The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-04-16


street, glttering with stately equipages, as
she had been led to suppose, but tall red
brick, house, with wide open door. through
which you caught II glimps of bare floors
and carpetless stairs, in narrow, foul-smell.
ing street where children played in the gut
ters, and iiith rate grocery stores displayed
their wares!
She paid the ackman-anexorbitant price
of course-and dismissed him, entering the
house with sinking heart and hesitating
footstep.
"Does Mr.. Fairfax live here?' asked
Emma.
"Mr Fairfax? Are you one ofhis frieuds?"
demanded :he woman.
Emma colored in spite of herself, but be-
fore she could frame an appropriate answer
in her confusion, the woman went on.
"Sidney Fairfax-Algernor Ryder-Fitz
Albyn Glare. Call him any name you please,
they all belong to him; and precious scoun-
drel be is; took up for counterfeiting only
last night, and his poor wife"
ellis WIFE!
eyes. If she hadn't been oown sick
through his neglect and brutality I'd have
turned her out o. doors; for my house has al
WAYS been respectable one, and not red
cent of his board have ever seen! l knew
ue was Sb"i"p, uliHu YOU, DeCduSe ne
"Stop! There must surely be some mis-
take"
"If it's Sydney Fairfax you're wantin' to
see, there's no mistake" more's the pity
Was you wantn to see his wife? She has
been goip out of one fit into another ever
since six o'clock this morning!'
But Emma turned away with shudder
at her heart. How near she had come to the
brink Of her own ruin? Married-and
counterteiter at that! She remembered how
confidently she had 'lent" him her little saw
ings-oniy fifty odd dollars Just for day
or two-un unexpected emergeucyw But it
was not for the money she cared, only-only
With difficulty she reprcsqed her tears of
keen modification in the presence of the
'hard-faced woman.
No she said abruptly. "My business
is with Mr.. Fairfax, and since he's not here |
will go back!'
The afternoon express was Just starting
when Emma, pale and jaded, entered one of
the rear cars. She glanced hesitatingly along
the rows of seats; there was but one empty,
and the other half nearest the window was
occupied by gentleman. There was no help
for it. however, and she advanced, timidy.
us this seat engaged, sir?"
And The gentleman, with prompt courtesy.
rose to give her the seat nearest the open win
dow, Emma started involuntarily; it was
Thorne Miington!
In the same instant he recognized her.
"Emma!' His voice altered in its into
nation from the first accent OF eager interest
to a cold. unimpdssioued tone. such as he
might have addressed to any stranger who had
casually crossed his path. 1t cut Emma to
the heart!
81 beg your pardon, Miss. Roydon," he
said, tremendously, lifting his hat Il will
find another seat"
He was turning away when Emma laid her
hand tremulously on his arm.
''Please, Throne, don't 20 away from me, :"
she faltered. 'Im lonly, and--and--"
Her voice died away into faint huttering
sort of a sob. Throne Milington turned
back again with q strange, not unpleasant
tumult at his heart. Somehow, the words
seemed to bear sweet significance far beyond
their ordinary import.
emma, you know / never should have
gone away from you if you yourself had not
banised me- But tell me how it happens
that you are here and alone"
Emma told him. All pride, all resentment
all stubborn secretiveness, had died out Of
her poor wounded little heart; aud the
strength aud shelter of Thorne Mlington'S
manly presence seemed to be the sweetest of
refugees.
He made no comment whatever on ne.
story. There was. in his nature, that loyal
instinct Of chivalrous nobleness that led him
scrupnlously to abstain from the very sem
blance Of trinmphng over fallen foe, But
when, at len"th, she concluded by once more
exclaiming. "Oh, am so-glad you are here,
n oniI 10 llxr
Emma?"
'Oh, Thorne, do do"
ii will not leave you again, Emma" he
said, tenderly taking her own cold hand in
his own. Il will stay by your side all my life
long now."
And Emma's uplifted eyes, heavy and dewy
yet full of u sweet wistIul light, spoke the
ample measures of her repentant gratitude
Aunt Thyrza aud uncle Matthew received
their little taunt back again to their hears
without single word of rrproach. A hur-
ried word or two of explanation whispered
to them by Throne anticipated all unpleasant
question-asking; and Emma's shy, tender
manner was quite sufficient guarantee of her
penitence for the one foolish step of her eigh.
teen-hear-old life.
"She was nothing but a child, SAID good
Uncle Matthew ROydon.
"She was a child" said Aunt Thyrza.
softly wiping her spectacle glasses, ''but
she's woman now"
There was a little shadow of depression
a few tears, such as might remind one of a
brief summer shower with rainbow over
arching it-and then Emma's life came hack
into its old serene channel of happy mono
tony.
And when the frosts of early October turn
ed the upland woods to crimson and russell
brown, and strewed all the glen-paths with
pavements of rustlng gold, she married
Throne Milington-as loving and true-heart
ed little bride as ever wore the coronal OF
silyer-bright orange-blossOms, sacred TO brides
alone.
And that was the beginning and end ol
Emma's experience. e. Harper's Bazaar.
He lives long who lives we'll; and time
misspeDt is not lived but lost Besides God
is better than his promise If he takes from q
| L. l. I Il