The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-02-05

"Dont come down, Mollie; the whole
lower floor is flooded; the heater is
out"
Mollie went into the parlor again.
"There isn't one spark OF heat in the
whole house." she said 10 Mr.. Fithian.
" Perhaps, under these circum-
stances, it would be better to retire to
the upper chambers, said Mr.. Fithian,
whose teeth were now beginning un-
pleasantly to chatter.
eyes, we'd better all go to bed, said
poor Mrs. Muldoon; "we can at least
be dry and warm there"
At that moment a portentous drop fell
straight from the ceiling upon the
sparsely.covered Uranium of Mr.. Fithian.
"Great heaven the roof is leaking !"
cried Mrs. Muldoon; and, rushing up
stairs, they found a stream of water in
the upper chamber gradually making
its way to the floor below. It leaked
from under the closet door. In that
closet hung the better part OF Mollie's
bridal trousseau. She walked with a
faltering step and beating heart to the
door, opened il, and took one quick gasp
to catch her breath. A gust of wind blew
her one braid of hair over her eyes, the
rain came pelting down; the sky-]ight
had blown off; the pretty conceits of
silk and velvet, the unrivalled concep-
tions OF the dressmaker's brain, the rib
bons and lace and all the dainty finery
there, had fallen prey to the devasta-
ton OF the elements. It was all over.
Mollie was pale, but calm. She walked
down stairs again with firm step. As
sl went she heard familiar voice in q
subdued whisper:
"This floor is all right now, Mrs.
Muldoon; the drain was clogged. Now
Jack and I will get at the kitchen
stove"
It was the voice of Dolph Dacre, the
sweetest melody the world held for poor
little Mollie Muldoon. Nothing could
have kept her then from descending to
the kitchen floor. It was wet and cold,
and feebly lighted by the struggling
fame of solitary lamp, but Mollie sud-
denly found it radiant 1t was warm, it
was glowing, it was delightful. Dolph
stood there, in his shirt sleeves, holding
the kitchen stovepipe, while Jack was
extricating the intruding brick. His
luxuriant locks were blown across his
brow, bar of SCOT extended Dolph's
mustache, but, oh the invisible grace
of youth Mollie looked at Dolph with
clasped hands and pleading eyes.
Hold on, jack" said Dolrh, and
dropped the stovepipe.
" What's the row ?" said Jack, and
looking up, found Mollie clasped to
Dulph's bursting and exultant heart.
"It's all over, Dolph, sobbed Mollie.
II did the best 1 could, but every
things spoiled. Aud what's the use ?
All the poor man can do is to get away,
AMI stay away forever"
"TI go for some conveyance for him,
if you say so, Mollie," said Dolph, who
had compassionate heart.
eff you only would" said Mollie.
And he did. Mr.. Fithian was quite
i'll for several weeks, and somehow in
gaining one fever he lost the other. At
all events, when Mollie was married,
the other day, to Dolph Daere, among
the wedding presents was a set of silver
from Mr.. Fithian; and whether he
meant it for satire or religious exhor-
taion nobody knew, but this inscription
WAS neatly engraved upon the coffee urn:
" A foolish man builds his house upon
the sand; and the rain descended, and
the foods came, and beat upon that
house, and it fell, and great was the fall
of it."