The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-11-07
Uncle Andrews Romance.


his cheeks, and his eyes were fixed on |
the ivory miniature which lay before
him, depicting, as I saw by the glimRGe
which caught of it, bright, gixl
face of SURPRISING beauty.
had no thought of intruding upon /
Uncle Andrews private griefs when 1
entered his room without warming. In
deed, I never suspected that he had any
griefs, he was SO cheerful and pleasant,
and so free from the crustiness commonly
set own as the distinguishing traits of
old bachelors.
I was about to beat hasty retreat,
when Uncle Andrew stopped me.
Don't go, Charlie" he said, ST feel
as though it would do me good to to talk
bit just now"
SIS that the likeness of relative ?"
/ asked, pointing to the miniature,
thought.
s'No," he answered; "but will tell
you the story if you care to hear it. 1
think it would be relief to tell some
one this evening""
I drew up chair in front of Uncle
Andrew, who thus proceeded:
"You may form some conception OF
how beautiful Alice Bond was from the
picture you see there, though the reality
was far beyond the power of any artist to
reproduce.
ssShe was delicate and tender flower.
A hereditary tendency to heart disease
her mother had died suddenly from that
cause-gave her friends much anxiety In
her earlier years, but the doctors gave
encouragement that she would outgrow
it in time, and Mr.. Bond went on making
money as usual, with an eye to leaving
| 1, Il, 10 &ha oh moi
ess in the land.
'sI was happy youth that day when I
| told Alice that loved her and had done
SO ever since knew the meaning of the
word, and she leaned her darling head
on my shoulder and whispered back the
precious answer that satisfied my hearts
longings. :,
eve both knew Alice's father too well
to hope for his present sanction to our
union. This was our plan: would go
to the land of gold, then newly dis
covered, win fortune, and then return
and claim the hand of the rich mans
daughter when. he would have no right
to scorn my suit as that of mercenary
adventurer.
"For two long years I toiled in that
wild, far-of country, as man only can
toll when he has some cherished end In
|
and at the end of the period named had
amassed sum beyond my most sanguine
hopes. The time had come when need
wait no longer. The days of servitude
were over, and I might now claim the
prize.
with what impatience I made the
weary journey homeward. Not line
had passed between Alice and myself. 1t
was condition of our compact that we
should hold no communication till the
time came that we might ask Alice's
father for his approval. The self-im-
posed restriction had been faithfully
observed. did not even write to tell
Alice of my good success. 1 wished to
be bearer of the good news in person.
''At last set foot in my native town.
My first greeting resolved should come
from Alice. I rather ran than walked to
her house.
'HTell Miss Bond gentleman wishes
to see her, I said, excitedly, to a servant
who answered my hasty ring.
L fear you cannot see her to-day,
was the response.
s'Why not?" asked impatiently.
"sDo you not know she is to be mar
ried this morning /? returned the SER
want.
Married p I said, gasping for breath.
sMarriedl-to whom ?"
.'To Mr.. Ellis Wythe."
CELLS Wythe the villain He had
pretended to be my friend, and was the
only confdente of my love for Alice.
''Not well knowing what did, stag
gered past the servant and was soon in
the midst of the gay company, to whom
Mr.. Bond, stiff and stately as usual, was
doing the honors with an air of great
satisfaction.
''The bridegroom and his attendants
stood in little group by themselves. A
clergyman was in waiting to do his Office.
They seemed to be only waiting for the
bride.
I advanced and confronted Ellis
Wythe. Heaven knows what / would
have said or done, for I was in no rea-
sonable mood. But at that instant q
piercing shrek from an upper chamber
rang through the house. Alarm over
spread the countenance of the guests.
There was general rush for the stair
way, and I was borne along with the
others. Through the open door of an
apartment we saw the bridesmaid, who
had gone to summon the bride, kneeling
beside prostrate form in white. It was
that of Alice in her wedding robes. The
strain upon the worn, troubled heart had
been too great. She was dead.
'sIt was not till afterwards that ]
learned the full perfdy of Ellis Wythe.
He had pretended to receive intelligence,
through correspondent, of my marriage
and permanent settlement in California.
Stung by my apparent faithlessness,
Alica had yielded to her fathers COM
mand and consented to marry a man she
did not love. But the poor, crushed
heart rebelled at last-and broke"
Poor Uncle Andrew!-and that was
the reason he had always remained a
bachelor.
Bur IT CURED HER.-A young lady,
well known in fashionable circles of Ed
lnburgh, was accustomed to use her eye
glass in the street in way that often
bordered on impertinence. One day she
received stinging rebuke, which made
her drop the impudent habit. While
walking in the street with several other
fashionable ladies she met q country
clergyman. man of eminence and keen
wit, but ungainly in appearance and
rough in attire. Putting her glass to the
eye, she watched him very intently. The
clergyman was quite equal to the emer-
gency. Walking directly to her he took
her hand and said: my dear Marie,
L. i \