The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-12-01
WON'T AND I WILL.

"Aunt Bel, / shall never marry hlm!
The speaker was young girl scarcely
osphteen, and she was addressing q mid
lady. who wore look OF an
aoyance that showed that the remark did
bot please her.
'IIe is far superior to Sylvester st.
Iohn," the lady said in reply.
fsHe is conceited; and l don't like
n, was the answer. And the young
''rl walked away.
Laura Moore was the only child of
fEs. Monroe's brother, who died few
EARS before, and left his daughter in
|,st care.
he headstrong waywardness OF her
.a|.rQe had caused Mrs. Monroe no little
I3nbIe in many ways. Lately she had
h1Vn decided preference for q music
ehcher in the neighborhood, Sylvester
81. John, a young man whose simpering,
EIectad manners had fully disclosed to
81 Ii. Monroe the utter shallowness ofhis
skacter.
She had talked with Laura, but with
||tt eifect, and, anxious to prevent the
.|shdship from growing into more init
|1A te relations, she had decided upon
n that she thought might avert such
! eelamity.
3erald Brown was the son of an init
31tfe friend of Laura's father, and a
onnR man with whom Mrs. Monroe
IS well acquainted, and for whose
otal worth she had the highest respect.
thinking that Laura might be di-
rted if she had the society of another,
she had sent q pressing invitation to
erald to come and spend his summer
acation there; and it was accepted.
4erald arrived OF the house few days
bafore the conversation just recorded
look place, and, as chance would have
it, overheard it all.
A. few moments later he stepped ont
on the balcony, where Laura was stand
ing among her flowers, and said.
''Miss Laura, will you take q walk
with me down to the elmsP"
The young lady assented, and when
they reached the rustic seat, he con-
tinued:
ST asked you to come here with me
because wished to have little private
conversation with you. / overheard all
that passed between you and your Aunt
Bel this morning, and l wanted to tell
you that you are not in the least pos
sible danger, as at present 1 have no in
tention of marrying any one"
Here he stopped, for Laura's painful
embarrassment made it impossible for
him to proceed.
81 did not think you were going to
hear me-" she half sobbed.
'1 do not blame you for one wordlyou
said" he continued. ga young lady
should never allow herself to be coerced
into marriage with any one. And you
did perfectly right; and, as there is nc
possibilitZ. that we can ever be lovers, ]
wanted to- know if you were not willing
that we should be friends. cannot
stay here unless you consent to this, and
/ do not wish to go away. Are you
willing?"
"Oh, certainly" she answered, toe
mortified to look up.
'fWell, don't annoy yourself thinking
about it, he said, kindly. eff you viii
excuse me now, will go, as promised
to take Mrs. Monroe to the village thii
morning"
The minute he was gone Laura burs
into tears, and sobbed out of pur,
vexation.
"Oh, wouldn't have had it happel
for all the world" she moaned. ''Hov
he must despise mel And 1 don't dis
like him at all 1t was only because
wanted ID lease Aunt Bel that l said it.
1t was some time before she recovere,
her usual manner wien in Geralds pres
ence, although he took every means i
his power to make her forget what ha
happened,
During he two following weeks tn
young q received many invitation
to par md picnics, and Laura di
not o see how much superio
Ger 5 to most of the young men {
he, intance.
then at home he engaged j
arguments with Mrs. Monro
fine talker and a very INTEL
dy, he often carried his point /
If sound logic, that showed min
jalanced and stored with info