The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-06-16

| ing look he examined every feature of the
expressive face be fore him and then turned
| the picture about in search of name. There
it was, just as he had expected to find it, in
the firm, flowing characters which he knew
so perfectly sincerely yours, Alice
Remson."
Good God!' muttered Joe, "what does
that woman know about sincerity ?" Then
he took up the note, written in the same
hand.
AT home to you, dear Harry, tonight at
7, With love. ALICE"
Then, that is where he has gone. oh,
Harry! Harry God help you"
Joe sat down on the side of the bed, and, ,
brushing the falling hair back with his big,
awkward hand, set himself steadily to work
to find ont where his duty lay.
"All of us Harry, Mabel, and nc. BAIL
| think the fiends exhausted their ingenuity
when they invented the torment called low
ing. Poor boy poor Harry. How can
tell him? how make the wretched story
sound less horrible?" Joe looked Mt his
watch. Harry could not reasonably be ex-
| pected to return for two hours. lie would
probably remain as long as Miss Remson
would permit him, thought Joe, bitterly /:
until the fascinating young lady wearied of
his ardent devotion, and dismissed him with
yawn.
For the next hour Joe paced steadily up
and down Harry's room, h.s heavy football
sounding through the house with dull
monotonous regularity, and the longer he
thought of the task before him, the greater
became his dread of it. He dreaded to see
the change come over Harry's bright face,
the brilliant light fade from his happy eyes,
and the rigid lines Of suffering replace the
laughing curves about his mouth. Poor
Joe his trouble was always about somebody
else. He thought his own powerful limbs
and clumsy features were adapted to labor
and sorrow, but he would have liked to
claim immunity from suffering for those he
loved and Harry held a very warm place in
bis heart, perhaps because he was Mabels 5
cousin.
Finally he scrawled single line upon q
card, and eft it where Harry would see it
when he entered the room.
"Comc up to my room as soon as you re-
turn. JOE"
Then he went quietly up stairs to his
own apartment, and unlocking heavy desk
that stood in one corner, took from i. q
bundle of letters tied carefully together with
4 small piece Of black Grape. Placing the
package on the table within reach of his
hand, he sat quietly down to wait 1t was
Il bitter hour that he passed sitting there
waiting for the return of the boy to whose
bright hopes and happiness he WAS prepar-
ing to deal such deadly blow. Would
Harry friendship for him survive the reve-
lation he was about to make he asked him
self bitterly, and then an angry feeling rose
up in the heart, that his should have been
the hand selected to deal out such misery to
his friend Joe shiveled when the clock
struck twelve and simultaneously with its
solemn sound he heard the rattle Of Harry s
latchkey.
at must come % he muttered below his
breath, "and the sooner the better. If put
it Oft until tomorrow, it will be no easier to
tell or 70 hear"
In moment Harry's light step sounded
on the stairs, and, flushed with health and
happiness, he burst into the room.
whats the row, Joe? Thought you
didn't believe in burning the midnight oil
Surely your exciting researches into Newtor
and Lebnitz haven't kept you up till thi
hour? You ought to be dreaming abou
our landlady's mullins and all the dear de
lights of to-morrow's breakfast. Phew In
tired" and Harry resumed his old position
on the bed.
II was rather rude to you this evening
Harry, and | thought I'd like to tell you
"Oh, hosh is that what's the matter
You dear old boy, doyou suppose | remem
bered it for moment? | say, Joe, do yo
know think you the best fellow in til
world there never was anybody quite so
quite sol don't know what want to say
When fellow is spooney on a girl, there
million ways of telling her OF it, bu
when it's another fellow, why-let's shak
hands" and Harry rolled over and place
his hand in Joe's enormous paw.
"God bless you, Harry"
"Why, what on earth is the matter
You're as solemn as if you were assisting a
the funeral of all your friends and relative
in a bunch"
"Harry, is Alice Remson the girl of whom
you are telling me tonight ?"
"Of course she is. Sweet little Ally
There couldn't be two like her in the world
| Why, you don't know her, do you ?"
81 know of her"
"Then you must know that she's tn,
sweetest, dearest little-O Lord forgot
I'm an awful bore, Joe; know it,"
"She is two years older than you are"
Dyes"
"And woman is older than Il man at the
same age, Alice Rcmson is Twenty-Five"
"Well? You don't intend to tell me tha
a woman is increpit at twenty-five, dc
you ?"
"Alice RemsOn was a belle in New Yorl
society before you had entered college"
"What of it?'
81 have story to tell you tonight, Harry
Will You try and listen patiently, and moi
hate me when l have finished Shake
hands once more, will you? You may moi
be willing to when have done" and Joe's
strong hand enclosed Harry's more delicate
one for moment in its firm clasp. Harry
was startled by the quvering, uncertain tone
in Joe's voice, and the gentle way in which
he laid his hand back on the bed when he
ceased holding it,
did you ever hear of Charley How.
| ard '
Eyes, think so The man who was
found drowned in the bay, wasn't he ? There
was great fuss about it in the papers.
was in the country then, you know"
Eyes. You were at home then with your