Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-24
VOL. XVII.


truthful brown eyes, and slight, trim
figure. She stood under the apple
trees, loaded with blossoms that per-
fumed the air. the setting sun shining
slantly on her head, and stray white
petal from the apple boughs lying on
her fair hair.
'1t won't be for long, Bella; only
three years." said her companion, a
tall, handsome youth, with curling
chestnut hair and dark blue eyes. "We
are both young-you, only seventeen
L, twenty; three years won't seem long
to either of u.s..
A shower of snowfiakes fell on Bella
from the apple boughs above her.
''Let us go in it is almost tea-time,
she said, brushing them from her hair.
The young man drew her hand through
his arm, and then sauntered up the
garden walk.
Ralph Truman and Belle Selton were
companions since childhood. Ralph
had lost both parents at an early age,
and had been left in the care of Squire
Selton, whose wife had died at Bella s
birth. Ralph was as dear as a son to the
squire, who fondly hoped to see him
married to Bella; but an unexpected
event came to change the current of the
young peoples lives. This event was
the receipt of letter from an uncle of
Ralph's, his fathers brother, who had
long been thought dead, having left
home in his youth, and though diligently
searched. for, his relatives had dis
covered no trace of his whereabouts
1t seems that he had settled in Hong
Kong, and having amassed large for
tune, wrote home to his brother, being
in ignorance of his death.
The letter, addressed to Ralph Tru-
main, was. of course, forwarded to young
Ralph, who, upon opening it, discovered
that it was intended for his father. and
was from his long missing uncle. Both
he and Squire Selton lost no time in
answering the letter, and informing the
absent man of his brothers death.
As soon as possible, letter reached
Ralph from his uncle, requesting him
to come to China, and promising to
make him his heir.
Though sorry to part with him, Squire
Selton conld not do otherwise than
counsel him to go; SO preparations
were made for the journey, and Ralph
was to start on the morning following
the commencement of this story.
"WelI, children" said the squire, who
sat smoking in the porch, as Ralph and
Bella stood before him. He was a
stout, hearty looking man of forty five
years, with good natured expression
on his jovial countenance. "Well,
children, don't look so down-hearted. )"
Bella murmured something about see
ing if tea was ready, and entered the
house Ralph threw himself down on
the steps, and surveyed the scene before
him with sigh.
"Are you sorry 70 leave the old place,
my boy ?" asked the squire.
eyes, sir" replied Ralph ''but''-
"but what, Ralph?"
"I-I should feel happier if there was
an engagement between Belle and my
self"
"No, no, my boy. There must be no
engagement between you; in three
years either or both may change your
minds. 1t is best that you should both
be free" MAY consider that your
final decision, Mr.. Selton 2" inquired
the young man gravely.
"Yes, Ralph" replied the squire,
replacing his pipe between his lips.
Next morning Ralph Truman left
the home of his childhood to find his
uncle in far-off China.
A month after his departure, Bella
and her father received letters from
him. He was in Liverpool, and was
about to sail for China in one of his
uncle's vessels.
''You see, Bella" he wrote, "my
uncle has not forgotten the land of his
birth. The vessel 1 am to sail in is
named The Rose of Canada. ,"
After that no news from Ralph reached
the Seltons so they concluded that he
had sailed for China, and did not
expect to hear from him until the next
spring.
The summer passed, and autumn
came, with its ripened fruit and golden
grain little later and the frost set in,
and the trees waved their leafiess
branches in the November blasts, when
Bella. sitting one morning by the cheer
full wood fire in the dining room at Sell
ton Hall, awaiting the appearance of
her father for breakfast, took up news
paper that lay folded on the table.
Turning it over, heading, "Lost at
Sea-" caught her eye. She glanced
over it, and read:
NEW YORK, Nov 2Oth-The brig John Lawrence
from Singapore, Brown. master, reports having
Fat 20 deg Is min. south, long 70 deg. 81 min west
long boat. bearing the name Rose of Canad : with
- tlx- uaHlAr in 10
supposed that the vessel was wrecked in mid-oeean
and that the occupant of the boat persisted from
expl sure and starvation; blanket and an empty
bottle weie found in the boat
No cry escaped from Bella; she sat
clutching the paper, her eyes strained
on the paragraph. Five minutes later
the squire entered the room.
"Good morning, Bella. Kept You
waiting, eh? Well, let's have breakfast
at once"
No answer.
"Bella, child, are you so interested
in that paper that you can't leave it 2
Still no answer.
"Is the child asleep? Bella!'
He advanced and laid his hand on her
shoulder. The touch seemed to break
the spell that bound her with one wild
cry she sprang from the chair, threw up
her hands, and dropped senseless at her
fathers feet.
Raising her in his arms, the squire
filled the house with calls for help.
All that day. and for many days after,
Bella Selton lay unconscious of what
was passing round her.
Squire Selton, in searching for the
cause of Bella's swoon and subsequent
illness, discovered the paragraph con-
cerning the Rose of Canada. Though
he greatly feared that Ralph Truman
had perished, yet he set to work to dis
cover, if possible, clew to his fate.
He wrote to the captain of the John
Lawrence wrote to the consignors of
the Rose of Canada at Liverpool, and
wrote to Ralph's uncle at Hong-Kong:
Two of these letters were answered
before Christmas, the captain giving the
narticulars of the finding of the long