Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-11-14

/
should | do ? Belle rose and heard her
feeling for the matches. She struck one
ard was moving toward the gaslight,
when the luciier vent out, leaving all
darkness again. Blessed relief; but how
brief. Again l heard her feeling for the
matches and try to light one after another,
as they failed to ignite; then ar "Oh
dear; there are no more escaped from
her lips. "Safc. safe! whispered my
soul TO me, and | thanked God in silence
for my deliverence Belle groped back
to the bed, but did not Immediately get
in she stopped and lifted the curtains
which hung around the bottom and eau
tiously passed her arm under and around
as far as i, could reach. l almost felt
her fingers Craze my face as l held NY
self feariully and silently against the wall
too far, just too far for her reach. Appa-
rentlg satisfied that do danger was near
her, she lay down in the bed again and l
counted her respiratious till she was lost
in slumber.
As for myself, sleep was utterly out of
the question. never was SO wide awake
in my life How l lay upon that hard
carpet and thought the night out Thought
Of her, and her love for ne; thought Of
myself, and my love for her. Yes, | was
convinced from that moment that the
hand Of destiny was in it, and that a
benign and allwise Providence had seen
fit in this extraordinary way to open my
eyes 10 the path OF happiness and peace.
With the morning light fresh fears
came upon ME lest MY unconscious room
mate might yet peer beneath the bed fer
robbers before she left the room; but ny
fears were erJundlcss. She rose and
dressed exPedi,iously, for she was 20 join
her cousins at an early breakfast, and
she had oversight herself. When at last
she took the key, unlocked the door, and
( departed lost no time in slipping out
of my shameful place Of concealluent and
escaping from the hotel. On the stairs
met Fred coming out Of his room, who
exclaimed:
"Why what's the matter with you, Old
fellow. You look Ike The last days of
an Ill spent life. And your coat, too
why, its all over feathers and dust
Where hare you been?'
why, I slept-S!ePt out last night;
that's all Our house is full, and SO |
had to Gnd quarters elsewhere. I'm just
going home to dress"
Il should say, SO, decidedly. l see it
all, old fellow You've been on lark,
and tad to put up in the watch house
come now, OWE up and tell US all about
it.,
"No lark 4, ali, Fred; nothing of the
kind, | assure you"
"Well If not lark what kind of
bird was it? From the looks of the
feathers should say it was goose"
''Ion're the goose, Fred. But, seri-
ously, I've a word to say to you of
mos. important nature. Be man, Fred,
ond make up your mind to hear some.
thing excessively disagreeable. 1t must
be told you sooner or later, and | may as
well tell it now"
Good Heavens, Gus. how earnest
you look at me; you don't mean to say
that-that anything has happened to
Belle Bronson!'
Don't mentain her name again, Fred:
or think Of her any more, fer she llnever
be any thing to you. l have it from one
who knows all about it, that she has long
been attached to somebody else, and that
else, and that somebody else
means to marry her. There's no mistake
about it; SO bear up and try your luck
elsewhere
But Fred Evans was not TO be discour-
aged By mere heresay. That very day he
went to see Belle, determined to know
his fate from her own lips. Soon after
he left OakviIle and l did not see him
again for several years, when, meeting
him in town one day, I insisted on bring
:nc him home with me and presenting
him to his old fame, Belle Bronson-the
present Mrs. Evergreen.
"Ah, Fredr' said be, after dinner,
when my wife and the little Evergresns
had left US to ourselves-"Ah, Fred, you
served ne shabby trick when you allow
ID me to lose my heart to the girl you
we're all along intending to marry your
;ele-a very shabby trick, one of which
r .,-o- eueroctad you ~