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

"IIush up!'
Cant do it, old fellow; anything to
oblige you but that. Must tell somebody,
or I'll burst"
"Well, what about her -
"What about her p'--
"'Why, man, she Is nne own,
And as rich In having such jewel
Al twenty seas, II all their sands were pearl
Their water nectar, and the rocks pure gold"
ooh, Lord p
"Sorry you don't like Shakespeare
And they no sooner looked but they loved;
no sooner loved but they sighed no sooner
sighed but they asked one another the rea-
son; no sooner knew the reason but they
sought the remedy, and in these degrees
have they made II pair of stairs to marriage.
And now, my sweetly sympathetic friend
you know all about it,"
"What fool you are, Harry !"
81 say, Joe, if there is any medal awarded
for politeness at that university of yours,
you'll be sure to get it. She's Just the sweet
est, dearest
''lf there's any more Of that to come,
would you mind retiring to your own
room ?"
"Joe, you're beast. You never saw such
darling little"
"What will you take to clear out ?"
Il don't know. viii you give me lock
of your hair if I'll go?"
"lf you open your mouth again, I'll pitch
you out of the window p' and Joe got up
from his chair with an impatient jerk, and
a look of positive annoyance came over his
ugly but good-natured countenance.
Don't be cross, Joe / didn't mean to
bother you, old fellow" said Harry, peni-
tently. "Pll go now" and the handsome
boy picked himself up from the bed where
he had been lying, and made his way down
| stairs to his own room.
Joe crossed over to the mantel piece when
he was gone,and leaning his elbow against it,
gazed long and earnestly at the sweet face
of picture that hung there.
Sweet little Mabel, should have made
such fool of myself if you had loved me ?
What weary world this is, my poor little
girl You are far away in the country, with
your soft eyes dim with tears and your warm
little heart worn with fretting for that hand
some scamp / have just sent down stairs 4;
and |, who know your tender little secret,
and would have shielded you from all sor-
row at the sacrifice Of my own lite, must
sit still dlisten to his raptures over another
woman. By-the-way, who is she? All that
row, and he never told me her name Well,
what matters it if she be called Smith or
Jones or Montmorenci you will suffer all
the same, my gentle little darling, and |
cannot help you"
Joe turned moodily away, and sat down
again at his desk, and drawing toward him
a ponderous-looking volume, proceeded to
immerse himself in the difficult mathemati-
cal problems that Harry's rapture had inter-
rupted. But the chain of thought had been
broken. Calculus seemed to have lost all
power to engross his attention, and diaere Mt
ials and infinitesimals had suddenly grown
as uninteresting and unimportant as they
are small.
after half an hour he gave It up, and.
lighting cigar, let his thoughts wander
whittier they would. Finally they lit upon
Harry. 81 wonder if was unkind to the
boy tonight" he asked himself. 81 was
busy, and he irritated Inc, and he did make
such fool of himself Then all the time
he was raving so absurdly, Mabels eyes
seemed to be looking down so sorrowfully.
l suppose l imagined it, but it made me
rude to him, and fancy ma naged to hurt
his feelings l think I'll go down to his
room and see what he is about. Ate. all |
am fond of the youngster, though he does
make such nuisance Of himself"
Joe knocked twice at Harry's door. and
then, receiving no answer, opened it and
entered the re ON. The gas was burning
dimly, and there were no signs of ocou-
pancy. "Gone out, suppose. Does the
idiot leave his letters open for the inspection
of his landlady said Joe to himself, as he
saw an open note and photograph lying on
the bureau. ....WoAdey it this is the fair OBJ.