Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-11-23

iONSohN~ ALSl'AAONi ~ ldeL illSilI y
ball"
"Why, they should be merry thoughts !;
wasn't l the very queen of the ball :
didn't | dance every dance, and were you
not surrounded by all the young men in
the room ?"
g Yes, greeted l was and overwhelmed
with wine and refreshments handed to me
on all sides, aud that has made me melan-
choly, for L am afraid of losing the trea-
sure for which have toiled these many
years
"Why? Do you think these young
gentlemen were robbers in disguise, or
amt you sure of the lock of your strong
box7"
"CeciIe, Cecile, you are laughing at
your father, the treasure l mean is your
self"
"Have these men any intention of car
rying me off! What pity they should
be such dangerous characters, fer they
waltz so WE'LL
Don't pretend to misunderstood me.
Cccile, you know exactly what mean.
You know that you were admired by
everybody, and you know what is likely
to follow this admiration OF parcel OF
young men"
"No, don't"
at is too bad to think that after life
spent in loving you, in making you what
you are-beautiful, amiable. good, ac
complished, just because you are eighteen,
/ am TO give you up yes. give you mp 10
domestic invader called a son-in-law, a
man who will carry you off from NE,
man who will assume to love you, and
what is worse, a man you may probably
learn 10 love yourself it's dreadful :"
'sBut all this is imaginary I'm
ashamed OF you one would think you
were n young, romantic girl"
"Imaginary, is if. What do you think
has happened this very morning."
Has there been an invader here al
ready 90
"Yes, an invader that has actually pro-
posed for your hand, Colonel Santere, an
invader who is rich, who is we'll born, an
invader in fact against whom there is not
single objection to be made: unfortu-
nateiy."
"Ycs, one that you have never thought
of, but which is the most powerful of all
| don't like him, and won't have him"
Monsieur Coulaincourt rose. and clasp
ing his daughter 70 his heart, heaved 4
deep sigh of relief
IL thought you would want to get
married all Young girls are said to want
to get married.
"But they have not such fathers rs |
have now come 70 breakfast, and make
yourself perfectly easy on the score of
husbands, for l shall never, as long AS /
live, leave you"
Now when Mile. Cecile spoke in this
wav. she was telling the truth but not
all the truth, for certainly she was giving
her father to understand that she had no
affection in the world beyond the one she
had for him, and that she never intended
to marry. NJ. Coulaincourt had made an
idol of his daughter after his wife's death
he had consecrated his life to this child,
and gradually he had grown to look on all
who sought 20 share her affection with
jealousy, such almost as q lover might
have felt. But with all this, NJ Coulain
court knew that every girl in France is
expected to be married between the ages
OF eighteen and twenty an old maid is
yaya ais in France, and all his wife's and
his own relations were importunate for
him to find match for his daughter.
She was beautiful, young, and charming,
and possessed a handsome dowry; pre-
terriers were not wanting NJ. Coulaln-
court felt as if 4 doom threatened him.
He was afraid TO talk to Cecile on the
subject, so the positive declaration be had
drawn from his daughter that morning
caused him more happiness than he had
known for many years.
But after all it was an Eve-like wo-
manish answer she had given him, She
did love some one better than her father,
and the happiness of her life depended on
her marriage.
Many years before, Cicile, being then
only six years, as she was sitting IN her
fathers carriage, driving along the high
road in country place where her father
had hired residence for the summer, had
spied a boy three or four years older than
herself, sitting on the wayside crying.
One command from Cecile had stopped
the carriage, and the next minute she was
by the side of the child, inquiring into his
griefs, and forcing into his hand the cakes
and cherries with which her little basket
was laden
Monsieur Coulaincourt inquired, how
ever, more particularly into the boys cir
cumstancss and condition, and finding him