The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-04-07

| was put up at auctlOn. DlaVOlO! LIS
all this beauty for sale, too, to the high
est bidder?"
Helen stared at him q moment, on
swering nothing.
By the way, Clara" then she said,
entirely ignoring him and his remarks,
did you see the Spanish lace cape Mrs.
Knowles gave Emilyp l should have
liked it myself; and, indeed, it was not
expensive"
"She made a real April fool of Helen
with it" said Clara; for when she un-
folded it, Helen thought, of course, it
was for her."
"And 1 had just began to thank her,
when she turned it over to the nun
However, it is the only time that ever
was made an April fool" said Helen,
with her most superior gesture; "and 1
defy any one to do it again"
"Why, Helen How you forget ?!
exclaimed. Little Jane has made you
one every year since she has known
you"
"Ohl Little Janel Her fooleries /
Sweetmeats under your breakfast-plate
Yes, if you count that, little Jane has"
"And will next year too, I'll be
bound" said DR.. Malatestata. "At least,
she would if" And I was thankful
that he wheeled his chair away and
round the corner of the gallery, for a
knew he was going to say, "if nature
had not been before herr" and if he had
said it Helen would have had her foot
on all our necks before peace could have
been declared.
DR.. Malatestata was Cousin Stanhope's
last importation-an italian gentleman
who was visiting America, graduate of
some wonderful old university, who per-
haps might settle down and practice in
America if he had inducement, Cousin
Stanhope said, with laugh, and who
had found his way to the Italian lega-
ton at Washington, where Stanhope
had met him. 1t was quite unfOr-
+lnatc for him that he fell on the slip
perry pavement and broke his ankle; but
Stanhope, who had taken fancy to
him, had brought him up to our village
as soon as he could be moved, and had
installed him at Aunt Elroy's, where he
was waited on by inches, Aunt Elroy
outdoing herself in fancy dishes, and
little Jane now and then venturing lest
he might be homesick to let him hear
his native tongue again, while she spoke
a little of her timid Italian with him,
half sure that he was laughing at her,
but willing he should laugh if that di-
verted the poor gentleman any from the
pain in his ankle.
Gas if it wouldn't make him home
sick" said Helen, high and nightly.
But it didn't seem to do SO. He used
20 watch little Jane good deal. Per
haps it amused him. When she came
back, with her basket on her arm from
Aunt Elroy's erTands among the poorer
people of the mountain land she was
always sure to have one or two cases of
want N reserve as her own property. |
he would ask her swarm of questions
and apparently derive infinite entertain
ment from her answers. But he was
occupied the most part of the time with
notes that he seemed 10 be collecting
and arranging for book.
"Singular person. said Helen, in
her sweetly scornful tone. "What
could Cousin Stanhope have been think
ing of to bring him here He hasn't
even the manners of gentleman"
"Why, Helen !' came a chorus.
" think he is a consummate gentle
man." said Aunt Elroy.
"Just about as much of q gentleman
as Jane is a lady," continued Helen.
" Look at her now, bringing in the
eggs. She hasn't soul above her
hens"
"She gives every egg to the poor and |
sick people up the hills"
"Goody goody! Just my ideal of
an old maid. Scanty gown, puritanic !
collar, plain hair, generally drab Well, |
there must always be one such in every
circle"
"One such !" I cried. "I wish there
We're dozen such"
ooh we'll, " said Helen, eve won't
quarrel over little Jane. She's tco
small, dear"
1t was lovely April weather up our
hillsides. Everything was blossoming
into May. All life and the future seem |
ed to our hearts as bright as the bloom
ing world was. We passed the time in |
one long picnic-Mother and Aunt I
Elroy and Uncle John and Mrs. Knowles /.
and all-climbing the mountains, catch
ing the brook trout and broiling them /
on our wood fires, and coming back /.
with our arms full of flowers At least,
we all did but little Jane. She said she |
had not the heart to leave their lodger .
alone in his condition to the mercies of |
Old Sally and she used to do her little .
around the house, and carry
her pensioners our flowers of the day be- /
lore if we had left them with her, and /
be back again at short intervals. And I
he last 1 saw of her one day she had
ler davenport on the piazza and was
writing away at his dictation, as if there |
we're no such thing as May breezes and /
lowers and mountain rambles, and life |
we're good for nothing except to make .
t pleasant to his swarthy, lean, i'll /
favored foreigner. But it was only .
lanes way with everybody.
"That is one of the troubles with .
ler," said Helen. "She hasn't any
IDENTITY. She forgets herself in the .
next person always. A bit of white /
glass-that is all she is" And there was .
such an assumption Of authority in /
sayings that, after few repe-
tltions, one was apt to take them as
gospel. Only DIR. Malatestata never
did; and his polite way of looking over
her and through her as if she were a
or did not exist at all, was
the only way he had of moving Helen.
And that did move her. Presently L !
thought saw that Helen had deter
mined to change it; and although she
did not care sou for him himself, she
could not brook rebel within her
dominion, and she meant to make