The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-03-31


unless you are sufficiently rested to
and wish to follow the skaters"
~ assure you, my dear madam, 1 am
not sufficiently rested, and very much
interested" l said. "Pray go on"
1.-THE old lady went on. "Daisy has
tie loveliest tiny teeth in the world, but
unfortunately last week she broke one
of the front Cnes. Away goes the child
to the dentist, and had what was left of
1t pulled out, and then home to her
mother, and smiles. "Oh, dearl oh
dearl" cries the mother-who is, as 1
told you before, weak, nervous thing
-"where is your tooth? and where,
ohl where, is your smile?" You see,
the tooth, Mr.. Douglass, had taken
Daisy's smile with it, and the poor girl
didn't look at all like Daisy. So the
modest little thing, who hadn't given
thought to her looks herself, seeing her
mothers distress, went directly back to
the dentist, and begged him to tell her
what to do. "Have false one in It's
place" said he; "but it will take some
time to get up a permanence, and you
say you must have something Immediate
ly. The only thing we can do is to
find tooth and fasten it in with bit
of wax to serve as a temporary"
"Easier said than done, Mr.. Doug
lass. 1t took long while-a whole
afternoon, in fact-to match Daisy's
pretty teeth; but at last it was done, and
the dear little daughter went home in
the twilight, and smiled again at her
cOntented mother. Well, day or two
after, going from here, some stupid man
slips on the ice, falls violently against
the child his tall hat striking her.
straight in the mouth, aud out flies the
Temporary. And now Mrs. Russell
is pining for sunshine again"
"Who was the man ?" asked.
"Why, what silly question |" said
Aunt F!delia, sharply. "How should
know ? And as for Daisy, her near
sighted eyes didn't rest ON him an in
stant, and she couldn't tell him from
Adam. So, poor thing, after all her
trouble, she's lost the tooth. Can't get
another, because she ism t able to rec
Ompense the man for the time it would
take to find one, and is obliged to go
about with her mouth shut. You
needn't say how dreadful for a woman;
I'll say it for you.
"The mother Is a seamstTess, said l;
perhaps my mother, who is kindness
itself, could help her to some work that
would pay her we'll. Can you give me
her address?"
"You're a good boy" said the unsus.
pecting old soul; and scribbling it on
one of her own cards, she gave 1t to me.
And now l think you'd better 60.
Good night
"The next day after my highly salts.
factory interview with Mrs. Fairman
was st. Valentines day, and what |
considered happy thought flashed into
my mind, and l instantly proceeded 20
put iJi into execution. Ibought pretty
little tortoise shell box, laid the tooth
in it on bed of white cotton, in CON-
pany with two or three small gold
pieces to pay for the "permanence;"
and wrapping the box in a sheet of rose
perfumed paper, on which l had writ
ten verse or t tvo-what time had
trying to find rhymes to mouth and
'tOoth'l-I sent it by one of our errand
boys, with strict injunctiOns not to ans
wer any questions, to the residence of
Miss Daisy Russell. Judge of my as
tOnishment when, in less than an hour,
the box, minus the tooth, but still con-
tanning the coins, was returned to me,
with note written in hand which be-
trayed extreme agitation, aud which
read thus:
''hliss Russell thanks Mr.. Douglass
for his kindness, and, while retaining
her own property begs to return the
verses aud other things sent by mis-
take"
"Imagine my feelings, my dear fel,
low. No, you can't imagine them It's
impossible. My cheeks, man as l am,
actually burned with modification.
came near tlinging the money, or the
other things" as she called it, out OF
the window but, on second thought
pocketed it instead.
GLOW in the world had she found me
out? No doubt she knew, through the
Howard children, there was such per,
son, but in what manner had she dis
covered that the sender of the valentine
and Robert Douglass were Identical
What should | do to pacify the little
gypsy how prove to her that what
had done had been in thoughtless kind.
ness | made up my mind to call upon
her. The affair could not be properly
explained by letter. Embarrassing a:
an interview might prove, | must face
the situation like gentleman. And ID
half an hour after the box was RETURN
ed, l was ringing at the door of the
house where dwelt Miss Daisy Russell
she opened the door herself, and peeret
curIously at me with her lovely neal
sighted eyes 1t was evident she die
not know me by sight.
III would like TO speak to you mo
ment, Miss Russell" l said. 81 an
Robert Douglass"
"Her brown cneek famed like an au'
tumn leaf with the light of the setting
sun on 1t. She answered not word
but led the way into pleasant, bul
rather circumscribed sitting-room.
81 have come to beg your pardon, >
| began, as soon as the door was CLOSED
behind us. ~ lad no intention Of
wounding you God forbid | knew
you found it hard struggling in this cold
world, that you had dear mother al
most dependent upon you" Cher face
sOttened shade when l spoke of hel
mOther), land never dreamed"-
"But the verses" she interrupted