The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-22

| tStS Wnlca he hat noticed on the Deac
confronted him
"lt's the Miss Whttemores, Mr.. =
don't recall your name,' remarked Mr.;
Elklns, spooning out his steaming chow
der. And in this unceremonious way tn
introduction was elected
lntlmacies ripen fast under such cir
cumstances. Reading sailing, and walk
ing together, spending whole days an
day after day in company, it was no won
der that before long the three so latel
strangers should become as old friends
1t was easy to know the Misses White
mores. they were so frank and simple, Sc
pleasantly well-bred Alice. the eldest,
gentle, womanly creature quiet in speecl
and manner and full of certain sWee
common-sense, was evidently the objec
of tondest care to the brown-eyed Marion
John had never known any girls like them
It was revelation Of the pleasant posi-
| bilities of life to be in such contact Still
his shyness and old habit of distrus
hampered and held him back. ''Wha
man ever understood a woman ~ he ask
ed himself Il don't pretend to. 'Flossy
indeed | did have a real glimpse of he
IN tnat blessed little book Now if some
fairy would just open a door and let mt
see the inside of Marion's heart in The
same way, then | should know where
| Wasn
Marion Yes, the imaginary Floss,
was dethroned; the real Marion reigne,
| in hey stead. John, however, was still un
CONSCIOUS of his subiugation, and how
long the affair might have halted no one
can tell, had not Fate. as she often does
taken the matter into her own hands
My brother is coming down for Sun
| day, said Alice one morning
Have you brother2n
"Oh, yes Have we never told vol
about him? Poor boy ii is his first va
| cation this summer We have wished fol
| him 50 often, and now at last he car
come
John watched the sisters curiouslv, 4.
they made ready for their walk to the de
pot tLat afternoon, but he did not offer tC
accompany them. ''Lucky fellow ~ he
| muttcred, with u sigh. and fell to gnaw
ing his mustache, sure sign Of uneasiness
ana emotion.
By-and-by they came back, each hold
inc M arm of a broad-shouldered. merry.
faced youth, who walked between with {
face OF entire contentnent.
"My brother, Mr.. Singleton" sa,
Alice, in her gentle voice, rs John rose
to greet them
Happy to know YOU" said the new
conner. shaking hands cordially. "The
girls have written about you till | feel a.
if we We're acquainted. say, what !;
beach Can't we have 4 sail this evening
Flossy p
john started as if shot.
Il thought your name was Marion,
he said, conlusedly. staring like one in :
dream
Yes, so it is she answered careless
and Tom called me Floss always when We
were little lie does now, sometimes
~'You really must leave it off, sal,
Alice GLOSSY is absurd for a groWn-ul
person
sim rather fond OF it, remarked Ma
ri0n lit doesn't sound absurd to me II
ALL
-lt'@ beautiful y jerked out John, still
absorbed in the suddcnness Of his sur
prise. Marion looked at him astonished
lie felt himself blush under her gaze, but
offered no explanation, and the subject
was dropped.
The READ and the ideal rarely combin,
in life. When they do, only one conclu
sion seems possible. Events flew rapid,
after this embarrassment. The course 0
true love has intervals Of smooth running
tor ali the poets may say to the contrary
The bright hunters moon Of that yea
looked down upon two extremely happy
people, and when Christmas gladnes
dawned ON earth, it found them happier
still
1t WAS ON the first delicious evening
spent in their new home that John broke
the silence and told the tale Of his treas
ure-troye They sat together by the fire
side, and tlossy turned the worn pages o
the diary with Il tender touch.
"nrar shabby old thingW she mur
INJURED. "Yet it brought US together. y
"Anl IL think how searched for yoI
in all the shops of the city !"
SHOPS? Oh, didn't go to the shop
you know Aunt Marion died the very
week after wrote that and lett me two
hundred dollars because was named tol
her. tclt so rich to be able to take Alice
to the sea-shore, How little we guessed
when YOU came, and we grew to be friends
that all that time you had my Old diary
in your pocket -
And how little l guessed that the
'Flos-y had hunted lor and dreame'
about was close ut hand You'll max,
me Toms pudding some day, won't you
although apples are expensive "n
Marion raised the little green book tC
her lips and kissed it, Then she kissee
John iiaper's Bazar.