The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-09-18


billet-doux that Miss Cameron had received
the day before.
ats the single lady in the white house
with wisterias over the porch" said Mills.
dts her as they has writ to-the one that
went by With kitten in a basket last week
and you asked me who she was"
"Yes, yesj an agreeable looking lady,
said Mr.. Cross. Good heavens, Mills, how
dare these imps play such trir9 on me2"
"If You please, sir, they said that when
she answered it, you'd think she was going
to offer herself, being it's leap year, and be
scared TO DEATH" said Mills.
al scared by letter from iadyl I'VE re-
ceived such things BEFORE" said Mr.. Cross
"rhis is quite unehdurable."
And he descended to breakfast in q state
of Indignation utterly iidoscribabie. Before
he had flushed his meal the bell rang, and
q messenger handed in note for Mr.. Cross.
ltwas Miss Cameron's teply 10 the letter she
had received, and it ran thus:
Ma. CRoss-Sir: Your note is SO respect-
tul that l venture to reply TO 1t. If you re-
| ally desire, as a neighbour to cultivate my
acdpaiintaRtej think it You'd be actually
rude in me to refuse vol al opportunity, as
we belong TO the SAME church.
AMELIA CAMERON.
Romance had gotten the better of propri-
ETY., and these last lines were Miss Gamer
on's compromise With the latter.
Mr.. Cross shook his. head solemnly; his
path seemed set with thorns. al will think
the matter over as eat my breakfast" he
said, and Mills; who waited on him watched
him narrowly. So did that scape. grace, his
nephew, Jimmy Cross, who, having finished
his own meal, smoked cigar on the porch
in company with his friend Sam Humphrey
This scape-grace was Bachelor Cross's
nephew,whom he had recently taken to live
with him shd who had no doubt of being
his heir. James was nineteen, idle, jolly,
and in his own opinion, very witty, in that
of others but slightly burthsned with brains
Sam, his friend, was his elder by one year
and the plot they had concocted was the re.
suit OF mutual intellectual effort. Fossibil.
ity of detection had not occurred to either
of thbn.
"Nunky has got the letter." said Jane.
after awhile, when Mr.. Cross, after silently
eating his breakfast went up stairs.
"Lets watch Him." replied Sam. "By
Jove, he's going out"
Drinking at the glass;" added James.
"Goihg to cal, or I'm mistaken" respond
ed Sam.
And in q few moments more Mr.. Croos &C
tually walked out of the door, wearing hi
new spring overcoat and pair of light glove
and betook himself forthwith to the ,cottag
with the wisteria-covered porch. The tw,
brilliant youths watched him out Of sight
ard then burst into roars Of laughter, an,
actually rolled upon the lawn in spasms o
) delight; Mills. watched them grimly from
: his masters window as he brushed his Goa
and set the toilet table to rights. ,,
Mr.. Cross was the most perfect gentlema,
and the more be thought the matter over tn
more he felt it his. duty to save the lady
feelings at any cost. Had she not replied I
his note, he would have felt obliged to ex
plain that he was not its, author; but sh
lad answered i kindly and be decided :
call, and thus virtually to acknow ledge tn
authorship of the note,
As be dressed himself for the call, an cd
: thought came into his mind. 49,.
The lady Was certainly very knriec iookint
evidently a most correct person. He wa
not plain man, and though elderly, nc
the antiquNted person his nephew evidentl
considered him. .,,. ,.,
upon my word never thought offs
a thing before--but why shouldn't MARI
and have some one to care whether cota
} home or not? "A lady of mature years, ye
not old, is certainly the proper person 70
me. Only an pld fool marries young gir
who might be his daughter, and I'll thinl
it over. And romance crept into the hear
Of Bachelor Cross as il had into that Of Mis-
Cameron.
In this mood he made his call-his fir
one.
For the next month or two James an
Sam watched the old gentleman with th
greatest glee. At the end Of that time, 4
9 they sat enjoying their joke upon the porch
> Mills brushing up the fallen leaves in th
path, thus addressed them:
"s'pose you don't know the news gentle
men ?"
"What ue@sr asked Jim, carelsssly. Al
"Master is going 10 be married." fepiie
y Mills.
o "Pshaw |" cried Jim. "oh, you think
+ because he goes over TO ffiss Caniefon's 8
.t mitch. We know all about that"
ado you?" said Mills, grinning. al tel
you the day is fixed for the first of Angus
Somebody put kind Of April fool trick o
: master and that lady over there, and b
t found it out, but his manners isn't whl
y young folks manners Is, He up and brave
it out, not to hurt her feelings. And Il
= end is, he's fell in love, and they'rs 10
= married on the FIRST Of August"
y Jim looked at Sam, Sam looked at Jihn
y and both walked away crestfallen, lsaviu
Mills grinning in the garden path.
I He had told the truth. Bachelor CroI
e had really fallen in love with Miss Cameron
& and in August they were married and be
came what is generally denominated YER
happy pair, ~,
A year later master James was called int
D his uncle's study.
"Jimi" said the elder gentleman, al in
y tend TO put you into business. When SCI
] for you it was in the belief that ] shoul
l. never marry, and that l would make 70
my heir. However, matters have turne
: out differently, and as, between you an
1t me, know that you were instrumental /
8 bringing my marriage about, you can't con
s. plain. must think first of my own child
9 But if you take advantage Ofyou OpPOrtun
ties, and are eindustrious,you make can you
self rich, which will be best for you, aftC
ALL" .t.
n Jim bowed He was in very snlem
!, mood, aud it occurred to him that his trio
= had been rather played upon himself tina