The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-08-04
wait her coming up in that far corner of

wait her coming up in that far corner o
this saloon
Glancing at the pasteboard the
woman disappeared, and presently
there ascended, step by step, from the
regions below, first O neat straw hat
trimmed with bright ribbons, beneatl
that hat face somewhat worn will
years and cares, but still fresh anC
comely enough; then a slight, compact
figure, draped in plain, well-fittine
garments, shawled and ready for the
shore. Miss Effie, in propria persona
stood before her hand-seeker, blushine
celestial rosy red
"He advanced from his coign of van
tage to greet her, but as he grew higher
instead of the warm, affectionate vel
come he looked for, there was fixed
stare, shudder, hasty retreat and 9
loud scream which resounded from stem
to stern of the big ship and brought
every one from decks and cabins into
the saloon.
"'M Miss Needum-Effie, my girl, what
on earth is the matter? hurriedly STAN.
mered out the astounded Sandy.
"'Shiver my timbers, what ails the
lassieT put in the captain. Look out
for squalls, if you've annoyed herp And
all the bystanders echoed the words in
more or less threatening terms. She
was evidently favorite on board.
"'Oh, take him away cried the lady,
piteously; take him away from me,
some one! I don't know him I've
been misled, deceived I can't marry
him-indeed, indeed can't. He is not
Mr.. Mcpherson who wrote to me, to
whom 1 came out to be mar. He is
so ugly. Oh, such a dreadful fright |!
I'll return him his money. I'll work
my way back to my poor mother. I'll
do anything, but / can't be his wife.
I'd rather die first
"' Miss Medium, don't indeed un-
derstand this said the taken-aback and
completely ly-fabbergasted one. what
does it all mean? Are we not engaged !?
Have you not come out of your own
free will to accept the home and the
love offer you? Did I not send you
my likeness?
"'No, nor
"' Surely 1 did. 1t was taken by Col
lodion, our best photographer, and
when he gave it to me he said: "Mr.
Mcpherson, sir, there is no fattery ERE.
Your worst henemies would admit that"
Why, I myself put it inside the letter
to your mother
"'I repeat, no-decidedly and en-
phatically no! Look at this and
drawing from her bosom little locket
she opened it and displayed the head
and face of younger, much handsomer
and in every outward respect more
lovable man than the scared one now
before her. 1t was the counterfeit pre-
sentiment of Mr.. Jack lie Geste, and l
leave you to imagine what Mcpherson
thought when he saw it there.
GLOW could it get into the locket, you
ask? Why, in the simplest way in the
world. That ood-for-nothing fellow,
LIE Geste, when Sandy's letter came into
his possession, thought to sell him,
and so had surreptitiously removed his
carte de visite, substituting one of his
own, and Etfie had W orn it ever since.
"The disappointed bridegroom plead
ed hard and tried every argument to in
duce the girl to let matters progress,
but she was obstinate and determined
" She would esteem and respect him
always, but nothing more. To let the
cat out Of the bag, Miss Efie had fallen
desperately in love with the picture OF
her supposed Alexander, and in vulgar
language had spooned over it awfully
during the tedious and lone hours of
long voyage. OF course she imagined
that it was her intended husband she
was approving, or she would not have
done it-certainly not.
so, quite chapfaIlen and in the mad
dest Of RACES, Mcpherson returned to
his estate.
"Arrived there he cut from one of his
coffee bushes the thickest and knottiest
of sticks and proceeded with it in search
of LIE Geste /; but, fortunately for the
jester, he had made tracks and was gone.
"Then he reverted to his old customs
and habits, sold his not now necessary
goods and chattels and thought as little
as he could of the false Effie.
{" A tickle and capricious creature,
woman. Listen, gentlemen, to another
of old VirgiPs dictum.
"In the same ship in which, shortly
after the breaking off of her intended es-
pousal, Miss Medium sailed for England
there came on board almost at the last
slim. dark-haired, good-look-
ing man, going home, some said for
health; others, in fear and trembling of
an irate Gael with a huge stick in his
hands. Be this as it may, the health
seeker or the fugitive-take which you
please-was no other than LIE Geste,
and, to close my story, when the vessel
touched at st. Helena for water and
provisions he and Effie went ON shore
and returned man and wife"