Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-10-21
Mr.. Russet felt as if he had behaved

Mr.. Russet felt as if he had behaved
very much like scoundrel, now that h
was removed from the magnetic lnfuenc,
of the heiress and her jewels.
but of course, " he pleaded before III,
tribunal of his own conscience, "a man de
voted to my profession should select the
sphere in which he can do the most good
And with Antoinette's wealth and position
| am morally certain of rapid advance il
the world"
But, somehow, the letter would not get
itself written. To do Il contemplate &C,
tion, is one thing, to confess it boldly L
ones fellow creatures, is another.
Two or three days passed, and still Reu
ben Russet could not bring himself to tel
Pennie Joyce about the Saratoga heiress,
with the purple blue eyes and the low,
| silver-syllabled voice.
Pennie watched him, wistfuly,
'He is changed, she admitted to her
self; ''but of conrse could hardly expect
him always to be just the same. Only
only"
And the tears came into Pennies eyes,
she scarcely knew why, and she blamed
herself for being such foolish little goose.
But one sultry summer evening, Mr.
Russet did force himself to write the letter
IA vague, mysterious sort of missive, con-
tanning only one PLAIN fact-that he was
engaged to Miss Gushington Gordon.
And, as he wrote it, he felt more and
more what fatal mistake he had made in
giving up Pennie Joyce's true, womanly
heart for the artificial smiles of the Sara
toga belle.
As he folded and sealed it. the land
lady's little boy handed in the evening
mail-two papers and letter.
A letter from one Ernest Valdez, whose
acquaintance he had made at Saratoga
an idle, good-humored young fellow, with
no harm in him, and deal of latent
good.
Mr.. Valdez wrote:
1--WE are progressing much the same as
ever. We drink the waters, we criticisc
the music, we watch for the incoming
trains. By the way, you surely haven't
forgotten that tall girl at your house, with
the curious pansy -colored eyes and the
hairl Miss Gushington
Gordon, you know2 Well she has turned
out humbug-an imposition-a stupen-
dous fraud. 1t seems she is only lady's-
maid, the whole time, and she has been
skillfully masquerading in her mistress
during the lady's absence at the
of a dying relation.
'Mrs. Montague has come back the
'daw in borrowed feathers has been
stripped of her gay plumage, and Miss
Gushington Gordon, with her imitation
and second hand airs and graces
has disappeared entirely from the arena.
"Some say she has been arrested; others
declare that Mrs. Montague has forgiven
her, on condition of her retirement to her
native place, in ss.p an Obs obscure English town.
stage of action, and the places that Knew
Der once now know her no more"
Three or four closely written pages of
gossip and clever satire followed, but Reu.
ben Russet never paused to glance at these.
He sprang from his chair with an eXcla-
nation of relief.
THAT Providence!'' he exclaimed, that
am no longer bound to false hearted,
hollow pretender! Little Pennie is worth
ten thousand of her. ~
lie tore up the letter of confession, and
went straight to spend the evening at the
Joyce farmhouse, and innocent little Pen
ME never knew how nearly that season at
had cost her her lover.
AS for Reuben Russet, he is wiser if
not a saddeI man. And he wants no more
lessons in human nature