The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-18
THE STORY-TELLER.
ISS MAINE.
BY JUSTIN MCCARTHY.

In some parts of the suburbs of New
York city, the Bloomingdale region
among the rest, are quaint, picturesque,
and even romantic-looking old homes,
cottage-built, ivy-clad, flower-surround-
ed, imbedded in gardens, and so sera-
rated from the outer and busy world as
to seem no part of it. One of these,
which had been tenantcd by successive
generations of the Germaine family al
most since the days of New Amsterdam,
was understood to be quietly offered for
sale some two or three years ago. The
family had run itself out, both in wealth
and in numbers. 1t had dwindled
down to widow and daughter. Then
the widow died, and the daughter of
eighteen was lett alone in the world
Her health was somewhat delicate her
means were small. She was ordered by
her physician to seek warmer climate
for at least two winters, and she had
made up her mind to sell the old home
where she could no longer live without
the ever renewing of recent griefs.
Buyers ought to be easily found for
SO pretty and picturesque "a place, and
could have been found readily enough
if things were done in proper business
fashion. But Miss Isabel Germaine
would do nothing in business fashion.
Offer after offer she peremptorily re-
jected merely on seeing the proposed
purchaser ''Oh, no, Mr.. Rowan" she
would say, her eyes filling with tears.
. couldn't give my darling mothers
house to him" Tor to her, as the case
might be). Il couldn't have him" Tor
herr "reading in dear fathers library,
sleeping in dear mothers room 1t
can't be. / would rather never sell it,
and do without the money somehow"
Mr.. Rowan did not very well see how
the money could be done without, but
it was no use his talking. The young
lady would not sell the house to any
one whose looks and manner displeased
her. Many and many an eligible offer
did Mr.. Rowan bring almost to con-
clusion, until Miss Germaine got a
glance at the other party to the pro-
posed bargain; and then the thing was
at an end.
Mr.. Rowan was builder and house.
decorator, whose principal premises
were somewhere in Fourth Avenue. He
had always looked after the Germaine
house, attended to its repairs and redec-
,orations, kept its gas-ftting in order,
and in every other way been its practi-
,cal business man ever since he started
in business for himself. His father had
been gardener to DR.. Germaine, the
grandfather of our heroine. Mr.. Rowan
had prospered as the family of his faith
er's patron decayed and declined, but he
always felt the same interest and atfec-
ton in the house and its occupants
now its one occupant. He it was who
looked after every thing for Miss Ger
maine, from the ordering of her mothers
funeral to the selling of her house. His
manner to the young woman was SILL
somewhat as if he were mere house
decorator, or a land-steward, and she
a lady of great fortune and powerful
patronage.
The autumn was drawing on, and the
doctors insisted that Isabel must soon
leave New York and go either to Flor
ida or Algeria. The house was not sold.
Miss Germaine had just refused an ex-
cellent offer, because the gentleman
making it had let fall hint that he
proposed to turn her fathers library in
to billiard-room. She grew pale, look
ed at Mr.. Rowan; and he knew the
thing was at an end.
" l dare say" he mildly pleaded, when
the gentleman had been bowed out, " he
could easily be induced to give up that
notion if you only asked him, you
know, and just explained how you feel,
and"
Never" was the young lady's elo-
quent reply. Its tone was, at least, as
decisive as that of NJ. Rouhers famous
"Jamais" !" and there was this difference,
that Isabel was in position to keep her
word, whereas NJ. Rouher was soon out
of all condition for maintaining his.
But that was day of destiny. The
purchaser was at hand. The hour came,
and with it the woman. An English
lady, with one daughter, saw the place,
came straightway in, and opened nego-
tiation with Miss Germaine herself
The lady's husband Mr.. Alsager, was
about to live in New York as the head OF
the American branch of London bank
ing house. He and his family had been
staying at first in one of the fashionable
hotels in the city, and his wife detested
the way of living there. Then they
took furnished house on Murray Hill
and his daughter abhorred that. She
would have lawn. a garden, and a
house that was not new, and all these