North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-07-11
"wen, upon my word !" remarked Mr..

sounded to me ], Margaret Baily Monroe,
confessedy belle, beauty, and lady of
rare accomplishments, besides being heir
ess to hundred thousand dollars--I was
just "another p Why didn't he call me a
person, and done with it ?'
Well, what would he do with my frightful
wound ?
sMix little -four and salt and put on
it," said he "that will stop the bleeding.
1t is mere triac."
1t may have been trife, but it was
enough to make me swoon. Or perhaps
swooned out of downright vexation at the
nah.
When I recovered, he was gone. By
and-by, when Belle and l were alone-we
roomed together-I asked her what Mr..
Harrison said when I tainted.
ale said," Bell answered, "1ay her on
her back, and leave her alone ?"
SIS that all he said 2"
"No; not quite. Some one brought the
-four and salt, and he put it on your finger,
and said, there, tie a rag around it,"
A rag!
Ishou!d certainly hate this young man.
- After that he became such an object
ofinterest to me that / could scarcely keep
nv mind off him an hour at a time
l was not long in learning something of
his history. 1t seems that love of adven-
ture had sent him on cruise around the
world, when he was boy, of about sixteen,
both his parents being dead. He had been
absent from his native country four year
without interruption, and on his return had
decided to 60 to the academy short time
to correct certain lacks in his education.-
This explained why a man of his advanced
age should be attending school-for he was
twenty one if he was day, Belle assured
me. Imyself | was about seventeen, I was
the only female student OF German at the
academy, and it was on that account that
Mr.. Harrison manifested some degree of
interest in me, | suppose, for he was al
most enthusiastic in bis admiration of that
scholastic tongue. So saw good deal
| of him after all. ,
The following winter, at a party at Mrs.
Sands, in Sanford, one bitter cold night,I
chanced to be alone with Nellie Wells one
moment in an upper chamber which was
used as cloak-room for the lady guests.
There was furious fire in the stove, and
its sides were red.hot Nellie was very
pretty girl, but rather dull. She wore
dress of some g,uzy fabric, and going too
| near the stove, it took fire. ran out OF
the room, screaming at the top Of my
voice
"Mr. Harrison Mr., Harrison Oh. Mr.
| Harrison ~
He came quickly to the hall saw me;
was up the stairway in bound; and as |
was running back into the room, he went
past me, pushing me aside rather rudely,
and took in all with cool glance. Nellie
had hauled quilt from bed that was in
the room, and was tr,ing to stife the flames
He threw her on the floor, rolled her over
and over in the quilt like mummy. and
extinguished the flames at once-hugged
her, too. She was not very badly burned, +,
after all and her face was not touched by
the flames so that she remained as pretty
\ as ever.
Remarkably sensible GIRL" said Mr.
Harrison afterward, to a group that Gus
tered about him in the parIor. "Most
girls would have rushed headlong into
the hall. screaming like"-he looked at
me-"like mad" he added, with quiet
smile, "If ever marry" said he, "which
probably never shall, shall marry a
sensible woman-a woman who would not
set up a scream if our youngest should
fall into tub of hot water, bu, would pull
the child ont as quickly as possible, and
send for doctor"
Somehow, was vain enough to think
this sarcastic speech was intended solely to
rebuke me. I knew I should certainly
scream in such case. 1t was my nature
to scream, and how could help my ma
ture! I-.r
As for that poor little Nellie Wells, I
hated her, and almost wished it had been
nv own dress that had caught fire only
should certainly have burned to death be-
fore Mr.. Harrison would have come and
wrapped me in quilt and hugged me.
From that day forward, some powerful
influence was at work upon me. strug-
gled hard after that cool manner in danger
which Mr.. Harrison possessed in so emf
nent degree. I even ventured, IN the
pursuit of perfection, to ask him how he
could do it. '....
81 suppose" said he, ''it is because I
naturally have such an extreme terror of
danger in every shape--such a lively sym
pathy with those in peril that feel very
strongly the necessity for being calm when
Others are excited. think that whatever
excuse lady may have for losing her wits
and that Is, at the best, very httle-a
MAN has no excuse whatever. always
try to keep my wits about me-
ITO be calm, then,' said /, with the
withering irony common to girls of from
fourteen to eighteen. zone only needs to
have his wits about him."
Exactly" said he; 'or, to change the
the sex, her wits about her."
"Just as added, 1.-The secret ofwealth
| ;s to o,at nonayn f.- ....