The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-12-18

she said, in a blended voice of grief
and indignation
"Surely, surely, Edward, you are not
the man ~
Before Allen could reply, Mrs. War
ing said, firmly
eyes, it is too true. He is the man |"
At this Fanny grew deadly pale, stag
gered toward her mother, and sunk,
sobbing wildly, upon her bosom.
Too much excited and confused for
coherent explanation, ahd too clearly
conscious of his mean dishonesty to-
ward a stranger, Allen attempted no
vindication nor excuse, lest matters
should assume even a worse aspect. A
moment or two he stood irresolute, and
then retired from the house. AS he
did so Mr.. Lowering entered the room
where this little scene had just tran
spired, and was quite startled at the
aspect of affairs.
What's this What has happened
Fanny, child, what in the name of Won
dea is the matter? Where's Edward ?"
Mr.. Lowering spoke hurriedly. AS
soon as practicable, the whole affair
was related.
"And is that all ?" exclaimed Mr..
Lowering, in surprise. "Pooh pooh a!
I'm really astonished I thought that
some dreadful thing had happened"
"Don't you regard this as a very
serious matter?" inquired Mrs. War
ing.
"Serious No It's thing of
every day occurrence. If you are not a
Judge of the goods you attempt to pur-
chase, you must expect to pay for your
ignorance. Shopkeepers have to make
up their ratio of profits in the aggregate
sales of the day. Sometimes they have
to sell sharp customer at cost, rather
than lose the sale; and this must be
made up on some one like you"
"Not O serious matter" replied
Fanny's aunt, to discover that the
betrothed of your daughter is dishon-
est man ?"
"Nonsense ! nonsense you don't
know what you are talking about" said
Mr.. Lowering, fretfully. "Hes very
shrewd and sharp, as every business
man who expects to succeed must
be. AS to his trade transactions, Fanny
has nothing to do with them. He'll
make her kind husband, and provide
for her handsomely. What more can
she ask %
"A great deal MORE" replied Mrs.
Waring, firmly.
"What more, pray ?"
GA husband in whose high, moral
virtues, and unselfsh regard for the
right, she can unerringly contide. One
who will never, in his eager desire to
secure fQr himself some personal end or
PC - 6 q 4Se.oof mel IN his guardian
ship. Brother, depend upon it, the
man who deliberately wrongs another
to gain an advantage to himself, will
never, in marriage, make truly virtu-
Gus woman happy. This 1 speak
thoughtfully and solemnly; and I pray
you take it to heart, ere conviction Of
what assert comes upon you too late.
But have said too much. Forgive my
plain speaking. From the fullness of
my heart is this utterance.
And so saying, Mrs. Waring passed
from the room, and left the parents of
Fanny alone with their weeping child.
Few words were spoken by either Mr..
or Mrs. Lowering. Something in the
last remarks Of Mrs. Waring had star
tied their minds into new convictions.
AS for the daughter, she soon retired to
her own apartment, and did not join
the family again until the next morning.
Then, her sad eyes and colorless face
too plainly evidenced night of sleep
lessness and suffering.
By kind of tacit consent on the part
of each member of the family, no allu-
sion whatever was made to the occur
rences of the day previous. Evening
came, but not as usual came Edward
Allen. The next day, and the next
went by, without his accustomed ap-
pearance. For a whole week his visits
were omitted.
Grievous was the change which, in
that time, had become visible in Fanny
Lowering. The very light of her life
seemed to GO out suddenly; and for a
while, she had groped about in thick
darkness. A few feeble rays were again
becoming visible; but from quarter of
the heavens where she had not expect
ed light. Wisely, gently and unobtru-
sively had Mrs. Waring, during this
period of gloom and distress, cast high
truths into the mind of her suffering
niece-and from these, as stars in the
armament of thought, came the rays
by which she was able to see a path
opening before her. When, at the end
of the tenth day of uncertainty, came a
note from Allen, in these brief words !:
"If it is Miss Coverings wish to be
free from her engagement, word will
annul the contract "-she replied, with
in ten minutes, Let the contract be
annulled; you are free"
Two weeks later, and Mr.. Lowering
brought home the intelligence that
Allen was to be married in a few days
to certain Miss Jerrold, daughter of a
man reputed wealthy.
"To Miss Jerrold 1t cannot be 7"
said Miss Lowering, in surprise.
" 1 will not believe it, father" Fanny
spoke with quivering lips and choking
voice.
"Who is Miss Jerrold ?" asked Mrs.
Waring.
ga coarse, vulgar-minded girl, of
whom many little things have been
said, replied Mrs. Lowering, indig-
nantly. "BuG her father is rich, and
she is an only child"
" He never loved you, DEAR" said
Mrs. Waring to Fanny, about week
later, as the yet suffering girl laid her
fearful face on her bosom. The news
had just come that Miss Jerrold was the
bride of Allen. The frame of the girl
thrilled for a moment or two the all
was calm, and she replied
"Not as 1 wished to be loved. o
aunt! what an escape 1 have madel 1
look down the fearful gulf on the very
| brink of which nv feet ware arrested