The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-12-12

meetings ever bring. There were joyous
shouts of laughter, strains of music, feet
tripping lightly through the mazes of the
dance, sallies of wit, brilliant repartee, and
all the many pleasant little things that con-
spire to make these social gathering so de-
lightful. While all this was going on Hilda
Howe was keeping watch in darkened
chamber, over the little suffering Bess.
The operation had been performed, and
the doctor had pronounced it successful.
Did Hilda for a moment regret the sacrifice
she had made? Far from it. Never had
she been SO deeply happy in her life.
DR.. Norman Wilder was all attention to
Lillian during the evening, and all joined
in thinking that he had quite forgotten un-
pretending Hilda Howe, now that he was
thrown more in the society of the far more
beautiful Lillian Worth, and it was even so.
His mind was about made up to prosecute
his attentions in that quarter, and once or
twice when left for a moment with Lillian
he had almost make confession of his deep
interest in her.
Towards the later part of the evening, he
said to Lillian, GLOW happens it that l do
not see your friend, Miss Hilda Howe, pres
ent this EVENING""
go, can hardly tell" replied Lillian,
"she is so full of strange ideas. Some
thing about blind child-I do not Just
know what. Hilda is nice girl, and
love her, but she is forever looking up
some forlorn thing, and neglecting her
friends and her own duties to help them.
I think her taste in such matters rather Io,c.
There are provisions made for those who
cannot take care of themselves, and / see
no necessity for our mixing ourselves up
with them.''
There was a slight bitterness in the
tone of Lilian's voice, and it was evident,
for the moment, that DR.. Norman Wilder
was panied but he soon forgot it all in
the bewitching fascination of his fair COM
panion.
"Father," said Norman Wilder Jr.,
as he sat in their Office at the p hotel,
'wbat was tyou said yesterday about hav-
ing performed an operation upon the eyes
of blind girl ?''
"Well Norman, said | was about to
do so, and did, and it proved highly sue
cessful. By-the-by, l would like to have
you visit my patient / am about to give
her call. She has the sweetest young
lady for an attendant that ever saw-so
cheerful, so self-possessed during the oper-
alton (for could not prevail upon her to
leave) and withal, so lady like. Last night
] went to call on the patients grandmother
to tell her that l thought her little Bess
would see again, and found out the story.
1t seems this young lady had the promise
of having Thanksgiving party, and her
father had supplied her with funds, and
she had gone so far as to write her cards OF
invitation when she heard that if means
only could be found, her blind little friend
might have her sight restored So what
does the noble girl do but forego her antic
ipated enjoyment, that the child might
have the benefit of an operation. All thii
the old lady told me, and the young lady
little dreams that have her secret in my
my keeping. l tell you she is woman
of thousand, and / would be proud tC
call her daughter, Norman, my boyr'
Hilda was setting by Bess, reading softly
fiom Mrs. Hemans' poems, when the dool
opened, and DIR. Wilder entered followed
by his son. Hilda looked up, and as hel
eyes met those of the younger gentleman
the warm, blood mounted TO her temples
while Norman, with an air of surprise, ex
tended his hand exclaiming:
Miss Hilda Howe is it possible that
have the pleasure of meeting you hereP''
Poor Hilda was deeply embarrassed
Must it not seem to him that she had pur
posely thrown herself in his way, and if so
how unmaidcnlike she must appear TO him
She knew the moment they entered, that the
kind doctor who had SO greatly interested
himself in Bess, and the young DIR. Wilder
were father and son. She had not ever
heard the name of DR.. Wilder, the elder
She seemed quite overwhelmed with morti
fication, and the doctor observing IL, tool
pains to turn the attention of them both tC
his patient. eH
Time would fail us to tell OF the 10y o.
Dame Grafton, as, day-by-day, she receiv
ed more cheering accounts from her dar
ling Bess, and 1t would also fail us TO tel
of the many pleasant hours that Hildi
Howe passed in the company OF DR.. Nor
man Wilder, Jr., during her stay at the