North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-11-28
TUNKHANNOCK, PA, WEDNESDAY, NOV %, 1866

apartment before could venture to change
even my position.
Belle had lain perfectly motionless for
several minutes and was, fattered my
self, losing herself in sleep, when suddenly
she exclaimed to herself, "There--I
haven't looked under the bod y A hor.
ror ran through me all is lost; what
should doi Belle rose and heard her
feeling for the matches. She struck one
and was moving toward the gaslight, when
the lucifer went out, leaving all darkness
again. Blessed relief; but how brief!-
Again heard her feeling for the matches
and try to light one after another, as they
failed to ignite; then an "Oh dear, there
are no more! escaped from her lips
Safe safe!" whispered my soul to me,
and thanked God in silence for my de-
liversnce. Belle groped back to the bed,
but did not Immediately get in; she
stopped 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 silently back against the wall, too far
for her reach. Apparently satisfied that
no danger was near her, she lay down in
the bed again and l counted her respira-
tions till she was lost IN slumber.
As for myself, sleep was utterly out of
the question. never was so wlde-awake
in my life. How 1 lay on that hard car
pet and thought the nj ght out ut!-thought
of her, and her love for me; thought of me
and my love for her. Yes, was convinc-
ed from that moment that the hand of des-
tiny was in it, and that a benign and all
wise Providence had seen fit in this ex-
traordinary way to open my eyes to the
path of happiness and peace.
With the morning light fresh fears came
upon me lest my unconscious roommate
might yet peer beneath the bed for robbers
before she left the room; but my fears
were groundless. She rose and dressed
expediously, for she was to join her cous-
ins at an early breakfast, and she had ov-
erslrpt herself. When at last she took
the key, unlocked the door, and departed,
! lost no time in slipping out of my shame
ful place of concealment and escaping from
the hotel. On the stairs met Fred COM
irg out of his room, who exclaimed:
"Why, what's the matter with you, old
fellow! You look like the last days of an
It's II all over feathers and dust. Where
HAVE you been"
"Why, sit ept-slept OUT last night :;
that's atl Our house is full, and so had
to fin quarters elsewhere. I'm just going
home to dress"
"Ishould say so, decidedly. see it all,
old fellowl You've been on q lark, and
had to put up i'll the watch-house; come
now, own up and tell US all about it."
"No LARK at all Fred; nothing of the
kind. l assure YOU"
"Well, if not LARK what kind Of bird
was it? From the looks of the feathers |
should say it was a GOOSE"
"YoU'RE the goose, Fred. But serious
ly, I've word to say to you of a most i'm
portapt nature. Be man. Fred, and make
up your mind to hear sometbin' excessively
disagreeable. 1t must be told you sooner
or later. and may as well tell 1t now.'
'Good Heavens, Gus! how earnest you
look at me; you don't mean to say that
that anything has happened 10 Belle Bron
SON."
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 somebody 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 mele hearsay. That very day he
went to see Bell, determined to know his
fate from her own lips. Soon after he left
Oakville and did not sec him again for
Aeveral years, when, meeting him in town
one day, | insisted on bringing him home
with me aud presenting him to his old fame
Belle Bronson--the present Mrs. Ever
green.
"Ah, Fred p said he, after dinner. when
my wife and the little Evergreens had left
US to ourselves" Ah, Fred, you served me
shabby trick when you allowed me to lose
my heart to the girl you were all along in
tending to marry yourself-a very shabby
trick, one Of which I never suspected
you"
So had to tell him Gin strict confidence
of course, as tell you reader) all about
the bedroom affair at the Oakville Hotel,
and the love that grew out of it.
RE CHEERFrr1. AT Your MEALs-The