The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-16

else spot VIII, .e, in days gone by, MADAM
Wesson had been won't to sit for Ions
hours every evening, and play "Pati
ence" with her general. Dear me
what energies of patience it required fol
Erasmus to keep still, while Pastol
Lubke slowly plodded through hi
fourthlies and fifthlies, his predicatel
and deductions, and Hilda never turned
her head But lover will endure much
No trace of his inward impatience WA
suffered to mar his outward .quietude
and he won golden opinions from the ole
ladies of the congregation, who pro
nounced him a most sober and godly
young man. Erasmus hoped that the
echo of this flattering opinion NIGH
reach Hilda's father and soften his heart
but such did not seem the case. Ever
when he sought out the pastor to con
suit him on disputed point of theology
it did no apparent good. Papa Lubke
listened, replied, confuted him on all
sides, and dismissed him grimly and tri
umphantly, his cause not advanced one
inch. All his little ingratiating ways
seemed thrown away. The pastor, wise
as the serpent, however harmless he
might be, refused to be ingratiated, and
Erasmus felt himself foiled.
Grown desperate at last, he venture6
on bold step.
"I wish 1 could make your sisters
acquaintance" he said to Hilda over the
fence. "Do you think I might call up
on them some evening ?"
"Oh no! please DON'T" responded
Hilda, frankly. Then coloring deeply,
she added: "Don't think me rude. You
are very kind to wish to come, but my
father would not like it. He does moi
want us to make acquaintance with
strangers. We never visit any where,
and nobody ever visits u.s."
"But that is dreadful, broke in Eras
mus. "Why shouldn't you know peo-
Pile? You ought to know people, and
they ought to know you. You're toe
sweet-all of you, mean, to be cooped
in so. It's outrageous It's cruel It's
doing the world an injustice ! I neve,
heard of such thingl"
"Oh, don't talk like that, please
don't, cried Hilda. "And must say
ood-hight-indeed must" and away
she ran. Erasmus watched her go with
rage in his heart.
81 declare" he groaned, "she's like
q girl in fairy tale, held fast by some
old witch so that no one can get at her. "
He went to bed that night quite down.
hearted. But next day, his courage re-
stored, he again attacked Hilda, as she
accidentally strayed in the twilight to-
ward the spot where he stood leaning
over the fence.
81 say, Miss Hilda," audaciously,
"I've been thinking over what you said
last night, and I'm certain you must be
mistaken. About your father, I mean.
He's too wise man-I'm sure he is-to
want to shut you all up forever, and
keep you from making friends. Why,
how could you do anything if he did
get married, for instance2"
"Oh !" cried Hilda, with vivid
blush, "we don't think about that.
And father does feel just as told you"
But-please-why not think about
hats It's exactly what want you to
think about. It's what am thinking
about all the time. Shall I tell you
why2 May I tell you, Hilda?"
Hut Hilda had fed, in obedience to a
call from some upper window, and
Erasmus smote the fence wrathfully
with his fist.
Confound it |" he muttered. "What
love five feet off? I never can get near
enough to be heard, on account of this
old fence. I'll be hanged if stand it
any longera" And he strobe into the
house.
Next day brought exciting news. His
patent had been granted, and a manu-
featuring firm in New York, with whom
he had been in treaty pending this re-
suit, wrote to offer handsome sum for
the control of it. But what were air
brakes, royalties" and ten per cents
to him Just then, with Hilda evidently
avoiding him? She had not once come
to that side of the garden during the
day. He felt melancholy in spite of the
realization Of his hopes, and in melan-
choly mood strolled out to his customary
walk alongside the boundary fence,
though with little hopes of seeing Hilda,
for twilight had fallen, and she was
rarely in the garden at so late an hour.
Perplexed and unhappy, he fingered
and leaned, and presently, to his sur
urise a little sound, half sigh, half sob,
struck his ear. He bent over: dim,
crouching figure met his eyes. 1t was
Hilda, crying quietly, while pretending
to stake down struggling verbena in
the flower bed below.
"Miss Hilda r. exclaimed Erasmus,
in amaze. "This is too good fortune
1 have so much to tell you u
"Oh, you mustn't mustn't-we
mustn't talk any MORE" replied Hilda.
lifting a tear-stained face. at isn't
right. 1t will never do"
"Who says 80 ?" with surprise.
"Sister. She says people will call
me Observation-Disclosures and
father will be angry-and-oh, indeed,
1 mustn't"
"Light- minded I Improper Just
let me catch them |" thundered Erasmus
so far as one can be said to thunder
with voice lowered almost to whisper.
"Now listen to me, dear-dearest Hilda.
have great news to tell. My patent is
granted, my fortune as good as made.
Day after tomorrow [ must go away"
A sob from below.
"Are you sorry to have me go?
Dearest Hilda, are you sorry? If you
are, even the least tiny bit, let me have
the comfort of hearing You say 30. Don't
you know that l love you, my darling.
loved you from the first moment, l
the very day that you all
came to this old house. Could you
care for me, dearestf Will you be my
wife ?"
Perhaps-I could care" faltered
Hilda. "But-my father doesn't"
0Now vhv should we talk of your