The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-02-10
A BACHELORS ROMANCE,

n pRGHE LUn y nUWHNOC,
A vigorous pull at the front door bel
started Mr.. Wells as, with his feet com.
fortahl poised on his desk, chair tipped
back, and the fumes of an odorous Ha-
vana pervading the apartment, he in
dulped in his usual after dinner smoke.
Mr.. Frederick Wells was n confirmed
bachelor, and Notwithstanding the many
solicitations OF his fair friends. whose
charms bad failed to melt his obdurate
heart, still persisted in eschewing So
ciety, and living with his sister almo t
the life OF recluse. But Mr.. Wells
had not always been so exclusive; only
a few years before he had met and loved
Lucy Shelton. tic daughter Cf one OF
Chicago's wealthy citizens. This young
lady, though refusing to be his wife, &C
knUwledeed her heart to be his, but she
had promised her father to marry his
partner, Joseph Parker, and circum.
stanC es over which she had no controI
CONF elled her to k'ep her word and
mary his rival her fathers choice. In
vain he pictui ed 10 her the wrong she
wou d do him. herself, and her husband
notting could turn her from her course
Not wishing to witness Parker's tri-
umph, MT. Wells resolved to leave
Chicago. Accordingly lie, with his
only sister, removed 10 the East, where
tHeN ocouSI'I an st EanS n1:so III o.Ie
9I New Eus s.snG H r . no1lieLins iil,s oI.ies
5L.lt pm vi i.a> .tih I'm 5 ,,tLo luiii4i ~
hau leucLeu t!'tn' S' g. ine ia.'1'o "a .is ~
Eolse " ~ 7i'gn brin, nrhe, i%.e. 5 siie Ui
sao Slu5f VI u~n iatio a. - ,l, o.
IeacIe. t'tell =, t .t' ~ 49,, I", oW,oS
pecoiuS w ini a,iI " lne Nv, 'Sn' i";'.
peLnace' ne h''' ieet"o'o iii ';,i you
wlie W Lhc ,',r.>St,y % ~ ~ fsIn -.,I'
ssoIs ID ~ WIT hygp Guni ti'tIG'; =, OLE
Ier uooI. MI: US, py tiineibs "
Lucy as Ii.e ~lP VI aHot,ie' ne anu II mo-
man laise ~ ~ Irni ne'. e uvs. fnIL u'Ies :
souR'V W 'aIiSu I!,i LILY i?ad'tL H. ',Utu n,S
nlno, anu |i''!t i'e pi.lGu t,ie un oi'u
nale LurS' 1o su'-i "a, "sno l1,aI f suy; WI II
nleas9Ie' ueSt, W nei - sau @ laIe w,
tnese atI!.r @ Ivtl'nEs TuGiu hd oonde a th; wisu
10 81 e'CtI o"L :. ie,trus h;o htnr 80 ~ Iui baa
woman, VIZ ~ So"a bnIoss niS 80, bo,Ia"t i,a
conslgheu nm !" i'oPe-eS'' ii"pies'
eAIslence' .,. o,.,. ..rr ,,s l.,
On t!u s'.eiloun @ 1e, solS Op.iG aiSinc no
Ns Was IPusiLns Pi Vp.h f. no Lnoo h M o,. % rronG
MIS-: 1a ~nfi nc o1u 80 roo,,ni.ru 80 oS
s@p,Liu @ m1aIu s,,,, hie,hS,, ,ihg tLo snn1d ol
sis."uoe eaIII, III, ln,id rin1 nf Tho donrebeI
anouatd an 1S hi,; iGr fron his reverie and in.
atOe oto,tanonnsIv nr hronoht his feet and cbai,
o. tho;r 1850, nos;tion "Whewm hr
o0oia;,,ad cn as he Enockpd the ashes from
b;s n;nor {" "sonnotb;ng unuenai ie
.ra,toa ~ yorront snrh imnatienca /,
Tnst tbon tho door of his study onened
ou5 10 Nc .;stor co1Iod him m como end
sae what Tod heen left at their dor
Uostii1 foIinrying her into tho hall be
heheid to his enTnrise in tho arms of .
servant - who exnlained that she had
fonnd "the little tning - Wing ON the
door sten when she opaned tho door
an infant some seven or eight months
old wranped in a huge Shawl. anC
calmly gazing with bright bIue ewes al
the astonished group TAking the child il
his arms. MIR. Wells proceeded to remove
the shawl and found pinned to the dres!
a card bearing the name Lucy, and gath,
ering the little form to his breast, great
tears welled up into his eyes as he ben
his head over the tiny baby face anc
murmured: "Those eyes! that name
Surely, this is I.uc, s child" Then, a!
if ashamed of his emotion, he handed
the child to his sister, telling her in 8
eruff voice to see to its wants, vanished
into his SanCtum, Slammlng tne door Will
a bang that plainly told her lie die
not wish to be interrupted; and
here. free from mortal gaze
gave vent to his pent-up feeli gs; and
while sobs shook his manly frame, the
question, can this be Lucy's child ? con.
stantlv recurred to him, He had not
even heard that She had a child; besides,
he knew She was in Chicago very re.
Gently. in a state of abiect poverty,
But. .notwithstandin these contrarieties,
the resemblance he fancied existed be.
tween this little waif and Mrs. Parker
onlv served to copfjrm him in the ides
thai this was indeed her child: then
again he would ask himselfrHow
came it to that cityP to his doorP None