The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-10-25
CHAPTER II.

In shoe store, in fashionable street
in the city of Brotherly-Love, a clerk was
leaning upon the counter, needless of the
lady-customers that thronged the establish
ment. Many proud eyes looked with sur
prise at the refined and aristocratic
air of the handsome clerk. But his
earnest glance was bent upon a la :
dy who was passing on the opposite side
OF the street. There was an exceeding
grace in her manner, as she glided quietly
along, and as the gazer regarded her with
intense interest, she crossed the way a few
PAGES below, and in moment entered the
store.
Have you fine French gaiters?' she in
quired in a sweet voice, blushing unac-
co untably at the earnest gaze of HE dark
eyes-unaccountably, for why should one
accustomed to admiration, blush at the re-
gard of clerk.
The young man glanced at her hand
it was exquisitely small, and handed a pair
of number ones.
The shoes were small enough, but her
foot was rather peculiarly shaped, and they
would not fit nicely. Did they make
shoes at this establishment
IF she would have pair of CATERS
made, he would take the measure'-and
seating her in furnished recess, she dis
engaged her foot from its dainty slipper;
and the young clerk kneeling with tape in
/ hand, took its delicate dimensions.
Oh, yes! the handsome shoemaker, with
the dark, peculiar eyes, and thoughtful,
elegant air, IN deferential manner, was
kneeling before the young girl TO 'take the
measure Of her fooW But as, interested
and surprised by his faultless demeanor and
earnest, intellectual face, the beautiful girl
regarded him with wonder, he had much
rather have whispered to her the burning
secret of his heart while bending thus low
! ly before her. In the attitude of alteration,
yet he dare not adore! 1t was not the ex.
| quisite grace of that tiny foot-no! no! he
had remarked the sweet blush upon her
cheek, and the deep. pure, spiritual light
in her large grey eyes; and the mere shoe
maker, as ifhe had been man of the
world. and had moved all his life in socie-
ty, studying its mind and motives, under
stood the gifted and fair girl, and would
| have his laid his heart at her feet-the lit
! tie feet that looked too sacred for him tc
touch. That would have been ridiculous
would it not! For the soulless admiration
| of exquisites, the formal affection of grave
men, the deep love ofgifted poets had beer
offered her-and would not the words II
which the young clerk might form his feel
ings, have sounded strange to her aristo
! cratic ear! Oh! the very height of frs
love! madness that would have been! Sc
the shoemaker thought nothing, except tc
tell her that the shoes would be finished
the next day; but he thought all the more
and if should say that the radiant young
girl went out of the shoe-store with the
most perfect image of manly -perfectnes:
impressed indelibly upon her heart, this
would be quite French story, would il
not1 but do not say so, neither tempt you
| to draw the inference!
Busily the young shoemaker fashioned
the tiny CATERS that were to be called fol
on the morrow. Though the proprietor
of the esta blishment thought him more ap-
propriateiy occupied in the show rooms
yet he tcould make every inch of those
precious shoes. With every stitch he
sewed in burning thought, and if the soul
of the maker could have any influence on
the wearer, the dreamy young maiden with
the pensiye eyes would have only visions
of love, and poetry, and bea uty, while
those haunted shoes bound her slight feet
CHAPTER Ill