The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-06-20
THE STORY-TELTER,
ZALE BIRKENHEAD.'

Blrkenhcad was miSer, and no one
attempted to deny it but Billings, tho
housekeeper. She would not hear q
word of it.
Dear Mr.. Dirkenhead is one of the
best ofproviders" said she. "Such oceans
Of garden-trucll r'
Birkenhead was rich us well as 1niser-
ly. That is, he owned houses and lands
had, no one knew how much, railroad
stock, had quite respectable bank ac-
count, and did thriving business in
the note-shaving way.
Moreover, he held large properties in
trust for non-residents from which he
dcrived-honestly, of coursc-a consid-
cradle income. Taken all in all, he was
comfortably situated.
And he had II daughter-a very charm
ing daughter, Marzalia by name-Zale
for brevity-and therein lay his weak
ness. Zale or his gold, and Zale was
the winner.
People wondered, Zale wondered,
even Birkenhead himself wondered,
and swore he never would be fooled
again, not by dozen Zales. And Zale
laughed, showed her pretty teeth, and
had her way
"No-I say no J" thundered Mr.. Birk-
enhead, his great lowering brows knit
ting together, and his little gray eyes
swapping ferociously. "You can't 90
away to school, SO let this be the end of
it p
Billings overheard his words and pi-
tied Zale. 1t was pity thrown away,
for, the very next week, Zale went, Just
as she had been determined all the
while to do; and Birkenhead swallowed
his wrath, and footed the bill.
Zalc staid away until Christmas.
Birkenhead said she had made won
derful progress. Had he not paid mon
ey enough to make any one progress?
But Hale learned one thing which was
not taught in the regular course-a
study that occupied all her leisure mo-
ments, and, we fear, some that should
have been given to her other lessons
But she learned it we'll.
Birkenhead never guessed it until one
day the postman brought, with the
other letters, one for Zale. He did not
need the glasses to read the bold, mas
culine chirography, nor a soothsayer to
tell him what the letter contained 1t
were better not to repeat the long and un-
wleldy words used on this occasion. No
body but Bir1enhead could have handled
them.
Fortunately for Zale she was not
there during the heat of the opening
wrath-burst but she heard the NUT
terings, and saw an occasional flash, as
vivid and startling as any that had
passed.
As usual, Birkenhead was very firm,
and declared, up and down, that no man
by the name of Poor should ever marry
Zale. And Zale was also very, very de-
termined, and declared as often as her
father objected, that if she ever married
any one, his name would be Poor, and
Alec Poor, too.
For once the issue appeared doubtful
Even Billings became alarmed, and beg
ged of Zale not to exasperate dear Mr..
Birkenhead, for there was no telling
what he might do.
Zale laughed-she always did when
Billings attempted to correct her
and, going straight to her father,
pleaded Alec Poor's cause as eloquently
us ever
Zale wrote to Alec. advising him how
matters stood up at Birkenheads, and
he very obligingly offered to come up
and right them Immediately; but as his
letters never went further than the
open CRATE in Birkenheqd's private
room, he was obliged to forego that
pleasure.
Zale was out of patience at last; for
that was not very desirable correspon-
dence, with scores of letters to Alec, and
not one to Zale. She never doubted
that Alec wrote. She even went so far
as to believe that her father got the
benefit of the epistles and to relieve
any little petty doubts she might have,
she waylaid the postman, and got let
ter.
Poor Zale it was an unlucky move,
and away up in the attic of Birken-
heads house she had ample time to re-
pent of it. Not that she wanted to re-
pent. We do not think she did; but,
after all, it was the next thing to de-
feat-a repulse which well might dis
hearten veteran intriguer. Birken-
bead knew it, and took all the credit
We to him. He was in ecstacies. He
| AZ very confident that Zale could not
)old oSt long against such fearful odds,
|nd hadNsIready decided that nothing
hort of unconditional surrender could
le thought of. Is