The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-06-02

VINO beats hollow all the girls without
any that l ever met. / am everlast-
ingly indebted to him." And while
these thoughts whirled through his
mind, Miss Ashurst was enunciating
her soft little sentences of welcome.
We are glad to see you, Mr.. Ashe,
and mamma will be very glad when
she comes home. / am only sorry that
she should happen to be out this ven
ing at Mr.. Bereuin's cercIe, but they al
ways break up early. She had a letter
from-your aunt, think it was, in the
autumn, in which she said that there
was talk of your coming here toward
spring; but she named no time, and
mamma did not know when to look for
you"
My uncle, probably. He is not mar
ried. | had no idea, however, that he
had written to Mrs. Ashurst so long be-
forehand, though he bade me call upon
her without fail"
"Your unclep" repeated Miss AS
hurst, doubtfully. 81 thought recol-
lected; but of course l might easily be
mistaken. Pray sit down, Mr.. Ashe.
Oh, not on that chair; that is only COM
Portable for ladies. Try that big square
one. What clustering night it isp
/ thought so till came in, but no
one would suspect it from the atmos-
phere of your room, Miss Ashurst.
What a delightful roomit isl"
. | am so glad that you think so,' put
in the beautiful Amy, whose voice was
as sweet as her face. Florence and |
are always pleased when any one praises
our rooms, because they are mammals
doing, and we think that she has the
most perfect taste in the world"
Nnthfno, oO1,1d la NJ,
sure. 1t is thoroughly individual, and
yet has such look of home, and that is
not an easy look to produce in a city
house, it seems to me-"
No, it isn't; but mamma is a real
wonder-worker; she always gives that
look" cried Amy, eagerly, dilnpling
and flushing, and looking twice as hand
some for the pretty glow of pleasure.
We hear occasionally of love at first
sight, and we smile at the notion as ro-
mantle; but for all our disbelief and
our derision, the thing does sometimes
happen even in these matter-of- fact
days, and it happened that evening in
the case of Alexander Ashe. His ex-
cuse must be that nothing in the world
was easier than to fall in love at first
sight with Amy Ashurst. Apart from
her beauty, and her remarkable charm
of manner, which in itself would have
been irresistible outfit for far palmer
girl, every moment spent in her company
made 1t more and more apparent that
this outward loveliness was but the ex-
ponent of a nature lovelier still, "pure
as her cheek and tender as her eyes" 1t
would have required tough heIrt in
deed, or an already occupied one, to
have resisted her spell, and Alex Ashe
had neither. He had been rather indif-
ferent to young ladies up to this time.
and piqued himself little as beauty
proof; but he melted like frost in sun
under the influence of Amy's sunny
looks, and with feeling akin to that of
the old woman of the nursery legend,
wondered if this were indeed he, as he
drifted INCREASINGLY on under the be-
witchment of the occasion. Two hours
sped like two minutes. 1t was ten
o'clock before Mrs. Ashurst walked in
nom her cercle. Her coming was like
the breaking of a dream. She greeted
him cordially, but there was little per-
pleXity in her manner as she said: Il
am very glad to see you, but somehow
you surprise me good deal. l was not
prepared for anything so tall or, formed.
You know, l recollect you as little
Albert and your Aunt Carry never
mentioned that you were so astonish-
ingly grown"
9Albert-Aunt Carry!" thought the
mystitied Alex; and then, with a sudden
sinking of heart, he began to surmise a
blunder.
II do not quite understand" he stam-
mered. L Can there be- am
half afraid l may have made a mis-
lake. l am Alexander Ashe, not Al
bert"
Mrs. Ashurst looked more puzzled
than ever. Florence blushed deeply,
and became grave and embarrassed; but
Amy's blue eyes met his frankly, with
such sparkle of kindly fun in them that
Alex took courage to go on.
Pray let me explain" he said. "The
mistake, if mistake there be, comes in
uhis way. My uncle, Mr.. Nathaniel
Ashe, of Boston, whom possibly you
may know by name, wrote me this
note"-taking it from his letter. case
lin which he laid upon me his CON-
mands TO call on his old friends the
Ashursts before left Philadelphia. He
should write in advance, he said, to
mention my coming, so they would be
prepared to see me. My uncle writes a
blind hand. as you may perceive, and
was quite at loss whether thirteen OF
fifteen was the number; and while j
was casting about found the name ]
was in search of upon your doorplate
and made sure that | was right. Miss
Ashurst seemed prepared to receive q
Mr.. Ashe, which confirmed my impres.
sion, and so- In short, you see how il
is, l trust, and will accept my assurance
that the blunder was unintentional, anC
made in perfect good faith"
1T was perfectly natural one" said
Mrs. Ashurst, pleasantly. And now
pray resume your seat, Mr.. Ashe, anC
let me explain in my turn. | have 8
dear old friend, Mrs. Galloway Cum
nlings, of NewburypOrt, whose sister
married Mr.. Francis Ashe, of Salem
She wrote some months ago to say tha
her young nephew, Albert Ashe, wa!
coming on to study in the medica
school of Philadelphia, and we hav,
been looking for him in a vague wa,
since February; so when my daughter
read your card. Mr.. A. g. Ashe,
they naturally took il for granted tina