Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-12-15
,ASHTABULA, OHIO, SATURDAY, DEC. Is, 1866.

haven't looked under the bed A horror
ran through me; all is lost; what should
i do? Belle rose and heard her feeling
tor the matches. She struck one and
was moving toward the gas-light, when
the lucifer went out, leaving all darkness
again. Blessed relief, but how brief
Again heard her feeling for the matches
and trying to light one after another, az
they failed to ignite; then an sOh dear.
there areno more 7 escaped from her lips,
Safe safe whispered my soul to me,
and | thanked God in silence for my de-
liyerance. Belle groped back to bed, but
did not Immediately get in; she stoopcd
and lifted the curtains which hung around
the bottom and cautiously passed her
arm under and around as far as it could
reach. almost felt her fingers Craze my
face as / held myself fearfully and silent
ly back against the wall, too far, just too
far for her reach. Apparently satisfied
that no danger was near her, she lay
down in the bed again, and / counted her
respiration 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 layed upon that hard
carpet and thought the night out i
thought of myself and my love for her,
Yes, | was convinced from that moment
that the hand of destiny was in it, and
that benign and all-wise Providence
had seen fit in this extraordinary way to
open my eyes to the path of happiness
and peace. .....0 .-t. -.
With tho morning light fresh fears
came upon me lest my unconscious room-
mate might yet peer beneath the bed Tor
robbers before she left the room, but my
fears were groundless. She rose and
dressed expeditiously, for she was to Join
her cousins at an early breakfast, and she
had oversight herself When at last she
took the key, unlocked the door aud de-
parted, l lost no time in slipping out OF
my concealment and escaping from the ho-
tel. On the stairs met Fred coming out
of his room, who exclaimed:
why what's the matter with YOU. old
fellow? You look like the last DAYS of
an lll-spent life, And your coat, 100
why it's all over feathers and dust.
Where hare you been?'
Why, ! Slept-sIept om last night,
that's all. Our house is full, and so had
to find quarters elsewhere. I'm just
going home to dress
l should say so decidedly. I see it
all, old fellow You've been OH II lark,
and had to put mp in the watch-house
come now, own up and tell us all about
it,
NO lark at all, Fred; nothing of the
kind, | assure YOU
'Well, if not a htrk, what kind of a
bird was it? From the looks of the
feathers | should say it was goose
You're the goose, Fred. But serious
ly, Eve word to say to you ofa most
important nature. BE a man, Fred, and
make up your mind to hear something
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 tina,
that anything has happened to Belle
Bronson?'
Don't mention her name again, Fred
or think of her any more, for she'll never
be anything to you. have it from one
who knows all about it, that she has long
been attached to someho ly else, and that
somebody else means to marry her
There's no mistake about it; so bear VI
and try your luck elsewhere.'
But Fred Evans was absent from the
country, and | did not see him again for
several years, when, meeting him in
town one day, l insisted ON bringing him
home with me and presenting him to his
old flame, Belle Bronson-the present
Mrs. Evergreen.
'Ah, Gust said he, after dinner, when
my wife aud the little Eyergrcepsz had
left us to ourselvcs-'Ah, Gus, you served
me shabby trick When You allowed me
to lose my heart to the girl You were
all along intending to marry yonrself-a
very shabby trick, one of which never
suspected your
So had to tell him lin strict conf
dence of course, as tell you, rcader,) all
~ out the bedroom affair at the Oakville
Hotel, and the love that grew out of it.