Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-02-01

bad affair altogether and 1 am sor-
rv it happened, very sorry, for
liked the boy, and-hOw coozy thev
looked! how wonderfully comforta.
BILE and honey.
Thus meditating, Mr.. Bond, in
the course of time, reached his
boarding-place, thOughtfully let
himself in, hung the shabby coat
and opininiated hat in their accus-
toned places, and with less decis-
iveness than usual mounted the
stairs to his room and sat down to a
volume of Gibbon. But somehow
GibbOn seemed uncommonlv dull
tonight, and when he looked off the
book the same thing was the mat
ter with his room; and, taking a
mental survey of life in general, he
found that uncommon dullness was
its predominant feature also. But
at whichever things he looked there
was shining beside in sharp contrast
that picture of slove and happiness
winch had been just stolen and laid
away for future contemplation. For
some reason this was not the com
fort to him that 1t should have been:
instead of proving good substitute
for the reality of these things it
served only to make him feel his re.
moteness from all three-as a man
might feel cast away alone upon an
island watching the passing of great
white ships that never came near
enough to take him in. After wreSt-
ling an hour with the "ROman EN-
pire" and his own thoughts, and find
ing both insufferable, he threw them
over and went to bed, only to dream
that Nero was Dimiek Blair and had
forgiven him, and wanted him to.
marry his sister for the good of
Rome.
The next morning when the geo
metry class was reciting, and Mr..
Bond, looking as superior and un-
sympathizing as ever, was busily
employed knocking down demon
stratious and quarreling With de-
formed triangles, who should walk
in but their schOolmats, oDimfck
Blair? To the surprise Of. everybody,
but especially the teacher, he walked
straight to his desk, and said, his
fine face flushing, but his ewes and
voice clear and brave: Mr.. Bond. |
was very wrong yesterday and treat
( ed you disrespeetfully. | am sorry
now and ask your pardon.
What a change came over the
firm, cold facel The lips quivered,
the gray eyes lighted up and then
half filled, while Dim found himself
grasped closely by both hands for an
instant and heard Mr.. Bonds voice.
wonderfully soft and deep, saying:
You have made me very happy,
Blair Now stand up and show these
fellows the difference between cir
Gle and a parallslogram; they don't
seem to know, this morning. And
then Dim had to wipe his eyes and
laugh, and the boys thought it was
Jolly asking pardon.
And it was all so different from
what thought it would be, said
Dim, telling Kate about it afterward;
not hard a Bit; and Mr.. Bond is an
old trump, after all, and cares lots
more for us fellows than he pretends
to. Don't you think, at recess he
came to me and said he was wrong,
too, yesterday, and he wasn't sure
but he was the one to apologize;
and stuff like that, that made me
feel awfully cheap. And l told hIm
how mad | was, and how you coaxed
me to come back and do the right
thing, and how the music helped
me and all. When l told him that.
his eyes looked sort of wistfuI-he's
got splendid eyes, Kate-and lie
said he would like me to ask my SIS
ter if he might come in once in
while and hear us sing for an hour
or so.
Well, what did you tell him, Dim
lex?
Why, Katherine, | took the liber-
ty of informing him that we would
be most happy to see him at all
times, and would wsrble in our most
angelic style for his beneft-or
something to that effect. Was that
right, sis?
Wholly and entirely right, my
dear boy, and wish to inform you
that l am perfectly proud of my
brother, now.
In that case, says Dim, do let's
have toast for supper. Hu-
milIty has made me fsarfully hun
CRY!