Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-08-17

had not been seen by the young
married pair, and she avoided them
and FASTENED to the house. The
door stood open, and, unseenby any
one, she entered the old familiar
room where the piano used to stand.
A piano was there still, and the
'olding doors were nearly closed.
Isabel was about to ring the bell in
order to make her presence known,
when she heard two voices in the
adjoining room; and she could not
move from where she stood; the
sounds and words had a fascination
for her. She seemed to have no
choice left she could only stand
and listen.
"My poor Frank" !" said the voice
of Mrs. AIsagcr, L am so grieved
about you and about her. But
you foolish boy, why didn't you
speak ont in time?"
81 don't know hadn't the
courage; and even if | had, what
would have been the use! She
never could have loved me; | know
itw
IT was the voice Of Frank Rowan
which spoke this.
GLOW would your brother have
got his wife if he hadn't at least
given Alice a chance for accepting
him? Do you think she could have
proposed for him?"
"Eustace is better fellow than !
am every way; and then Alice was
always ncar-and you were so kind!
But it was different with us-I
mean with me--and now | have
lost her forever"
Crank" said Mrs. Alsager,
speaking in very grave tone, " do
you know that | always supcctcd
that in her heart Isabel Germaine
loved you?"
"Oh, Mrs. AIsager, don't torture
me for nothing. 1t cannot be. If
it were 50, why should she have
gone away in such a manner; left US
without a word to let us know where
even a friendly line might reach
herr"
"That very thing is one of my
reasons. | can't tell why, but |
have thought we were not clear
enough in explaining about Alice's
marriage. | took it for granted
that your father had explained ev-
erything, he took it for granted that
| had explained, and we neither of
lis did, and | fear we made a sad
blunder of il"
" But what could that have to do
with her sudden disappearance"
"Don't you understand? Can't
you gucso?'
{" ] don't understand; l can't
guess"
"Supposc she thought it was you,
and not Eustacc, that was to marry
Alice?"
There was a sudden sound as if
Frank had sprung to his feet, and
he exclaimed:
ooh, Mrs. Alsager, if / could on
ly believe in that, [ would search
the world for her until | found her!
And l would Fring her back or kill
myself before her eyes. What i.
life to me within herr"
Isabel could stand no more. a
sudden inspiration seized her. She
turned to the piano and played a
a few hurried, and tremulous bars
of the old familiar farewell she
knew 50 we'll. There was cry in
the next room, a crash, a hinging
back of the folding-doors, and Mrs
Alsagcr and Frank rushed into The
room, and Isabel was nearly fainting
with emotion--half shame, half joy
when the young man caught hel
in his arms.
No moro of the story need be
told but that the Alsagers found the
old home too small for them, as theil
daughter Alice and her HUSBAND
were always to live with them. Sc
they discovered another place no
very far away, and they made ar
rangcments to resell the old home
to Frank Rowan for his young wifi
and himself Nor does the tale nee(
any particular moral, except per
haps, that in announcing by lette
an approaching marriage it is al
ways safer to mention the exac
names of the persons about t,
marry.
THE Independent thinks that whel
a child is whipped just as hard 70
breaking dish as for breaking
commandment, there is need tina
somebody should pray for his par
ents, that they may be able to dis
tinguish between things that differ
F Tom THUMB and his party hay
completed their tour around tn
world, having travelled $4,000 miles
81, ,001 of them by water, given l,4l
entertainments, without missing
single day or performance throug
illness or accident,
Ir Is A curious fact that the deaf
rate in Europe is nearly double wha
it is in the United States, averagin
{ yearly one out of every forty-thre
= inhabitants, while here it is Que ou
9 every eighty.one. OF the leadin
e countries of Europe, France lead