The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-06-11

Blla Cole was beauty, and great faVorlte
of the inhabitants of the quiet village of Bed
ford, in which she resided. Her father was
a rich man, and Ella was the eldest of two
daughters. She was nineteen years of age,
with large dark eyes, and luXurant hair of
purplish black. Her features were nearly
regular and her complexion was clear
olive She was the belle Of Bedford, and as
Albert Sloan had said, she had encouraged
him until she had won his love; and when he
asked her to become his wife, she had decid-
edly refused him.
The next afternoon, as Ella was sitting in
her apartment, employed with a piece of
needlework, her sister came in, eXclaiming:
ELLA, did you know that Albert Sloan has
gone away?
Where has he gone, Rosa?' inquired Ella
looking up drearly from her work.
TO some foreign country | believe.
Ella trembled visibly at this announce
ment.
who told you, Rosa?' she gasped family.
His sister Martha; and, Ella
'Well?
y on did wrong TO refuse him last night. >
Ella started quickly to her feet, and look
of anger burned in her dark eye as she de-
manded
why did do wrong to refuse Mr.. Sloan?
Because he is good young man, ana
loves you devotedly'
Loves me! returned the elder sister scorn-
fully. Did you not tell me night before
last that when you were returning from Mrs.
Davis party he met you and confessed his
love to your
'Oh, ella did you believe that?' asked
Rosa in hollow whisper.
Certainly replied the eldest sister, failing
to understand Rosa's agitation
1t was falshood! cried Rosa, sinking in
to shair, and commencing to weep violent
w..
Ella clasped her hand to her heart, and
stood as if turned to stone. Her cheek was
blanched to ashy whiteness, but no sound
escaped her lips She looked like a living
statue, so silent and motionless her form,
and so white and marble-ike were her i'm
movable features
Suddenly Rosa looked up.
My sister, she said, in whispering tone,
tell me you forgive me for uttering that
fatal falsehood, which has blasted your hap
piness forever
ou are forgiven was the reply.
But, Ella, you loved him even when you
refused him--did you not?'
yes, l loved him better, IA" better than
l shall love any man again.
But, Ella, cannot L atone in some way for
my falsehood?
You cannot. He has gone-gone-goner
She controlled herself in a moment, and
asked
But, Rosa, why did yeu tell me that false
hoods?
That night that attended Mrs. Davis
party commenced Rosa, drawing her chair
nearer to her sisters side, you remember l
asked you to let me.wear your cameo breast
pin You refused to let me wear it, because
mother gave it to you before her DEATH and
were afraid that | would lose it. After | re-
turned from the party, by way of plaguing
you, | told you that Mr. Sloan had escort
ed me home, and confessed to me then that
he loved me. Heaven forgive me for utter.
ing that falschood, which has led to such
consequences
And the erring girl sank back into her
chair, and covered her face.
Years passed on.
Rosa married prosperous young farmer
but continued to reside in her native village.
Ella, who had been belle and beauty in
her girlhood, remained a maiden, and lived
alone with her father, in her childhood's
home. She was now twenty-five years of
age, but very beautiful still, for the charms
of girlhood were now fully developed.
At first she mourned bitterly over the de-
parture of Albert Sloan; but in time, the
wound healed, and she resolved to live and
die a maiden. She had numerous admirers
and many suitors, but she did not encourage
their attentonsi and if any proposed to her,
she gently but decidedly rejected their offer
The story of her early love was known
throughout all Bedford, but she never alud-
ed to it, even to her most intimate friends
But in secret, she was continually thinking
of Albert, and sometimes she would say that
perhaps he might yet return to his native
village. But then came the thought-what
if he should? He would never seek her
again, whom he believed so guilty and false.
Her father had made several attempts to
gain her consent to marriage with partic.
uar friend of his, but without success-she
steadily refused to marry
One morning, as Ella was busying herself
with household duties, one of her neighbOr's
daughters came in, asking:
Have you heard the news, Miss Cole?
Il have not, was the reply.
"A gentleman arrived at the hotel last
night. His name is Mr.. Sloan, and mother
says he used to be an old beau of yours She
said that you refused him, and so he went
away, but he has come back real rich. All
the girls are trying to catch him, and your
cousin Alice Goodwin, is among them
Hush, child! said Ella, impatiently.
isn't pity yo1 are an old maid contin-
ued the young gossip. not needing Miss
Coles command. III you were a couple of
years younger you might stand some chance
of winning him again; but your most earnest
efforts in that direction would be entirely
useless now, suppose; and with tantaliz-
ing laugh the girl hurried away.
The rest of the day passed heavily to Ella,
and late in the afternoon she determined to
take walk in hopes of forgetting for time
old recollecti0ns and remembrances which
had engrossed her tGtStghts ever since the
communication of her neighbor's daughter.
She dressed herself with extreme simplici-
ty, wL.. .ad Characterized her from her girl
hood, and which had found favor in Albert
Soan's eyes, and betook herself upon soli-
tary ramble.
She had been wont to meet Mr.. Sloan
when he was her lover in large forestsno
far from her home Upon a rustic bench