North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-12-07

Yes, Minnie had spell but it was only
a spell of sweet good humor and sunny tenn
| per. ..
81 wonder who has arrived this season."
said Isabel, as she arranged her rich brown
masses of hair before the mirror in her
| room at the principal hotel Of Rockdale
Springs. "They tell me every room is crowd
| Tremaine was to be here, and he alone is
sufficient to bring plenty of bellies to the
place"
"Who is Col. Tremaide 2" asked Minnie
who was patiently helping Isabel to braid
the long, shining tresscs.
"Why, the wealthy widower who owns
that superb place at Rivermont don't you
remember hearing of him? My dear, your
memory is getting defective"
80! now | recolect," said Minnie. "But
| should never have thought of him again"
"Just like you! Minnie Thorne, PlL Wa
ger anything You II marry a nobody yeti"
| WI hhS'Y3 AC'uLhSU WIN u
laugh. "Wealthy widowers do not trouble
themselves about Insignificant little mites
ike me. You may win the golden prize,
Bell, if you choose to try"
81 shall certainly do my best 2" said Isa -
bel, glancng at the mirror with a throb of
conscious pride. -..
Truly the face reflected might give pleas
ure to the most fastdious, with its golden
brown braids, and velvety black eyes, con-
trasted so royalty with her peach. blossom
cheeks, and lips like the scarlet heart OF
pomegranate. While Minnie's blue eyes al no
sniljrg mouth had hut the charm of truth
and frankness 10 set off their delicate cut
| lines
| Il say. girls, what do you think" ex-
claimed Mr.. Thorne, thrusting his bald head
into the room, as his daughters were prepar-
ing to descend to the dinner table. "Col
Tremaine is here, and is none other than the
tall gentleman who came down in the stage
coach with US 2"
"Not the gentleman with the nurse and
baby 2"
"Ycs.n
Nonsense, Papa, some one has been gross
ly deceiving you," said Isabel. "CoI Ire
maine, who owns the finest horses and car
riages in the country, would never drea m of
travelling in rusty old stage coach"
| 'Not under ordinary circums tances, per-
haps," returned her father; shut was just
introduced to the Colonel himself, and in the
course of conversation he mept ioned that his
carriage breaking down, compelled him to
inconvenience the passengers in our coach
with his presence. And he expressed, in ve-
ry warm terms his gratitude to my daughter
for her kindness to his motherless infant
what do you think of that Minnie 2"
1t would be hard to tell which blushed
| deenest, Minnie or Isabel-but the rosy col
ors were called 10 their cheeks by widely
| different emotions.
The long bright summer days crept on,
with skies of blue, quivering light, and SUM-
sets of fi-e and carandine Newport and
Saratoga, Lake George and the Catski
succeeded each other on the travelling pro-
gramme Of the Thornes, and greatly to the
annoyance of the reignns bellies in general,
Col, Tremaine accompanied the party.
1t was lovely morning in October, when
Minnie Thorne came into Isabel's room IN the
hotel at Niagara Falls. She had been wan
dering through the leafy wilderness of Goat
Island but that vas not sufficient reason for
the deep color that suffused her cheek, nor
Was the moisture upon the eyelashes alto
gether the spray of Niagara
'Isabel," she whispered, laying her head
upon her sisters shoulder, 81 am very. very
happy. Col. Tremaine has asked me to be-
come his wife !"
Isabel was naturally good-heartcd, and
she smothered the pangs of her own keen
disappointment with an effort, as she folded
Minnie in her arms.
/" lam glad of it, Minnie you will make
him an excellent little wife. But to thi NIX
of his choosing homespun body like you"
The real clue to this matrimonial mystery
was not discovered until one day, not long
after the wedding, when Mrs. Tremaine was
bending carelessly over her step daughter,
murmuring the melody of sweet cradle
| song. Suddenly hand was laid on her
| shoulder. She started and smiled to meet
] the tender light of her husbands eyes.