The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-05-06
Select Story.
"A HAPPY ESCAPE"
BY \. q.

a pert pretty servant girl in a mop
cap, smart apron with the most fetching
pockets, in which both hands are thrust
jauntily, one of them holding letter.
The dusk of evening softens her tlorid
beauty into sweetness which quite
subdues the heart of young man in the
garb OF q carpenter. They are cOnvcr-
sing beneath the shelter of a wall behind
Il handsome mansion.
'In that hand which you have in your
pocket, Sue, is letter, as | live, Let
me see it. You will not Then l sup
pose it is to some fellows but /, as your
future husband, demand to see it."
Demand, i; Iced" answered the girl,
saucily. lis early times, | think to be
so masterful. If you will talk like that
now,what will you do when we are mar
ried, | wonder?" ...... ..
"Will you let me see the letter, Sue?"
''No, Won't" .l .....
"Well, then, good night. You'll be
sorry for this,l expect ... a.
And with rough but sincere affection
he snatched the girl to his arms, ,aAd in Il
second was gone.
"a jealous, silly fellow cried Sue,set
ting her dainty cap afresh and hurrying
off to abusierroad, where handsome shops
glowed with light and life She entered
first one and then another. giving orders
at each with merry smile and saucy
words for all. The last she entered was
that of II chemist and post Office omDin-
ed. Here she asked for stamp. As
she came out of the shop she felt for the
letter to post, and 10! it was gone She
turned hot and cold by turns. then hur-
riedly retraced her steps, looking anxious
ly for the lost letter, but without success.
Then she entered the house with burn
ing face and heavy heart.
a few days later Il lady entered o ne of
the many rooms in the mansion--a room
the proud, idle lady scarcely visited, or it
was the schoolroom, where II troupe of
noisy, spoiled children daily made lie a
torture to the pale, e,sweet faced girl who
now looked up at the lady's entranc ce
nevously.
The lady with the rustling robes peck
ed at the upturned faces of her offspring,
then seated herself in the only easy chair
in the room, saying, as she threw The
Times on the table, with an eXulting
sneer: .
"You see your noble lover, like the
rest of his kind, has loved and rode
a''Cy. | tod you how it would be long
ago. A man in Sir Jasper Dering's pos
ition could not stoop SO low as to marry
a mere goycrness knew how his dis
graceful attentions would end and warn
cd you against him; yet you would con
tinue to make such an exhibition of your
self. You see your devoted slave has
broken his fetters and flown off to the
East--has, in ao.,accepted IN important
post under the government. ! think this
ought to be a lesson to you not to allow
your vanity to run away with your dis
cretiOn."
The young girl had taken up the pa
per and read the notice referred to with
dry, agonized eyes.
1t was rs though she read iler death
warrant, for the man whom it referred
to had for months past, to the ,hagrin of
the lady of the house, paid the poor des
pissed governess all the attention of u
lover. He was many years her senior
In fact, had been her dead faith IRIS friend
in their prosperous days,when no idea of
her present dependent position had come
to mar his content. .......
The little hands which held the paper
shook as with an ague but With gentle
dignity she raised her head to It's Just
level, saying,as she pointed TO the nurse
maid, Susie. who stood by busily dust
ing the furniture
81 think, madam, it would have been
kinder to have reproached me when we
were alone. lt'is not often that | ask YOU
to remember the bond of blood between
us, but III so delicate matter as this !
should imagine that even a stranger
would merit consideration ut your
hands"
"lndeed, Miss Prengill, since how long
have appointed you my mentor trust
time may bringyou more hun,b lie spiri i,
or you will find few employers patient
with you,
With this parting shaft the lady left
her to resume her Interrupted duties,
When she had gone the poor girl paused
one moment from her work to truggle
to conceal her emotion but it was of
no avail and with an excg'se to the as