Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-23

upon staunchlng the tiny drop OF Dlooo
with his handkerchief and afterward
playfuIly healed the wound with his lips
"Oh! Oh! you must notp exclaimed
the rosy Clara, "for Aunt Alice will be
very angry. She is quite in earnest
about breaking up our-our-"
Our what% he questioned in the
tones of lover.
"F1irtation, she calls it, says am
naughty and you are wicked, and all
this sort of thing must stop"
THAT is all she knows about it, my
dear little girl. Filtration, indeedl As
if we were capable of such thing" he
replied with the jolliest of laughter.
Then bending down lower, screened
by the roses, and holding both her hands
clasped tightly within his own, he com
menced very earnest conversation and
succeeded in not only convincing the
happy girl Of his sincere attachment, but
in believing that he completely filled up
her own little, loving heart. And then
out came the secret of Aunt Alice and
the determination that her niece should
never marry one of the Seldom blood.
aWe -Rill see about that, ," returned the
joyous Paul, as he kissed away the
gathering drops from the eyes of Clara
II have not another moment to stay
whispered Clara, @aunty is calling me.'
Il shall speak to uncle at once, and
then to Miss Alice" he answered, still
clinging to her hand.
But she is very firm, Paul, dear, and
will not relent, fear"
Then | shall run away with you, de-
pend upon that, for you are my promised
wife"
"0hl Paul, that would be dreadfulr
"Ohi Clara, it would be gloriOusl Upon
second thought, 1 fancy it would be the
best thing we could do, leaving the two
old lovers to settle the matter while we
are honey-mvOning."
"I will not listen to another word, !"
laughed Clara, and snatching away her
hands ran into her aunt, the happiest
girl in the world.
The result of Paurs speaking to his
uncle of his attachment for Clara, was a
most terrible scene, and notice from
the elder Seldom that madam's rooms
would be vacated upon the following
day. The note to his landlady also con-
tanned q very scathing allusion to the
fact of both herself and niece being
very designing women, and expressed
determination to protect his nephew
against their arts by all the influence he
possessed. .....
The second result was to send Aunt
Alice to bed with miserable headache,
while poor Clara nearly cried her eyes
out in the seclusion of her own room,
though presently she received a long
and comforting letter from her 'adoring
Paul
The next morning Miss Amesbury
went down stairs fully determined to
end all intercourse with the Seldons,
and to send them forever adrift, bag
and baggage, as far as her niece and her
self were concerned. But when she
rang the breakfast bell Paul and Clara
fingered beyond reason, and the maid
she dispatched for them returned with
the announcement that the young people
were not in the house, and that Mr..
Charles Seldom was hobbhng up and
down his room like a Gagged bear and
raying over q letter just received from
Mr.. Paul.
There" exclaimed Nora, (the maid},
"ifs the young masther that has run off
wild the purity Miss Clara, an it's mesef
will pitch the ould one out ov the house,
neck and crop, if yen spake the worrod
iist, Miss Amesbury."
'FNora, be quiet" sobbed Aunt Alice.
II wish knew what to do"
"Fwat to do? In troth an We may
that same. But Hhure an it's yerself as
oughter be above takin' the sass ov the
ould one along wild the young ones i'm
pertinence. Jest hear till him now.
Shure an it's afther brakin' the bell cord
he'll be" and the irate damsel fastened
to answer the imperative summons.
But almost instantly she returned and
announced:
%It's yersilf, Miss Amesbury, he would
be afther spakin' wild. Bad luck till him.
An ye look loike it's faintin' We would
be. But don't be afther giyin' in till
him. Shure if he sinds mud jest give
him shtones."
Aunt Alice was in reality plucky lit
tie woman, and even if she was, as Nora
said, pale as death and looked like faint
ing, she walked very firmly up t. stairs
and into the presence of Mr.. Seldom.
"Madamp he exclaimed, "read that!
Just read thatp and he rudely thrust
the letter of his nephew into her hands.
Itcontained the simple announcement
b44fhb 4lC IL dulJ anu Old1d AAft4 DCCAA A4lsA-
ried that morning at an early hour, and
had gone to New York and taken rooms
at the Fifth Avenue, where they would
await the forgiveness of the uncle and
aunt, believing them both too generous
to withhold that which would make
them all perfectly happy.
What do you think of that p snarled
the incensed old man. "What do you
think of that, MADAME
II am shocked and grieved more than
can express" returned the lady n a
ALTERING voice, and sinking into the
nearest chair,
"Indeedw sneered he, "after permit
ting the girl to dawdle away her whole
time in the company of that young dog,
in door and out you are surprised and
grieved, forsoothP P a.
'1 looked upon your nephew as >
gentleman, sir, and though l had re-
monstrated with Clara, and even forbid
den further intimacy, thought him
incapable of actually stealing the girl," ,"
returned Miss Amesbury firmly, his
taunts having aroused all the dignity OF
her nature. "Humph All have to say
is that if you did not actually plan the
mach, madam, you must be some
what blind guardian of a young girl.
But have sent for you, madam, to give
you distinctly to understand that l
wash my hands entirely of the young
couple" l...s .l-
"As if l would give your selfish nature
credit for anything else" she answered
tartly.
"And, madam, permit me to add that
Paul Seldom, the husband of your man
aging niece, has nothing in the world
Independent of me, and though may
still choose TO keep him in my employ,
/ will never see his wife or permit her
name mentioned, and you may as well
comprehend that 1 despise all flesh in
woman form. They are nothing but
apples of discord, and ever have been,
from Eve down to the present time"
"And permit me-" responded Miss
Amesbury, springing to her feet and
drawing her fine form to its fullest
height, ITO say that I should hate all OF
mankind through you, Charles Seldom!
But cannot, for l am satisfied there
are very few, who like him, are capable
of winning the affections of young
girl, only to cast her off and trample
upon them, upon the slightest provoca-
tion; and that though you, Charles Sell
don, were capable Of all that, was treach-
ousand mean, / am led to believe that
Paul Seldom possesses q generous, affec-
tionate heart, and that he truly loves
Clara. So shall go to them and at once
install them in the room you now occu-
nv and which von will much Obli0e ma