The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-12-04

with foam. Annie was q sensible girl.
She looked around for q paddle-there
was none. She looked around for heir
none. Then she looked forward, and
the jagged rocks seemed to grin at hel
and say, "You are our prey - Then all
traces of ennui completely disappeared,
and the girl became quite pale-she ut.
tered little stifed cry, and thought
she was going to be drowned. The boat
swept on-the waves dragged it--swift-
er and swifter it began to race-and--
There is always good genius which
watches over maidens in distress. A
boat had, unseen by Annie, darted from
the opposite shore, where Jack Temple
had been rambling. He had seen hel
peril, came as fast as his paddle would
drive him, and now reached her just as
her boat neared the dangerous reef.
The two crafts struck, and the shock
| threw the girl into the water. Five min
utes afterwards the youth was carrying
up the bank, in his arms, the drenched
and limp looking damsel-one slipper
less foot in white stocking protruding
from her streaming skirt.
Some cries, exclamations, explana-
tions, and tears followed, then Miss
Annie Heath walked up the hill, escort
ed by her friend, both in an extremely
wet condition.
A tragic event succeeded. What in
duced him to perform so absurd an
action Jack Temple never could explain
afterwards ; but he proceeded then and
there-carried away by the excitement
of the moment-to propose He pro-
posed, making passionate avowal of
his love, and the blushing, pointing,
confused, somewhat irritated Annie fiat
ly discarded him
Just an hour after this scene Jack
Temple was walking up and down at his
own house, and rejecting with moody
eyes and blusbing cheeks.
We'll, have made a fool of myself
at last ~ he muttered, "and she has
the right to despise me now. The best
thing for me to do is to leave this coun-
try and her-and L will p
1t is singular fact that Annie was
also blushing at the same moment and
muttering to herself. She had changed
her clothes and was sitting in hercham-
Der.
just to think |" she whimpared.
che saw me looking like hat-and 1
had lost one of my slippers r'
Jack Temple went to party in the
neighborhood on this same evening
being an impulsive youth, with an OBJ
lection to moping - and met Miss
Augusta Wesley, the poor cousin Of the
rich Annie, at home with ga head
ache"
He spent two or three hours tete-a-
tete with Miss. Augusta, who beamed on
him with sweetest miles, obscurely al
luded to the misadventure of the morn
ing, which she suspected, and not OBJ
scurely intimated that Mr.. Temple
would have better luck in-another
9yssstsE; Astsp Ehich @ bIsS ahe cast a99E9 her
!35fetss!. ::
When Jack Temple came home he
said to himself:
"She is certainly very handsome.
What if 1 were to"
He broke off, and muttered with a
satirical laugh,
"No-I suppose am fortune hun
ter after all. If can't get the heiress,
/ won't try the other y
On the very next morning an event
occurred which nobody could have
who stated subsequently that she had
foreseen it. 1t was thunderbolt, and
was preceded by a visit from Mr.. Tom
Ashton, touching which gentleman a
word or two is here necessary. Tom
Ashton was not such bad fellow-he
was only hard-up," very hard-up in
deed. He had been wealthy, but cards
gradually absorbed him. No one wins
in the long run at this business. Mr..
Ashton cast his eyes upon the broad
acres of Annie Heath, paid assiduous
court to the heiress, and on this morn
ing, after an elaborate toilet which set
off his handsome person to great adj
vantage, had visited Oakhill, firmly re-
solved to propose.
Annie was laboring under ennui, as
usual, and welcomed him and his gay
talk. This cheered the aspiring bach
elor; he deployed his brightest smiles
and most sentimental graces; he made
touching speech; he extended his jew
| eled hand with impulsive ardor to take
that of the lady, when suddenly there
appeared at the door of the parlor Miss
Jemima.
"What is the matter, aunt?" said
Annie, calmly.
A" This is the matter
"What 2"
"This !" screamed Miss Jemima, rat.
| Ting paper i'll her hand.
But what is it p
"Another will of your uncle's, leav
ing his property to Augusta p
| Il
Solomon Heath, Esq, rusty, ,crusty
and growing old bachelor, with the ex
| preston mo women about me !" habit
ually upon his lips, found one morning
to his immense surprise that he haG
adopted Annie Heath and Augustf
Wesley, orphan nieces.
| He then proceeded to quarrel will
/ them for the rest of his life-especially
with Annie, who was what is called
"hlgh spirited;" and as uncle and niece
| had had an alteration little while be
! fore his death, Miss Jemima, nader
aunt, who had also come to live a
"Oakhill," said:
81 would not be surprised if tn,
property goes to Augusta, though b,
! likes Annie the best"
The will gave the great Oakhill estate
however, to Annie, with a pittance t.
Augusta. What Miss Jemima had nov
found was q second will, made on tn,
day of Solomon Heath's death, revers
ing this disposition, leaving Annie near
ly penniless, and giving Oakhill t
Agusta.
The rich had become poor and tn
poor had become rich.