The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-09-20

But she was very Blau Wnen, toward
sunset, it was all done, and she had
leisure to run up to her own little room;
and never in her life had she taken such
pains with her appearance as now, while
she arrayed herself in what she con-
sidered her most becoming toilet, soft
dove-colored dress, with knot of rose
colored ribbon at her throat, and another
Nesting like freshly -bloomed rose in
the ripples of her brown hair.
How anxiously she listened for the ex-
pected ring at the front door. How tu-
multuously her heart beat when at length
it came, and how heavily it sank when
old Deacon Brown stalked in, to discuss
some church matters with her father
Then she began to look at the clock
and her heart grew fainter and fainter as
she saw it travelling slowly round to
eight o'clock. In Riverside they kept
early hours, and when, at quarter of
nine, Deacon Brown took leave, Hetty
also arose, and lighting her bedroom.
candle, went slowly and sadly upstairs.
When, next morning, she came down,
her mother remarked, as she busted her
self about the breakfast table:
Hetty, Walter Hayes was. here last
night"
"Oh, mother ~
There was something almost pathetic
in the look and tone but Mrs. Lock
wood was too busy with the steaming
coffee-pot to perceive it.
He came in just as you had gone up
stairs" she continued. He asked for
you, but it was so late, L thought it
hardly worth calling you down again.
He had been seeing Miss Mitchell home
to her aunt's-that Philadelphia girl,
you know, and 1 didn't know until he
mentioned it, that she was niece Of his
employer, Mr.. Mitchell. He is cer-
! tainly improved"
81 think" observed Mr.. Lockwood,
! as he took his place at table and cut into
the cold corned-beef. 81 think heard
Harry Tunstall say yesterday that young
Hayes was paying attention to Miss
Mitchell. He said he had seen them to-
gether in Philadelphia. She's hand
some girl, and her fathers got money.
If Walter marries her he will do well
don't bolt your food like that; cut il
properly, sir, before eating"
Hetty had turned suddenly sick at
heart. She said nothing, but she could
not swallow her breakfast, and her moth
er presently remarked upon her pale
looks.
"Don't you feel well, child?" no.
ticed that you were fidgetty and nervous
last night. You're feeverish, L doubt,
with the spring weather"
| Hetty was glad that her mother per-
mitted ler to go to her room and lie
| down. There was never a fire in Ii Ell
room; but she drew the bed-clothes over
her head, and wished that she could
| thus shut herself out from the whole
world. She felt forlorn and miserable.
All her sweet foolish dreams of love
seemed to have been rudely stricken at n
blow. Walter had ceased to care for
her. He had not been proof against a
years absence. he had been won from
her by that handsome, stylish girl from
Philadelphia; and Hetty hid her face in
her pillow, and almost wished she could
die.
1t was the darkest day she had ever
known. She tried to read her Bible, but
could not fix her thoughts ON it, and
closed it in despair. She listened to the
dismal beat of the slow-falling rain, and
Mt times watched the swaying of the half
budding tree branches in the chill wind.
The cherry tree before her window had
been yesterday whitening into blossom.
Surely the cold would kill the tender
buds, and there would be no.fruit- How
like her own hopes and happiness
Her mother sent for her to come down
to dinner. There was, she said, no use
! in staying upstairs in the cold, and the
child would be better by the fire, with
some nice warm soup. In there all the
afternoon Hetty sat, while her father
and the boys went to church-for it had
ceased raining now-and her mother
read Baxter's "Rise and Progress, and
sang hymns to the baby.
"Het," said Bill, upon his return
from church, " saw your old beau,
Mr.. Walt Hayes, at church with Miss
Mitchell, and he shook hands with me
and asked how the family was. She's
real swell, a regular roarer, tell you,
and if you don't shine up some, she'll cut
you out"
William, don't let me hear any more
such slang talk from you, beg" said
his mother reprovingly.
"And Hetty," said her little sister
Annie, as she carefully drew off and
folded her gloves, 81 heard Kate Hayes
tell Mrs. Green that Walter and Miss
Mitchell were going back tomorrow to
Philadelphia, and Mrs. Green said she
supposed that was one reason of his
coming to Riverside that he might travel
home with her."
Hetty lost all heart and hope at this.
She longed for sympathy--to lay her
head on her mothers knee and tell her
all. But Mrs. Lockwood, though she
really loved her children, was not one of
those gentle and sympathetic mothers to
whom their children thus turn; and poor
Hetty went again to her lonely room,
and wrapping herself in a shawl. seated
| herself Mt the window and looked listless-
! ly out.
A few people were passing. She hardly
noticed them, until she suddenly met a
pair of brown eyes, and hat was lifted ;
and she drew back with burning cheeks
and a beating heart, as Walter Hayes
passed. How handsome he looked and
as her mother had observed, how i'm
proved in appearance-with SO much
manliness and dignity. And she-what
could he think of her, sitting there pale
and forlorn looking, with her hair all
disordered about her face? He might
come this evening, perhaps, and yet she
hardly wished it now. 1t would only be
painful to see him, and find him changed.
Still, she dressed herself and went down.
stairs, though her head was throbbing
and she felt really i'll. And all the eve
ming she waited and watched as she had
done before and Walter never came,
and she knew now that he did not care to
i