Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-01
"uava vo,, ~ sa;d Miss Pamela.

l
ally.
"Oh, don't speak of it," said the
lady.
"And then, you know, we are almost
strangers" he added.
ooh, that makes no difference |" said
Miss Pamela, hurriedly.
al can hardly muster courage to
ask" said he.
"Don't You be afraid, sweetly smiled
the bright-eyed damsel, wondering what
Bessie and Ruth would say il they were
to come home and find her engaged.
"You will forgive my audacity ?" he
murmured, moving his chair a trihe
nearer.
"Of coursel I" responded Miss Pipely.
"Well, then, said Mr.. Hedger, plung-
ing headlong into the subject, will You
sell me that old mahogany dragons head
chair of yours for my collection Of
antiquities ? I am told IL has a record
for a century and half, and ! have long
been anxious to possess it. Expense
will be no object to me, as my pleasure
lies in collecting these valuable articles
of vertu."
Miss Pamela turned red and white
the folds of the apron fell from her
hand. Figuratively speaking, she
froze over at once.
AZ prefer 10 drive no bargains for any
family relics" she said, stifily.
But"
al am sorry to disappoint you, but It
is really quite out of the question, F" said
Pamela.
might continue to hops"
You may continue to hope nothingl"
severely spoke the lady.
And Mr.. Hedger, beginning vaguely
to suspect that something was wrong,
stumbled vaguely out OF the room.
While Pamela put her head down in her
hands, and began to cry little.
"I thought he was going to propose"
she said. "And l did like him-and
1 was just going to say yesl And to
think he only wanted that horrid
old dragons chair, after allI'
In the woodward outside Mr.
Hedger encountered Squire Samuel
Pipely, who was splitting wood like n
good.natured Goliath.
"Ohp said the squire. Pears to
me you made a very short stay,
HedgerT'
81 don't think your sister was much
pleased" said Mr.. Hedger.
The squire suspended his AZ in mid.
air.
"Not pleased ?" said he. "Wty
what on earth did you say to her p
81 only asked il she would be willing
to sell me the old claw-legged mahog-
any chair for my collection Of antiqui.
ties"
"And she said no ?"
"She said no, most emphatioally''
The squire struck his ak into log,
scEhtchea hlh upSb Auu CuuChltu.
"Ah r. said he. "Well, it amt her
fault; she couldn't say yes"
Couldn't say yes ?" echoed Hedger.
"My Grandfather Pipely was queer
old SOUL" said Sam. "He left that
chair to Pamela, you know"
$50 have understood" said Mr..
Hedgcr.
"5he never was to part with 1t unless
she married" added the squire.
"Unless she married p repeated Mr..
Hedger, vaguely.
/" But in that case" said Squire Sam,
seizing bis AZ again, cit was to become
tho joint property OF her and her hus-
band"
"I never thought of that" said Mr..
Hedger.
"Second thoughts are sometimes best
thoughts" said the squire, splitting
away a. for dear life.
i've always admired her." said Mr..
Hedger, land believe I'll go back"
"Just as you please" observed the
squire.
Miss Pamela Pipely was sitting by
the fire, with little flush on her cheek
and little moisture of her eyelashes,
while her knitting lay unheeded in her
lap. She started at his entrance.
"Miss Pipely--" said the bachelor.
"Sir |" she cried, brushing away the
dew from the lashes, which curved so
prettily 1t their end, and trying 10 look
nnconcerned.
eff you won't give me the old chair"
said Mr.. Hedger, "will you give me
yourself7"
II don't know what you mean." said
Miss Pamela.