Middletown transcript., 1881-06-10

| 6olt0n. P00r Ernest was Spell-D0und.
He had been easily deceived, for Annie
possessed a voice very much like Mari
on's, and the darkness and the veil hid
her face. When Ernest discovered who
his companion was he was too angry
to say one word. He thought at once
that he had missent the notes and re-
solved to leave Annie and walk home
with Marion and explain all to her.
She sat just behind Ernest and Annie
with very heavy heart, for she thought
Earnest had treated her badly and she
(Marion) had grown to look upon him
as very. dear friend. When the lee
ture was over, Annie tried to turn it off
as joke, saying she thought the note
was meant for her. Ernest left Annie
to go by herself, after giving her pas
sionate lecture and turned to find Mar
ion, but she had gone.
Marion Weston was summoned home
the next day to the death-bed of her
father, and the explanation was not
given, therefore they both were very
miserable.
Ten years have passed away, and
it is the evening of a grand
ball in the city of New York. Mrs.
Fairchild's handsome Fifth Avenue
residence, wherein the ball is held, is all
ablaze with light. The spacious parlors
are filled with the fragrance of rare
exotics, while fairy-like music is waited
out into the street by the winter wind.
Handsome, merry and beautiful women
keep time to the music with dancing
feet.
The lion of the season has just ar
rived, over whom the young ladies are
fairly wild.
Ernest Walling is greatly improved
since we last saw him at Riverton Aead-
emy. He is now tall, handsome man
of twenty-five years, very wealthy and
quite the beau-ideal Of young man.
The ball is at it's height when ring
is heard of the door-bell. Perhaps it
may be late guest. But no as the
servant opens the door the figure of
pretty young girl, clad in very ragged
clothes, is discerned against the dark
background of the winters night.
She begs for morsel of bread and falls
fainting into the brightly lighted hall.
The servant is about to put her out
when Ernest Walling, as he passes by,
sees the pretty white face of the poor
girl. He orders the servant to carry her
into a small reception room, which is
unoccupied, and with the help of the
kind hostess he applies restoratiyes.
She uncloses her eyes Of lustrous blue
and Ernest Walling, with cry of joy,
beholdS his old school-friend, Marion
Weston. Ernest was shocked at her
sad story. Her father died and left his
only child and her mother very poor.
They came to New York in search of
employment, which was very hard to
find. At last, Marion obtained situ-
alton as clerk in a store. Soon after
they had become settled, Mrs. Weston,
who was very delicate, became very i'll.
Marion had to leave the store to be
with her mother in her last sickness. |
After her mother died Marion's situa- |
tion in the store was given to another.
She could not find anything else to do,
and the night of this ball she had been
turned from her lodgings because she
could not pay the rent. Resolving to
make one more effort to find work she
had gone to the house of Mrs Fair
child to beg bread to sustain her fam
ishing body long enough to walk
little farther, and if she then did not
succeed in finding employment she had
determined to end her life.
Ernest Walling put her in a comfort
able clearinghouse, where she was very
i'll. Ernest was with her often, land so fan
ned the fame of his school-boy-love.
He explained to her after her recovery
the mistake of the notes; told her of
his love which she returned with all
her heart, and they were married, max
ing happy ending to "Great Mis-
take. !"
Secretary Window is building $780,
600 residence in Washington. !