The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-07-30


on the dust-pan and throw it out of the
window. Ugh"
eff the begonia was not severely in
iured," say, as Nell pauses for little
shudder, cit was n very good thing that
the pot did break. The worm would
have killed the plant, sooner or later, if
it had staid there. Then just think how
uncomfortable the poor thing must have
been, all cramped up in that little place.
AS far as l can see, your first piece of i'll
luck was very good luck for all three of
| you-the begonia, the worm and you"
-"Oh, the worm!' says Nell, scorn-
fully. " But that is only the beginning.
[ thought / never should be ready for
breakfast, for everything went wrong.
In the first place, dropped one of my
| jet earrings, spent n quarter of an hour
in hunting for it, and only found it at
last by setting my foot on it and smash
ing it. And only think, Cyril" cries
Nelly, in a brisker tone, "while was
looking for it l found my pearl ring that
l thought had lost while we were out
boating last week. It was under a
corner of the carpet, where it might
| have staid until we clean house again if
hadn't just happened to see it."
Good luck out of ill again." | say.
Because, rs this is furnished house,
It might have lain there forever if we
leave it next spring"
II ,OiSb you'd hush! ~ walls Nell, dis
consolately. Cant you let me be mis-
cradle if | want TOP There is nothing
more maddening than to have people
persist in being cheerful over your mis-
fortunes. It's my i'll luck, and l don't
see why you need meddle with it,"
at will be nv i'll luck if you don't
give me my breakfast pretty soon,"
say, laughing. Tor Nell's eyes are twink
| ling in spite of her savage words.
Nell pours out the coffee while l carve
our favorite dish-beefsteak and mush-
rooms. Nell just tastes hers, and lays
down her knife and fork.
THAT is the climax!" she says, with
the calmness of despair.
/ taste, and then lay down my knife
md fork also.
"What is itP' / ask.
" Bridget has put sugar upon the steak
instead of salt she says. Perhaps
you will be kind enough to evolve lit
tie good luck out of this also"
"No," l say, decidedly. ut is beyond
| my power to see any good luck in having
your breakfast spoiled"
81 thought so," says Nell, laughing
1T is easy enough to be philosophical
over other peoples woes. but when il
comes to your own it is different mat
ter. Suppose you see how you like il
yourselfP6 / prophesy that somebody
will invite you to lunch Mt Delmonico's s
md you will have all the more appetite
for not having had any breakfast. Oh
| forgot, though. You can't lunch al
| Delmonico's, for you must come homo
| carly to go to the picnic. You won't
| fEgetp"
/ promise: and then, us the whistle
sounds, catch up my hat, and rush of
to the station, which is only five minutes
walk or three minutes run from oui
house.
Nell and /, as you may judge from the
above conversation, are brother and
sister, and we live alone together, the
olliest, coziest couple that ever was seen
So every one says, and if there is little
private worm gnawing at the heart Of
one of us, it is never confessed to any
one, least of all to the other. The state
of the case is this: am a lawyer, with
tolerable practice for young man
Nell is n " tocherless lass" and the in.
come which l make just avails, will
care and economy, for the support o.
two. With no amount of figuring OF
|
that it will avail for more. Nell has
never guessed my secret, never shall
guess it until the day comes when il
need be secret no longer. But though
she has never guessed mine, | have di
vined hers long ago. / know that tn,
pearl ring which Nell treasures so fondly
is the gift of young DIR. CASTOR, and
know that NelPs eyes are brighter anC
her smiles shyer and sweeJer when ht
is here. He does not come very often
for the town where he is striving Il
build up practice is ten miles away
and young doctor must be always upoI
the spot. The prospect before him anC
Nell is vague-indeed, rs vague as IN,
own. There is just one possible spot o
light in our future. Aunt Jane-Aun
Jane Rumsey-is an old, very old lady
She is infirm, she is irritable, she is ca
PRECIOUS, but she is rich. We scarcel,
know her, for she has never manifested
any affection for us, hardly betrayed
consciousness of our existence, and Mel
and are no toadies. We are her onl,
living relations, though, and everybod,
says that sooner or later her money mus
come to us. We never talk about il
never build upon it, never mention tn
possibility to any one. Why should W
talk of what may come to nothing
0nly-if it ever does!
I lapse into thoughts of the little gir
, who is waiting patiently up among tn
} New England hills, in the old colleg
town where l studied-the little girl a
whose existence Nell has never guessed
Nell, at home, is dreaming of Mile
: CASTOR, whom she is to meet at the pic
mic this afternoon. must not be lat
for the picnic, by-the-way, so l rous
myself, shake off my dreaming, and g
to work with a will.
When 1 reach home again, tired i
, mind and body from the effects of crowd
p ing a long days work into less than hal
, day, Nell is not watching for me, as
fully expect to find her. VainlY do
? search every room of our tiny domicilC
vainly do I shout Nell's name from til
2 top to the bottom of the house; silenc
e and echo alone answer. 1t is yer
| r. 4 L \ Al