The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-11-06


the table in the earlier part of the eve
ming was turned down, and of course IL
was turned down by me. / wondered
some at this, for on previous occasions
Jane had only allowed the lamp to be
turned very low, so as to make u soft,
darkish sort of light in the room.
commenced to speak, but had ut
tered only few words when Jane asked
to be excused, telling me she would be
back In few moments. She went out.
The room was pitch dark. ! heard the
door open and shut, and heard her glide
along the hall. L sat with my thoughts,
and looked forward to the time when l
should be the happy possessor of Jane
and her half million. But did not sit
long. A step sounded In the hall. and,
rs believed, Jane came in.
1 might as well let the cat out Of the
bag here, and tell the reader that, instead
of Jane coming in again, she sent the
servant girl, Ann Hayes, to receive my
caresses and my proposal. My blood
boils even to this day when think how
awfully have been made the dupe of
few unsophisticated country girls.
The room was dark, and how should
/ know whether Ann Hayes of Jane
Summerlleld received my embrace.
commenced my proposal. made a
poetical speech. / had spent great
deal of time on 1t, for was determined
1t should be a sumner; and then to
think it was all delivered in the ears of
hirelng. Isn't 1t agonizingY
When 1 look back now can remem-
Der that the Jane who came in seemed
somewhat more robust than the Jane
who went out; but how could be ex-
pected to suspect that there was any
thing wrong, or that there was deep,
black, damnable plot laid to ruin me
forever and ever in the eyes of the Nub-
blestown people?
| can remember, too, that James voice
seemed to have slightly changed, but 1
attributed it all to agitation OF course
any woman would be agitated on such
an occasion, and, when L prepared my
proposal speech, believed Jane would
be particularly and peculiarly agitated
at the time when l should pour it in
soft whispers into her listening ears.
When L closed, and when the sweet, soft
'yes" fell from her sweet, soft lips, at
tributed the strangeness of voice solely
to agitation.
When the low-bred hireling uttered
the word Yes" L, for once, was hap
py man. L told her she should never
lift hand to do a stroke of work-no
never She should be the angel of my
brown stone front, and the reigning
belle of the city. She should be the
Rose of Sharon-the North Star of
my existence-the North Pole of the
universe!
If the earth had opened her mouth
and yawned as if she intended to swal-
low me, 1 could not have been more
astonished than L was when the hire
ling jumped up, clapped her hands and
shouted, in her natural voice:
Bully for you'll"
l was thunderstruck and was light
ningstruck, and was crushed to the
shape of small sized atom. What did
it mean ? Who was it? Where was 1?
Who had matchp These were the
questions that, for the moment, bowled
and howled through my soul. But 1
wasn't long in suspense. The door
opened, and Jane appeared with blaz-
ing lamp in her hand. The situation
could be viewed, and the strategy was
apparent. Behind Jane stood Annie
Hobson and Jake Chambers. l took it
all in as one wild, pealing laugh came
from the four throats, and then wilted
and expired. rushed hatless from the
house, and walked the streets and raved
until daybreak, and then went to bed.
L rose at noon, and, on going out,
found broad grin on the whole town.
1t was all out then. L shut my eyes
and ears, and rushed away. 1t would
have killed me if 1 had staid an hour.
Two years have passed L have put
hundreds of miles between me and Nub-
blestown, and have, in measure, re-
covered from the awful shock.
will just add that Jane Summerfield
and Jake Chambers planned the cow
ardly affair. They are married now.
May they always be miserable.
Nana n