The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-09-23

ly. It Is most wonderful how some |
young men of depraved associations
will manage to ignore completely the
better circles into which their sisters
might lead them.
But Harry was pleased in spite of him
self. The stranger was not beautiful, |
but she was accomplished. The piano,
under skilful her touch, was new instru-
ment; and In conversation, she put |
him upon his recollections. The topics
to which the discourse turned were so
much above the slip-shod small talk of
too many young people, and she was
evidently the life and soul of the party,
that Harry would have been glad to
listen-only that she would not suffer
any one to be silent. With well bred
grace, she drew out all and, as she
talked, the young man was still further
entranced by the tones of her voice, and
a something in her manner, which
made him half think that he had met
and known her before, though he could
not conceive when or where.
The beautiful volumes, often more ele-
CANT than useful, which ornament draw
ing-room tables, naturally passed under
review. The stranger lady admired all
that she saw, but declared that there
was one parlor-book which she priced
above all others.
"To say nothing of its value as
book, /" she said, "there is nothing more
stately In its beauty, or more acceptable
as memorial. than perfectly plain,
but elegantly printed Bible"
&C. have such an one," said Harry.
Where p'' asked his sisters. Did
you get it for me?"
cor for me 2' asked another
i" For neither it was present-but
not exactly a present, though it is
keepsake. 1 am to retain it till called
for.n
The two sisters pressed him with
questions. He was not sorry to have
this convenient opportunity of relating
what had been freshly brought to his
mind. He said nothing of it before, for
it would have led to awkward suspi-
cions about his bachelor life--that some
times abominable life, of which moth
ers and sisters suspect much, and know
too little
" Come, Harry, we must know who
gave you the Bible.''
" Mordecai, the Jew, said Harry,
smiling.
:" Come now, that won't do" said his
sisters. 1.-THE Hebrews are not Bible
distributors"
Well, if must, must" said Har-
ry. CSC Thereby hangs a tale p" And
he proceeded to relate, with such care
ful omissions as a young man at such
family confessions know how to make,
the story of his first interview with
Arthur Melton, of his purchase of the
book, and of his treasuring it away
He was guardedly silent about that eve
ning's meeting with the mysterious
stranger.
While he talked, if the sisters and
their friends had not been very intent
upon listening, they might have seen
the trembling Of the prints which the
stranger lady affected to be turning
over her back was turned to them, but
not q word did she lose. And when he
closed, all made some comment except
her. She did not trust her lips with
word in relation to what he had
been saying. But, as she turned
from the table, her face betrayed the
exceeding interest which she took in the
narrative. Conversation tagged, and
the ladies rose to depart.
You must show us this young noble
man in Disguise" said they all, except
one, "when he calls for his book.o
81 can't promise; he is all mystery.
He may be another Bourbon lying
1oerdue, or an undiscovered descendant
of the Stuarts," the last hopes of the
Jacobites. can't promise"
But Harry did secretly promise two
things that evening. The first was to call
upon the stranger lady the next morning
and the second was to say nothing
of his appointment, and to bring the
Bible in his pocket. And we may as
well add that he scarcely slept through
the night. He dreamed of the Bible,
and that it changed 10 a man, with the
features of his unknown friend and that
the lady who wore them repeated the
whole of the poetical quotation on the
fly-leaf We need hardly say that he