The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-01-26

On one side of the door that I'D to
the hall stood Jones. and on the other
stood johnson. Both started forwar1
to speak to her, and paused, each per
ceiviDg the others intention. Tilly
gave them smile apiece, and murmur
ing something about fixing her dress,
passed them, fed through the dark
staircase. and gained her own room in
a breathless state.
How long she was pinniDg up that
bredth she never knew. When she
dared stay away no longer she put out
her lamp and slowly-very slowly
began to descend the stairs Ofcourse
she at last reached the bottom stair,
upon which she sat down and dolefully
regarded the lines of light under the
parlor doors. as ifthey VIC uld help her
to a conclusion.
1t was but a moment that she sat
there, but at that moment she was ter
ribly startled by sudden movement
close by her in tie dark. Her hand
was clasped in two others, and a voice
vhispered.
"Tilly, l want my answer. Aren't
you going to give it to met"
Miss M'Ewen was struck dumb.
Here was the crisis upon her. Here
had Jones or johnson come to the point
at last. And which had come to the
point she did not know. Not an out
line of the figure could she see, and the
suppressed voice gave her no clew
"Oh mel" was her natural ejscula
ton, ''if only was a cat, and could
see in the dark"
Being no nearer cat Than a Nor
mon, she had t. content herself with
the wish. Not knowing how to act, she
neither responded nor moved.
why don't you speak? l know it's
you;" and a daring hand touched the
short curls on lilly Is forehead.
Miss NJ Ewens would have given a
deal to have been as sure of the ideht
ity of the questioner. II he would
only speak aloud, or if some one would
open one of the parlor Doors
"Tilly"-this time the whisper was
urgent-''it's now or never with me.
If you don't give me an up and down
Yes OF y > you'll never have the
chance again"
Oh, which WIS i;f Blac.i mustaches
and blue eyes danced before Miss
M'Ewens in the blackness, as she stood
face to face with the destiny. Aud
feeling that it was destiny, she put her
right hand in those that pris med her
f. and said, also in a whisper. @
~ ii, men Yes"
The n Il its,ant there WAS an excla
nation, somewhere beyond in the dark
space, that sounded very profans
The coat collar or the arm of the indi
vidual nearest Tilly was seized by
third person, and the lover she hal
Just accepted was whirled violently
against the opposite wall There was
a scuffle in the dark. Tilly, little COW
ard that she was, uttered a loud scream
and ran back up stairs as fast as her
feet would carry her. Just as she
reached her own door the parlor doors
below were burst apen, and an indes-
cribable hubbub followed. Tilly,
crouched in the dark, with her heart
beating violently, could distinguish
nothing until, after several minutes,
she cautiously erept back to the head
of the stairs. The crowd was going
back to the lighted rooms. Neither
Jones nor johnson were to be seen.
Amidst the loud laughter and indis-
tinct speculation below her, Miss NEW
ems caught q sentence here and there,
Punching in the dark, warD't it?
They never were good friends"
Wonder which would a come out
ahead if they'd g me on"
"Not Jones; he went off suller
enough. Wish johnson d "a fought it
out"
WHO on earth was that that scream
edY'
Guilty lilly drew her head back ran
to her own room, and threw herself Oh
the bed in a state of mind impossible to
describe. To one of her lovers she was
at last enga sed-but to which. And as
for the other, who mad, of course, been
also waiting to waylay her n the hall,
there was nothing in the world more
certain than that she had seen the last
of him. All plain enough except iden
tity. 1t would be difficult to record
the speculations, hopes, and fears that
tormented Miss M'Ewens as she lay for
two mortal hours on the patchwork
covered bed with her face hidden in her
hands. Only two hours, yet it seemed
five to her, before the door was shaken
and Polls voice demanded admittance.
Til;y sprang to the door.
"Oh, POLL" was her first anxious
qrestion, did either of them burt the
other-and which did itl"
Poll nearly dropped the lamp, but
recovered herself, and set it down de-
liberately: then turned and surveyed
Tilly's disheveled figure.
'If you amt a picture, What On
earth have you been staying up here
foil I've been half badgered to death
to find you, and came here the last
place. He's down stairs yet waiting.
"Rho's down stairs, Pollp
"You don't say you don't know
Which of 'em spoke to you. Hain't
you settled it yetf'
! Zone of 'em did, Poll, but 1t was