The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-01-01
had sustained very ugly fracture of

the leg.
Mr.. johnson, a fellow-boarder, re-
mained with him that night, but in the
morning left him to fulfill an engage
ment. After breakfast there was the
most timid knock on the door imagina-
BILE, and in answer to his invitation
Miss Coy came softly in. There was no
denying the fact that he was glad to
see her pleasant face and to listen to
her greeting of "Merry Christmas" +" for
his face frightened and his restlessness
ceased.
cts all but a merry Christmas to
me" said John.
its all for the best" she answered /;
although I'm afraid that 1 was the
cause of it,"
"No, no ~ responded John, earnest
ly. " | was going out anyway" And
there flashed across his mind the long
columns of forgotten figures that had
worried him SO, and which he had
promised Mr.. Lickpenny to care for on
the preceding evening. He was won
dering what Mr.. Lickpenny would say,
when his visitor asked him if she could
not write to some of his relatives for
him.
81 have none to write to-" he an
svered, sadly.
" Your friends, then p she hastily
added.
Nor friends" said John.
She remembered the sad tone that
their conversation the night before had
taken, and was turning away with tears
in her eyes, when John said
Would you kindly write little note
for me to Mr.. Lickpenny?"
She gladly certified her willingness,
but had scarcely prepared the materials
when they were interrupted by knock
at the door, which, opening, disclosed
the figure of Mr.. Lickpenny himself.
" Umph !" said he; broke your leg,
did you p
AS he approached the bed he winked
so familiarlv at Miss Coy that that
young lady blushed, and John stared
at him in amazement.
"Yes, sir" replied John, when he
had recovered himself.
Umph r' calculated Mr.. Lickpenny,
Z" il don't pay to 90 on love excursions
on winter nights, does it ?" He winked
again at Miss Coy, but she turned away
her head in confusion, and hurriedly
put up the ink and paper
What y cried John, lifting himself
up on his elbow and surveying his en-
ployer with indignation.
Ha ha ha - laughed Mr.. Lick
penny, caught at your age, who'd
have thought II. Come, do not look so
innocent. When a man neglects his
business and goes off with young
women, thing he never was guilty OF
before, the case is very plain"
Miss Coy having replaced the writing
materials hastened from the room with
? burning face, and John. greatly dis
tressed, fell back On his pillow again.
Well, john" said Mr.. Lickpenny,
when she had gone, chow did II hap
pen and how il the world am I to get
those books balanced %
Never until this moment had John
considered Mr.. Lickpenny other than a
gentleman. To be sure, during all his
years Of service he had never seen him
under circumstances calling for precise
department but instinctively he had
clothed him with all necessary attri-
butes only to have them now torn off,
and the tue character Of the man dis
played in all its deformity. The scales
fell from Johns eyes, and his blood
q L..
kind-hearted Miss Coy. He held his
anger, however, and answered as calmly
as possible.
"Mr. Lickpenny," said he, "you
have insulted very worthy young lady,
without the least cause and my as
tonishment at your ungentlemanly re-
marks Is only exceeded by my disap-
pointment. 1 did think, so lately as
yesterday, that you were som mething diff
ferent from this"
"Ha! ha! han laughed Mr.. Lick
penny, "can't stand raillery, hey ?
Why, John, you're worse than boy. ''
- If l was out Of this bed, sir, you d
find out the difference" cried John,
waxing wroth "you can leave the
room-the sooner the better. Get your
confounded books fixed up as best you
can. l won't touch them again by Jug
ful."
Mr.. Lickpenny suddenly became
grave, and began expostulating, but
John would not listen TO him, and de-
manded that ne leave the room in such
loud tones that the landlady appeared.
asserting that she thought he had called
for her. There being no other alterna-
tive, Mr.. Lickpenny angrily departed ;
but John, IL his excitement. having
attempted TO move his injured leg, i'm
mediately tainted with the pain. Mrs.
Wlndle was a tall, muscular female,
who had never suffered from nervous
ness. She very coolly raised his head,
and calling 10 Miss Gov, who happened
to be passing and who she espied
through the haf-open door, she soon,
with her assistance, brought him back
TO consciousness. As he was slowly re-
covering, he thought he heard, as if in
the distance, the voice of Miss Coy,
saying: Poor fellow, be seems to be
quite alone in the world :" but when
he opened his eyes they beheld no one
in the room save his landlady.
he lay for some time, until his mind
was quite clear, and then he sent the
landlady for Miss Coy, who hesitated,
but at last came in. When he saw her
all his old diffidenee returned, and it
was with difficulty that he told her of
his deep regret at the insult she had
suffered, of his self-dismissal from the
employment of Mr.. Lickpenny, and of
his sorrow at being unable to take her
TO the oratorio that evening, as he knew
she loved good music.
Do not mention ii, she said 'syou
have suffered too much for my sake. If
there is anything I can do for you. l
pray you let me do il.
/" Miss Coy" said John, his heart
speaking through his faltering lips, 81
have lived alone, quite by myself, for a
number of years, and have few friends
and no relatives to take care of me can
Il aulr NON 4x IL