The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-04-13
THE VILLAGE BELLE.


She WAS beautiful. No one could
conscientiously dispute it. 0fcourse
there were many who did dispute it
though, more especially those of hei
own sex. Unsuccessful applicants
also, to her hand and heart pro-
nounced her nothing out of the
common" after, not before, you may
be sure, they had met with a firmr
lection at her hands.
Yes, Clara Moore was very beau
tifal girl. Such a flood of golden
hair, such regular and exqulsitely
chiseled features, and such beauti-
ful complexion.
She held only a humble position
in life.
Her mother kept the first shop in
the village, a kind of general store,
where you could purchase anything
and everything, from BAH OF string
to box of pills.
The village in which she dwclt
was very small but very pretty
Every one seemed to take pride
in his particular cottage, and en-
deayorca TO vie with his ne;ghbors
in maintaining picturesqueness and
cleanliness.
Through this charming little home
stead ran Il trout stream, aud hither
occasionally in the summer months
would resort some lover of the rod
and line-an importation from some
crowded scene OF tumplt and money
making.
In the village inn there was not
accommodations for more than three
or four visitors-that is to say, If
they purposcd to stay over night
but at several cottages apartments
could be obtained.
Mrs. Moore was among those who
could furnish comfortable rooms for
gentleman, and few summers went
by without her apartments being
let.
1t was on a bright morning in the
merry month of May when Francis
Cox knocked at the private door of
Mrs. Moores residence.
He was very good-looking fel-
low at first sight; just the sort of Z
face his, that would take with
woman. But when you came to
look into it, it betrayed great
amount Of weakness; and the eyes,
though not unpreposessing altogeth-
er in their expression, were set too
closely together.
Mrs. Moore was busy in the shop
Clara had been looking after the
household work, and she it was who
opened the door to Mr. Cox.
"Hawl' he exclaimed, in an az
fected and somewhat domineering
tone of voice, 81 see you have rooms
to let; l wish to look at them"
"Will you step inside ?" respond
cd Clara, who was rather nettled at
his manner of address, and conse-
quently did not say "sir," which she
otherwise would have done.
"Doocid small, amt they ." said
Mr.. Cox, putting up his eyeglass
and surveying Clara with a half
astonished, halfindignant air
They are naturally SMALL" an
swered Clara, "this being but cot
tage."
"Haw of course; one cannot ex-
pect a palace in an out-of-the-way
place like this" he responded.
The remark as toits being an out
of-the-way place was intended
either to annoy Clara, or to impress
her with the idea that she was adj
dressing one who was accustomed
to the grandeur and importance of
cities.
1t failed however in both instanc-
es.
"There is another thing" observed
Clara, (which viii probably -cnder
them unsuitable to you-they are
connected with the shop.
Connected with the shop?" ex-
claimed Mr.. Cox, in an evident state
of perplexity.
Yes said Clara, ''the door you
knocked at is the private entrance to
the same buildingas that which
the shop is connected"
! They were now standing in the
small Sitting room. Clara pointed
70 the door on the other side of the
passage.
"That door," she said, ''leads into
the shop which mother keeps. Now
do you understand"
"Ohl haw! Yes, 1 understand. !"
A slight pause followed, during
which Mr. Cox surveyed the room
through his eye glass. He then
said;
."That wouldn't matter at all if
the rooms suited, What is the fig
ure?"
1.-TWO dollars per week, including
attendance
sHawl May ] look at the bed
room ?"
Certainly"
He followed Clara up stairs,
cts considerably larger than the
sitting-room,p observed Mr. Cox.
"Yes; it is over the passage as
well"
Exactly: and only four dollars a
week, including attendance?"
"Two dollars said Clara looking