The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-12-15

Qlfhculty, ana 1Ounu OuokeS Still bueIe,
making every human effort to straight
en- his back before flying on his mission.
Course it, Stokes, run for your life !
don't stand there, you wretched lunatic,
another instant "
Stokes ran away, and was left as the
one support of Mr.. Rowley. Stokes had
not been gone more than minute and
a halt, when l wished that he had re-
mained and shared the weight with me.
1 tried to keep firm, but the difficulty
was immense.
boy, you're giving! Don't shake
so. Keep yourself more against the tree, "
Mr.. Rowley called down.
"All right. I'll do it for Clara's sake,
if it's possible; but if l snap"
Then remembered that he had called
me a whipper-snarper and SO did he,
too, l think, and was sorry.
"Oh, you'll keep np," he said, offering
me every encouragement i'll his power.
you're a big boy for seventeen, and
I'm only nine stone ten--not q great
weight. I've seen people in a circus do
this kind of thing for hours, you know. y
1t was q gross exaggeration, and l
felt it to be one. l was getting faint
also. / had undertaken too much and
his language at times was still violent,
as he endeavored to extricate his hand.
"If 1 should die, sir" l said, feebly,
"will you please give my love to Clara
Tell her did all could to bear up
and to bear you up. Oh, dear! Did you
say nine stone ten!'
a did"
al should have thought you had been
ninety" murmured.
"You're givingw he roared again,
with a vehemence that revived me.
Keep up little longer, my dear boy.
1 can hear them coming in the distance"
Which was another filsehood; but no
matter. Mr.. Rowley was not u truthful
man. 1 set myself firmly against the
tree, according to his instructions, but it
was of no avail. My heels, in few
more minutes, would slide gracefully
away from me, l was certain, and the
guardian of my CLARA would be swing
ing about by one arm, like an early
| Christian martyr. His blood would be
on my head, and so would he, if he came
down with his whole weight-perhaps
armless-on the top Of me.
Keep upl" he cried, in a great fright
now. You shall see Clara when you
like, my boy. l will not say a word
against the match any more. You're a
fine, strapping, brave fellow, that you
area yoursg Herculs!"
"Thank you, Mr.. 2owley," I answer
ed and his words dill sustain me lit
tie, and helped me tc sustain him.
But was sliding, slowly but surely,
from under his feet When assistance ar
rived-men with Ladders and saws and
chisels; and Clara, TOP, wild with fright,
and with tears streaming down her
cheeks.
"Oh, my poor gardy!" she cried. "Oh,
you wicked Alphonse! it's all your
dreadful fault"
This was the last feather on the cam
els back. 1 fell forward, and grand
rush of the servants at Mr.. Rowley's
legs only saved the guardian from sum-
mary dislocation on the spot. He was
got down with difficulty and once down
he was not grateful.
"a pretty fool you have made of me !"
he said to Clara us he walked away rub
bing his wrist; "and a pretty pair of
fools you and that boy an, too"
Still, after all, he was not so bad as 1
had expected to find him. He was a
man who kept his word, and for that
have always respected old Rowley. Cla-
ra and saw each other in a more ra-
tional manner. went to the Hall once
or twice; she was at my house on my
eighteenth birthday, at little party
which my mamma absurdly called "iu-
venile' in the invitations; and there
Jack Edwards was too attentive to Cla-
ra, and raised jealous demon in my
breast.
went to London shortly afterward.
Clara and l were to be engaged when
"passed," and if We were of the same
mind, her guardian said. But we We're
not. While was walking the hospitals
fellow in the tallow trade walked off
with Clara, and do not think she re-
sisted in the least.
1t was an excellent match, though he
was forty-seven, and very stout. went
down to the wedding, and returned
thanks at the breakfast for the brides
maids, one of whom has promised to be
mine when set up in business for my
self