The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-30

balls.
Laura starts from her seat with a
blush, and, leaning from the window,
entreats, "Coax them away, Bella. dear.
They are dancing on the flower bed. {"
And as the girl obediently turns and
speedsin the opposite direction, she draws
back her pretty head, aud looking at her
companion, says, "How much Bella is
like her sister Teresa-that is, when
Teresa was only sixteen |"
" Is she ?" asks Mr.. Fishback.
Why, don't you remember ?" says
the lady.
81 do not" replies Mr.. Fishback.
with emphasis.
Miss Laura makes two interrogation
points of her silken eyebrows. opens her
mouth to speak, thinks better of it,
closes her red lips firmly, and turns to
the window again as the Follow-follow-
follow-me ers stop playing and gather
in group, with their eyes fixed upon a
small serial car, gayly decorated with
| flags, which is gently swaying between
heaven and earth, as it slowly descends
toward the lawn. In few moments it
touches the ground, and q handsome
young man leaps out, and is greeted
surprise.
"Your brother Reginald" says Miss
Beardsley. $50 soon returned from
LondonP Why, he only started few
days ago."
"Yes; flying ship American Eagle
fastest of the Air Line. I heard of her
arrival just after breakfast this morning,
when it was shouted by the telephone at
the station below"
"Thirty miles away !"
"Oh that's nothing. We expect to
be able to hear news from a hundred
miles away before many years are past"
May I not be in the immediate
vicinity when that news is shouted |"
says the lady, with an involuntary move
ment of her pretty white hands toward
her pretty rose-tipped ears, "for I
should expect to be deaf for evermore."
Never fear, my dear-I mean Miss
Beardsley. Such misfortune as that
shall never occur, even though you
should chance to be at the very side of
the shouter. Edison is at this moment
perfecting an instrument that begins to
deliver its messages in q moderately
loud voice, which increases in volume as
it is carried forward, until it reaches the
most distant point it is intended to reach,
thus maintaining an even tone all along
the route. How glorious all these Edi-
sonian inventions are |" he continues,
with a glow of enthusiasm, "and what
humdrum times our ancestors must have
had without theml Why, they are the
very life of the age. There's the phono-
graph, for instance-but beg pardon;
you are looking bored. can not expect
you to take as much interest in these
scientific subjects as do. Is not Regi-
lald coming this way?"
"He is not" answers Miss Laura. de.
murely; she is still holding Bella's
hand, and totally ignoring all the other
welcoming hands extended to him."
"sAh the old, old story that is ever
new !" quotes Mr.. Fishback, as he
peeps over the shoulder of his fair guest
at the new arrival; and then, sud emily
rising and confronting her, he exclaims:
You must have heard that story very,
very often, Laura-forgive my calling
you 80, but you used to permit it in the
days we went blackberrying together
some ten years ago; and forgive me
again, but, upon my word, cannot
help asking you, impelled as 1 am by
some mysterious power, why have you
never married ?"
A blush rises. to her cheek, but she
looks up in his face calmly, and replies:
81 don't remember the blackberry epi-
sodes, and I have remained unmarried
because 1 vowed when young girl
never to marry unless convinced that
was the first and only love of the man
whose wife I became"
Laura, have never loved another"
"Mr. Fishback, you forget my old
friend Teresa, the sister of the girl to
whom your brother Reginald is now
making love on the lawn"
"Good heavens Laura, how mistaken
you are -
"'Twas with her you looked for black
berries. I never knew you to find any
not with me, SIR"
"Laura, how blind you were I
sought her society only to be near you.
declare, upon nv word and honor, I
fingered by her side for hours and hours
in the hope that you would join us for
a moment or two during the time, and
when you did, in that moment or two
was concentrated the joy Of the whole
day. You were 80 proud, SO cold, SO
reserved, did not dare to approach You
save through your friend; and"
Sand you did not bury yourself in
seclusion for two years after she Tilted
you and married Frank Huntington ?"
she asks, as he pauses.
"Great heavens how preposterous
Laura, I swear"
But, as he is about to swear, enter a
procession of small nephews and nieces
and attendant friends, the leader of
which carries an odd-looking box.
"See, uncle !" the bright-eyed little
fellow calls out as he approaches. ST
found this old phonograph on the top
shelf of your closet, where 1 was look
ing for your fishing line to play horse
with, and it talks like everything"
With this he begins to turn the metal
crank, and voice-a somewhat shrill
young voice, the voice of Teresa, sister
OF Bella-whilom friend of Laura
Beardsley-begins to speak:
Eyes, Leon, my own, I will grant
your impassioned prayer, and breathe
the words you long to hear into this
magical casket, and then, when you are
lonely or inclined to doubt me, Jealous
one, you can call them forth to bring
back the smiles to your dear face, and |
Joy to your dear heart. I do return the |
love you SO ardently avow, and 1 will |
marry you when mamma gives her con-
sent. Until then no lips shall touch the
lips made sacred by your kiss, no hand
shall clasp the hand that wears your
ovelv diamond ring Rrt oh Taon