The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-29

In the whole course of my life."
| "
After dusk glorious winter day, with
here and there star twlnkllng in the
pale gray sky, and the lights and fires in
the Hillcrest sitting-room making an
eloquent welcome to Walter Austin, as
he stood in the midst of the home circle,
tall, gentlemanly, handsome and self
| possessed.
Old Mr.. Cressington was in his richest
humor as he led forward two young
| girls.
Come, don't be shy now. Walter,
this Is your cousin, Mabel Cressington,
and this is her good friend and insepara-
BILE companion, Irene Vance, come to
help entertain you. My nephew, Wal
ter Austin, girls. And this Is Aunt
Cornelia = you remember her well
enough, hey ?"
And so the presentation was merrily
gotten over, and Walter found himself
at home in the most pleasant family he
had ever known.
They were remarkably pretty girls,
with blue eyes-although Miss Vance's
were decidedly the deeper blue and more
bewitching = and lovely yellow gold
hair. Walter found himself admiring
the style of Miss Vance's coi6ure before
be had known her an hour and when
he went up to his room that night he
felt as If between the two, roguish Mabel
and sweet little Irene, he never would
come out heart whole.
For Mabel is good little darling,"
thought he, "and will take great-un-
Gle Abiah's advice and fall in love with
her, and thereby secure generous slice
of the Cressington estates. Egad that's
a happy thought"
But the handsome young gentleman
went to sleep and dreamed, instead of
Mabel's laughing eyes, of Irene's gentle,
| tender ones, and awoke somewhere in
the middle of the night, unable to get to
sleep again for thinking of her.
And the after days were not much bet
ter. Despite the golden value of Mabel,
there was something about Irene Vance
that made this headstrong fellow very
| Indifferent to the advice he had sworn to
follow.
" Because, by Jovel fellow would
have to be made out of granite to resist
the sweet, shy ways of such little
darling as Irene. And I'll marry her if
she'll have me, and the money and
property may go to the = dogs. I've
head and pair of hands, and blue-eyed
Irene shall not suffer"
1t was an hour later that he met her
in the the hall, carrying great bows of
holly, with which to festoon down the
walnut staircase.
Give me your burden Irene," said
he. "Why did you not tell me you
were going to gather it, and let me go
with you? 1t is altogether too heavy
burden for your arms to bear"
He managed to get the lovely sprays
from her arms, but it required an i'm
mense amount of tardy effort on his
part, and shy, sweet blushing on hers.
ANSWER me, Irene. Why didn't
you let me go with your Wouldn't
you have liked it ?"
He demanded her answer in the most
captivating, lordly way, and she drop
ped her eyes in great confusion.
| "Y-e-s."
"Then why were you so cruel to
me ep"'
81 am not cruel to nybody. Indeed
must go now."
Walter placed himself squarely in the
way, and was looking down on her rose
tinted face.
"No, you can't go yet. Irene, you
are cruel, or you wouldn't never deprive
one of the opportunity to enjoy the
blessedness of your society" His voice
lowered tenderly, and he dropped his
head nearer her golden curls. you
know L think it cruel in you to be SO
distant and shy and reserved with me =
don'tyo Irene ?"
She shrank away, her lovely form
dropping like lily, her cheeks hanging
out their signals of distress and con-
fusion.
"Oh, please don't talk so to me. In
deed 1 must go Mabel is waiting for
the holly, and she-they won't like it
| if-n
But she was prisoner in his tight
clasp.
If what? If they find you and me
talking so confidentially together ?'
No, / mean If don't take the holly
at once.''