The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-11-17

debt forever, was something he could
account for afterward only on the theo-
ry of special dispensation of Provi-
dence.
Early next morning there was ter
rible rumpus in the Office of the Ocean"
Two of the boarders had suddenly and
clandestinely decamped, leaving their
bills unpaid. Two large trunks, which
they bequeathed to the proprietors of
the house as memorials of their visit,
were found to contain fine assortments
of old scrap-iron. The landlord was fu-
rious, and scolded the clerk. The clerk
was savage and ugly. No one seemed
to know precisely how the delinquents
had made their escape, although it was
thought that at least one OF them, a
lady, had left for New York on one of
the Sound steamers the night before. At
about seven in the morning Tom AL
dine burst into Jack Gilderoy's room in
state of intense excitement.
"She's gone" he cried to Jack, who
was engaged in dressing for breakfast.
"They've both gone"
"Who is gone Z" asked Jack, brushing
away at his hair. 20, ....... .....
"Miss Leon and that old swindler who
passes himself for her father"
"Gone whereI" ...
"To the deuce, I hope" said Tom,
digging his hands into his pockets with
an air of desperation. "They were both
couple of old operators, you know.
| She swindled me out of two hundred
dollars yesterday with an internal yarn
about her money being stolen, confound
her pretty picturel She cried and looked
to rush right into the trap"
Jack dropped the hair-brush, and
turned pale.
"Miss Leon! Impossiblel There's
some mistake"
"Not bit of it. They didn't pay
their board bills, and their trunks are
filled with stones and old iron. 1 amt
the only victim, either. There's some
consolation in knowing that several 9TH
er fellows were bled in the same style.
l wonder how you managed to escape.
You were so sweet on her, you know.
But, then, you always have such luck p
Jack turned to the window, and whis-
tied. Then he seized Toms hand i'm
pulsively, and said
"Tom, that woman has made me
dance to the tune of five hundred dol
lars, besides expenditures for ice-cream
and carriage hire. She has broken up
my engagement with Nellie, and made
an egregious fool Of me generally. For
Gods sake don't tell of it until I'm out
OF the way. Pm going home tonight,
and if you catch me in Newport again
within five years, I'll promise to swallow
every bathing-house on the beach,"
He was not so utterly crushed but
that he had still pluck enough to make
an attempt, the following autumn, to
regain his lost position in Nellie's good
graces. On her return to the city, two
months after the unfortunate events
herein related, he wrote her very
humble letter, full Of penitence and self
accusation. 1t was answered by one
from Tom, assuring Jack that as Miss
Nellie Trent was soon to become Mrs
Thomas Aldine, it was utterly impossi-
BILE for her to comply with Jacks sub
missive petition. In the meantime, the
happy pair hoped ever to be regarded as
true and earnest friends, ETC., etc.
For the satisfaction of the reader, ii
may be as we'll to add that Jack has
since taken a grim pleasure in learning
that Miss Leon, alias Smith, alias Jones
alias Brown, with the unprincipled
scoundrel who assisted her, is now weep.
ing her pretty eyes out in the peniten.
tiary, as the result of some one of hel
many confidential Operations"