?" "And I, ever since Baster!" And the two stood and gazed at one another in blank silence. Thatafternoon as Miss Maud waited very patiently in the parlor at home for Harry Weston to put in an appearance, a small parcel - brought in by an office-boy belonging to the Cook House - was handed to her. On opening it there dropped upon the floor two packages of letters, and several photographs, together with a slip of paper, on which was written simply : - "Returned with thanks, Tom anp Harry." There was no mistaking the signature?. Miss Maud Bangs had had a stormy time of it with the Professor, who was uot disposed to relinquish her from the engage ment without compelhng her to listen 'o some uncommonly plain talk before taking his leave. After he had gone, the servant girl, hearing a heavy fall in the library, rushed into the room, where she found the young lady lying upon the floor insensible. The only wise ecu: Be for Miss Maud to pursue seemed to be for her to leave town, at least, for a while ; and 60 she went to Chicago, where she p'assed the remainder of' the sumirer among relatives. Immediately after her departure the affair got noised abroad in Ann Arbor, and occasioned no little talk. In fact, for a time, it was the one theme of interest among the "busybodies," but like everything else had its day. Before Miss Maud returned to town Tom Morton had settled down to the management of his extensive business interests in the pine tree state, and Harry Weston had become the husband of a former flame of his in Detroit. A.S for Professor Temple, he was pursuing the old-time tenor of his ways, content to believe that single blessedness, alter all, wa9 a gosd enough state for him to endure.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register