The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1879-01-30

'Our what? he questioned in the
tones of a lover.
Filtration, she calls it, says 1 an
naughty and YOU are wicked, and al
/ this sort of thing must stop"
THAT is all she knows about it, my
dear little girl. Filtration, indeed A
| if we were capable Of such thing" hf
replied with the jolliest Of laughter.
Then bending down lower, screened
nv the roses, and holding both her hand,
ciasped tightly within his own, he com
menced a very earnest conversation anC
succeeded in not only convincing the
happy girl Of his sincere attachment bu
in believing that he completely filed NJ
her own little, loving heart. And theI
out came the secret Of Aunt Alice anC
the determination that her niece shoulC
never marry one of the Seldom blood.
eve will see about that, returned the
JOYOUS Paui, as he kissed away tn,
gathering drops from the eyes Of Clara
81 have not another moment to stay
whispered Clara, "aunty is calling me-
Il shall speak to uncle at once, anC
then to Miss Alice" he answered, still
clinging to her hand.
'But she is very firm, Paul, dear, and
will not relent, l fear"
'Then I shall run away with you, de.
pend upon that, for you are my promised
wife"
cob! Paul, that would be dreadfulp
"Oh! Clara, it would be glorious Upon
second thought, / fancy it would be the
best thing we could do, leaving the two
old lovers to settle the matter while we
are hOney-mUUning."
"I will not listen to another word, u
laughed Clara, and snatChing away her
hands ran into her aunt, the happiest
girl in the world.
The result of Paul's speaking to his
uncle of his attachment for Clara, was a
most terrible scene, and a notice from
the elder Seldom that madam's rooms
would be vacated upon the following
day The note to his landlady also con-
tanned q very scathing allusion to the
fact of both herself and niece being
very designing women, and expressed Il
determination to protect his nephew
against their arts by all the influence he
possessed.
The second result was to send Aunt
Alice to bed with miserable headache,
while poor Clara nearly cried her eyes
out in the seclusion of her own room,
though presently she received a long
and comforting letter from her 'adOring
Paul
The next morning Miss Amesbury
went down stairs fully determined to
end all intercourse with the Seldons,
and to send them forever adrift, bag
and baggage, as faras her niece and her
self were concerned. But when she
rang thE breakfast bell Paul and Clara
fingered beyond reason, and the maid
she dispatched for them returned with
the announcement that the young people
were not in the house, and that Mr..
Charles Seldom was hobbling up and
down his room like a Gagged bear and
raving over a letter just received from
Mr.. Paul.
There" exclaimed Nora, (the maid},
''it's the young masther that has run off
wild the purity Miss Clara, an it's meself
will pitch the ould one out ov the house,
neck and crop, if yell spake the worrod
iist, Miss AmesGury."
''Nora, be quiet" sobbed Aunt Alice
''I wish knew what to do"
'Fwat to do? In trOth an We may
that same. But ghure an it's yerself as
oughter-be above talzin' the sass ov the
ould one along wild the young ones i'm
pertinence. Jest near till him now.
Shu-e an its afther brakin' the bell cord
he'll be-" ard the irate damseI hastened
to answer the imperative summons.
But almost instantly she returned and
announced:
'IPs yersilf, Miss Amesbury, he would
be afther spakin' wild. Bad luck till him.
An We look loike it's faintin' We would
be. But don't be afther givin' in till
him. Shure if he sinds mud jest give
him shtOnes."
Aunt Alice was in reality plucEy lit
tie wonan, and even if she was, as Nora
said, pale 2s deRth and looked like faint
ing, she walked very firmly up stairs
and into the presenceof Mr.. Seldom.
''Madam!" he exclaimed, read tRat !
Just read thatp and he rudely thrust
the letter of his nephew into her hands.
ItCOntained the simple announcement
that he PAUL and Clara had been mar
ried that morning at an early hour, and
had gone to New York and taken rooms
at the Fifth Avenue, where they would
await the forgiveness of the uncle and
aunt, believing them both too generous
to withhold that which would make
them all perfectly happy.
What do you think of that ?" snarled
the inCensed old man. "What do you
think Of that, madam"
q am shocked and grieved more than
I can express" returned the lady n a
faltering voice, and sinking into the
nearest chair.
"IndeedP' sneered he, "after permit
ting the girl TO dawdle away her whole
time in the company of that young dog,
in door and out you are surprised and
grieved, forsoothl"
'T looked upon your nephew as a
gentleman, sir, and though I had re-
monstrated with Clara, and even forbid
den further intimacy, l thought him
incapable of actually stealing the girl, y
returned Miss AmesbuTy firmly, his
taunts having aroused all the dignity of
her nature. "Humph All have to say
is that if YOU did not actually plan the
mascn, madam, you must be a some
what blind guardian Of a young girl.
But I have sent for you, madam, to give
you distinctly to understand that 1
wash my hands entirely of the young
couple"
CAS- if I would give your selfish nature
credit for anything else" she answered
tartly.
"And, madam. permit me to add that
Paul Seldom, the husband of your man
aging niece, has nothing in the world
independent Of me, and though l may
still choose to keep him in my employ,
I will never see his wife or permit her
name mentioned, and you may as well
comprehend that despise all flesh in
woman form. They are nothing but
apples of discOrd, and ever have been,
from Eve down to the present time"
"And permit me-" responded Miss
Amesbury, springing to her feet and
drawing her fine form to its fullest
height, ''tO say that I should hate all Of
mankind through you, Charles Seldom!
nut I cannot, for 1 am satisfied there
are very few, who like him, are capable
of winning the affections Of a young
girl, only to cast her off and tTample
upon them, upon the slightest provoca-
ton; and that though you, Charles Sell
don, were capable Of all that, was treach-
erous and mean, 1 am led to believe that
Pail Seldom possesses a generous, aHec-
tionate heart, and that he truly loves
Clara. Sol shall 20 to them and at once
install them in the room you now Occu-
py, and which you will much oblige me
BY vacating Immediately"
While she was speaking the gentle
man sat as one transformed, never taking
lis eyes from the flushed face that was
pretty despite her five and thirty years.
When she had concluded and was about
to leave the room, he managed to artic-
ulate, but in a voice so changed as
scarcely to be recognized:
"Alice Amesbury, is it possible you
lay the charge of treachery and dissen-
s.m at my door? You - you, Alice
Anesbury, who had won a love as true
and STRONG 9sdpgth and then for q haSfv