Cupid’s Exile number two

           TheUnitedStatesofAmerica,afterlookingoveritsstockofconsulartimber,selectedMr.JohnDeGraffenreidAtwood,ofDalesburg,Alabama,forasuccessortoWillardGeddie,resigned.

           WithoutprejudicetoMr.Atwood,itwillhavetobeacknowledgedthat,inthisinstance,itwasthemanwhosoughttheoffice.Aswiththeself-banishedGeddie,itwasnothinglessthantheartfulsmilesoflovelywomanthathaddrivenJohnnyAtwoodtothedesperateexpedientofacceptingofficeunderadespisedFederalGovernmentsothathemightgofar,farawayandneverseeagainthefalse,fairfacethathadwreckedhisyounglife.TheconsulshipatCoralioseemedtoofferaretreatsufficientlyremovedandromanticenoughtoinjectthenecessarydramaintothepastoralscenesofDalesburglife.

           ItwaswhileplayingthepartofCupid’sexilethatJohnnyaddedhishandiworktothelonglistofcasualtiesalongtheSpanishMainbyhisfamousmanipulationoftheshoemarket,andhisunparalleledfeatofelevatingthemostdespisedanduselessweedinhisowncountryfromobscuritytobeavaluableproductininternationalcommerce.

           Thetroublebegan,astroubleoftenbeginsinsteadofending,witharomance.InDalesburgtherewasamannamedElijahHemstetter,whokeptageneralstore.HisfamilyconsistedofonedaughtercalledRosine,anamethatatonedmuchfor"Hemstetter."Thisyoungwomanwaspossessedofplentifulattractions,sothattheyoungmenofthecommunitywereagitatedintheirbosoms.