Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-02-24
NUMBER 2O4. /,
aid 4sa EhaIaa seen "A aa.Q

/ 9inatt ptAH0iHa corner OI q room, Olt NIllitht
| We're burning wax candles. The room Was
rather inconveniently- crowded with SO
many ladies In full dress, and Gerty ssleeye,.
1 in passing the piano, brushed against one OF
the candles. In moment the thin gauzy
material caught fire; In another moment
her gkkhti tOO would have fcauRiIt.f bdt Il
sprang fpFWafdy gFasped the,sleeVe In both
my hands, and crushed the incipient flame.
Miss Gerty looked 'astohislied, and little
shocked at my rather rough pressure. She
had no idea of the danger she was in, and IT,
was only from the ehOTus0f "Dbslr1 fAhspt
and Dear Gertysw and from the blacken-
ed sleeve, that she leafhtaiGl 'iThsn sta gfew
pale, and sank down-pn the first chair. The
ladies surrounded her, aud Sir Rhomas came
bustling up TO see what was the matter.
In the confusion / left the room quietly,
ands went up TO fmylown ROOM QWRetuwHl
blackened hands, which smarted little,
though nothing ltoIspeak 1oC1 had not
been minute there when knock came to
my door, and Sir Thomas, without waiting
an snSwer rushed tnl aSd & alnSss q s9gg t2g
how can 1 thank your lean never sufici-
emily express my gratitude. | shudder
when, 4 think OF what might have. been: A
Come down with me, and Let Gerty. herself
thank you ; shetis eager to doitgh OI
81 will willingly come down with you,
Sir Thomas" said ;''but Miss Gerty must
notthank me. yFou.y did Yhatany one elseT
might and would have done. I must just
wash my hands first, and then Twill follow
you" t,,.,n,1
"You are surely not burned" said he.
"Your hands look scorched."
"Oh, nothing to speak Of" said ] S"the
flame was SO trihing, It couM not hurt me
1nu ch,"
mo" said Sir Thomas; "but only think
what might have happened, had her ,skirtT
caught fire !-certain death to- her. and
very likely to her friends, in that small
room. God bless you'll dear boy! you
have saved us from aterrjble calamity.
must gOtdOwn stairs, ard see that all the1
our guests arrive."0 -.''' % ~ 'io''D'4'a
found Gerty alone with Lady Ashton in
the little bOudor. The other ladies had
gone to receive the company. Gerty came
up with Rsubdued expression on her haugh-f
ty little face that | had never seen there be-
fore, and which gave charm to 1t which
added fresh rivets to the chains l had al
ready begun to wear.
'Oh, Mr.. Grant," said she, "what can
say to you for saving me from such dread
ful fate ?" 10 -ai'Th -~rm cry 91ahT
The tears stood In Miss GeTty's eyes. IT
took the liberty of pressing the little hand
to my lips, while | said, mo thanks, Miss
Gerty; have done only what ought to-
have DONE" 81, " -I3tE3la oni 4HUWf
Miss Gerty did not seem at all shocked
at my boldness; indeed, think just then
she thought it the due reward OF my gall
lantry. Lady Ashton, too, was profuse inb
her thanks. Iftlt Overpowered, but said tOI
myself, "PhilipYm my boy, you've blossomed
into hero all at once. Make hay while
the sun shines.' ''" -..IN ..f1 10 %1iTHs
Dancing was by this time begun linlC the
ballroom; and as Miss Gerty had recovered,
| from her fright, j took both ladies into tile
room, and claimed Gerty g hand for the'firsti
dance. b'h3h3o14 tih .Df'd7"i -iV HUi- -
/ need not describe the evening" To-
others dare say 1t was very good ball;
good partners, good music, good everything
| to me twas Elysium. II trod on air! By
virtue of my newly acquired heroship,7
Miss Gerty could deny me nothing; she let
me dance with her as often as liked, take
her down to supper, and altogether monop-
olize her in q way which did not seem at all
to the taste of several other gentlemeR;l
land when the evening was over was full
| fifty fathOrls deep In love with Miss Gertyi
Ashton. .i F3'7't'. .'1 ''I ''i s"uEHl Fi23
My dreams that night were rapturous,g
and was not recalled to a sense or my
atherawkward position till the next morn
lag, when the first thing that caught my
II eye was u Oll bdOlC
Jacks own handwriting, addressed 10
Jack Grant, ESQ.,, Strange, Thought L,
| that Jack should write TO himself, and that
they should bring his letters to me. Then
| it flashed on me that it was to myself and
| | opened IL eagerly. 1t ran thts:I ~ ''e 7ini
"DEAR PHIL:-Not two hours after you
| left, came a telegram from my father, In
Paris summoning me there in all haste, as
| my uncle Geoffrey was dead. The govef1
nor is sadly cut up about II, but l can'tbe
expected to be, as 1 never saw'the old ib6ys;I
and as he has left my fathera noble fortiine,l
| Ifeel almost inclined 20 be grateful. Under
! the circumstances, it would hardly have
| been decent for the match to 90 on. so I
| hedged, though not without some damage
| to my pocket. Now, dear Phil, what amt.
| to say to you? My advice isthat you,teif
| Sir Thomas all about It,. am sure hess
good fellow, and Won't cut up rough at our
little game. 1t was all to Oblige 9 friend
II have Enclosed letter to Sir Thomas,
which you can give him, II your own bright
wits don't suggest some better imethoa.2I
feel some regret at having got You into THE
scrape; but / feel sure you will distinguish
Yourself somehow. o' fh'H -sW ! ,y16mom
'r5JI "Yours, ever gratefully, y,,or ! "a 7ri
| mlHo h''J5iI anla1 2 GJKekG kANT,ods
lap, S.-No more heitess-hGntfnS f6r me-
Phil Some young woman will hunt me-;
and you know, from the days Of Diana,
| they have been mighty huhtfesses." ollFioo
Here was new ,cohp pllcatio14 4%hat WIS
| l to do? Stink. away ignomini0Hbly yP--tte
1 idea was not to be entertained f0fa a single
| momeht, when Ashton park contained aH
attraECion for me that would bfaye atiy4
thing for. i resolved to take Jack advice
and Confess all to Sir Th6ndas,s which Il did
4 before the ladies came down to bfeakiast.