Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-05
A BITTER GAIN.

A remarka bic affinity existed between
the occupants of two separate windows
in one of dingy row of brick houses
one exceptionally hot summer not many
years ago; it was the more remarkable
that these Two people were very unlike
each other, being of opposite sexes, the
one grizzled. gruff, grumpy bachelor
on the wro2g side of fifty, the other a
round, rosy. rollicking maiden of sweet
and twenty" The man was evidently a
foreigner, the woman an unmistakable
American, and these two heads, framed
by the embrasures of the separate win
dows, formed a strong contrast 1t
was about four o'clock in the afternoon,
and both of them were looking for the
postman- she from her attic window;
he from his second floor front. They
had been looking for the postman every
day for fortnight, and hope deferred
had paled the cheek and subdued the
merriment Of the maiden, while it
deepened the already rubicund color and
sharpened the already testy tempera-
ment of the man. Presently appeared
in sight the brisk dapper little fellow.
m the gray uniform, with his bag
strapped over his shoulder, stepping
along from house TO house, dealing Joy
and sorrow, surprise, fear, ecstacy, all
the emotions incident to poor hapless
hum anity as he went. But he dealt
nothing to the two anxious watchers in
the dingY brick row. Their heads sim
ultaneously turned to watch him as he
disappeared around a neighboring cor
ner. The man grunted out bitter eiac-
nlation, and slammed down the win
dow; the girl sighed, and with diff
Guilty repressed a sob as she closed the
kind.
The next day at four o'clock the same
pantomime was enacted. The same
anxiety, hope, fear, disappointment,
painted on the two faces. The
girl brushed the tears from her eyes,
and put wearily back her hair. AS the
man with his usual expletive OF disgust
and disappointment. tugged at the
blind, puff of wind blew the light
into his eyes, and from thence to the
1t lay upon the faded carpet almost un-
der his feet. His first impulse was to
tramp upon it as he marched to and fro
grow ling at the hard luck that had shu
him up in this hot hole during the dog.
days. His next impulse was to kick
the bauble aside; but it was not of
kickable nature. and clung close TO his
feet. He stopped at last and took 1t
from the floor and found it suspiciously
damp.
"She's been shifting again" he said.
AS usual, she gets no letter and cries |;
/ get no letter, and swear. I wonder
which is the most consoling. And why
in thunder don't she get her letter She
can't have any rascally lawyers TO deal
with, that lie, and cajole, and cheat and
steal. She can't be waiting for q wit
ness TO come from the other side of the
world to testify in a case that ought to
have been settled before he went to sea.
L believe 1t was conspiracy on the
part OF these Internal lawyers to daw-
die along with the case, and not dis
cover the existence of this Martin NAL
10y till he had shipped again, and was
well out of their call. And now IL
seems that the fate of'the suit depends
upon the testimony of this fellow before
the mast. 1T least five thousand pounds
Of my money at this present moment Is
at stake In the life Of miserable sailor
far out at sea-" Here his soliloauv was
interrupted by light tap at the door.
Come" he growled, without turning
his head.
He thought it was his landlady, Mrs.
Matson, for whom he had no particular
affection, ,.or her rough-featured domes-
tic, that he felt certain was shortening
his life by her misera BILE cookery. But
agentle voice said, Ibid you want any
thing. sir" And turning he beheld his
landlady's daughter. And how In the
world she could bear that relation to the
fat, swarthy, coarse and commercial
female who kept the house, this lodger
could not imagine. Her eyes were so
soft and brown, so pleading and inno-
een., frank and confiding as n little
ehild's, whereas her mothers were
narrow and sharp, distrustiul and cum
ming.
The young girl flushed under this
serutinizing gaze, and said again. " You
didn't want anything, then, Mr.. Me-
Grawp Mother said you pounded on the
Poundedi' said Mr.. McGraw; "of
com Sc pounded. II don't get letter
soon I'll make smithereens of some of
aAis horsehair furniture about me. II
your mother has any regard for 'h,r
squint-eyed ancestor over there. shed
better take him down and out of the
way. He's been following me about
with that damaged leer Of his for the
last fortnight. It's 10 mercy / haven't
stabbed him through the canvas. And.
say" he added, Tor the girl was fast
vanishing out OF his sight, and she wns
wopdr0us pleasant article 70 jook upon
h this gloomy old barrack-" aav.v
ssid Mr. McGraw. He was still twirl-
xlg the bit of blue ribbon In his fingers