The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-11-23

left. Well, there is but one thing to
be done. Poor Melissa will be so dis
appointed if / go home without the
collar, and Melissa is nervous and
poorly, and can't bear disappointment
as ! can. a bit Of black ribbon will
do Just as well for fOrlOrn old maid
like me. The pin always was piece
of extravaganza"
And Sylvia Dean trOtted briskly
down the street to a jewelers., where
she took out the little gold ivy leaf
that fastened her very plain linen col
lar.
"If you please, sir, l would like 10
sell this pin. How much"
ifI can't afford to give you more
than a dollar, ma'am," interrupted
the jeweleT, eyeing the old fashioned
ornament with cOntemptuOus scru-
tiny.
"Well, must take a dollar, then"
said Sylvia, with a meek, half-smOth-
cred sigh. And she received the dol
that seemed so poor an equivalent for
the cherished pin, and went back to
purchase the coveted collar, bringing
it triumphantly home, with a yard of
narrow pink ribbon for poor Melissa's
shrunken throat.
walter used to like pink" said
| Sylvia, as she pinned the bow upon
the neck of Melissa's dress, and step
ped back little to look at the effect.
TO Sylvia, her sister was still beauti-
full as Hebe. Her allegiance had new
er once swerved or altered from the
fond faith of her youth.
! "Ill tell you what, Sylvia" said
! Melissa, carefully brushing her scant
tresses-alas, for their vanished gold
over the heated curling stick, 'you
had better lend me your black silk
dress. Mine is too shabby to wear,
and you have kept your'n so neatly"
"And then what shall / wear ?'-
humbly suggested the younger sister.
"Oh, gingham is good enough for
you. Walter ROchefOrt won't notice
what you wear"
''That's true enough" said Sylvia,
with a sigh; and she set to work bus
| lily altering her black silk dress, which
looked only one degree less shabby
than Melissa's own. And she took
the little coral earrings out of her ears
and put them in Melissa's, and al
most wished she could reinforce Me-
lissa's thin 'towy' hair from the
abundance of her own shining brown
] tresses.
"You look very nice, DEAR" she said
softly, when all was done; "and how
do look 2'
"Oh, you look well enough" said
Melissa, without turning her head to
observe. "DOn't tease me, Sylvia,
am just finishing my last c1rl."
So the two sisters sat down by their
neat fireside to await the coming of
the old friend who had made his for
tune. And the tears came unbidden
into Sylvia's eyes as she thought how
lonely that fireside would be when
Melissa was married to Walter Roche
| fort and gone.
"But 1 am selfish to feel So" thought
Sylvia, 81 ought only to think of Me-
lissa's happiness"
Melissa's voice chimed in the very
key note of Sylvia's musings:
81 suppose you will keep the school
on, if 1 marry Walter, Sylvia? It's a
nice enough place for you. OF course
you can't expect to come and live with
u.s."
"No, certainly not,,' said Sylvia,
feeling guiltily conscious that she had
thought how very nice such an ar
rangement would be. "As you say,
Melissa, L can keep on the school,"
'FThere's the bell," exclaimed Me-
lissa. "Run to the door, Sylvia, can
not be jumping up and down stairs
like housemaid."
Obedient Sylvia went; and the hall
door was closed. Walter Rochefort
took her in his arms and kissed her.
"That's for old times, Sylvia" he
said gaily, "don't look so astOnished.
Surely you knew of my love before 1
went away"
'T did not know oft, Walter" said
Sylvia, blushing like a Juno at the
unexpected kiss, 'but l suspected
it."
"And know" said Mr.. Rochefort,
with a face of calm determination,
'I must have this matter settled
before we go up stairs to see your sis
ter"
"What matter, Walter?''
whether you will marry me or
not I"
al, Walter?"
"You, Sylvia.n
'But, Walter, thought it was Me-
Iissa."
mot at all" said Walter, decided
ly. at is you, L want. Can 1 have
yOu?"
"Oh, Walter, somehow I can't be-
lieve it 90
Not very direct answer, but suf-
ficiently explicit for Mr. ROchefort,
who straigbtway repeated the Of
ence of the kiss, and led Sylvia up
stairs TO Melissa.
"She has promised to marry me,
Melissa, and that makes US brother
and sister, you know" was his cor
dial greeting.
Melissa gazed, thunder struck. The
brown gingham and the pinless col
lar had won the prize card after all.
"But you know, Melissa, you will
live with US, of course" faltered Syl-
via, who felt almost as though she
had done her sister some irredeemable
wrong.
"Of course" echoed honest Walter.
Poor Melissa! There was nothing
left for her but to make the best of it;
but it did seem rather hard that she
should live and die an old maid while
Sylvia got the husband.
"It's just my luck" sighed the
beauty.