The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-14
THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELD rAg JUNE IA. 1881

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and trust written on It, Her faif golden
hair sometimes seemed like glory
round 1t, as the rays of the sun danced
on its luxuriant folds; and the pleasant
smile that she greeted one with made
one feel that If the term angel could be
applied to mortal, 1t might be her. Her
nose was straight and small; and her
eyes-John, never saw such colored
| eyes on fair person-they were dark
violet, with long lashes. There you're
laughing at me; I shall tell you no more
about her, except to say she was as good
as she was beautiful. TO do Dbden JUS
tlce, he dealt very fairly with her as far
as education went. No expense was
| spared she had the best masters for
everything. But she was never permit
ted to go into society. TO be sure, he
used to have some female relatives of
his own or Mrs. Dibden's from time to
time to stay at his little villa in Brixton;
but as neither he nor his wife was very
well connected, 1t is doubtful whether
their society was any advantage to his
ward. One of the few young men she
ever saw was Dibden's son, now about
thirty years of age, and as ill.favored
fellow as one might meet between Char
ing Cross and the Bank and as rude and
coarse in manner as he was unpleasant
in countenance. Nor had he even the
clevernes of his father to make up for
his moral and personal deficiencies.-
When 1 say he was about the only ac-
| quaintance of the male sex that she had
l mean he was the only one openly ac-
knowledged for she had-wonderful
how nature asserts her prerogative-
another that no one knew of but herself
and him, to whom she had surrendered
all the affection of a pure and loving
heart-and no blame to her poor girl
AS she grew from childhood to woman
hood she began to feel the irl1someness
of her position and she naturally enough
attached herself to the first friend she
met who had tastes and feelings in com
mon with her.
" Year after year she felt a growing
dislike to her guardian and his family,
who continually reminded her of the
legal authority he possessed. However,
she remained very passive until the
twenty-frst anniversary of her birth
day, when she surprised her guardian
by demanding to hear her fathers will.
AT first he refused but she insisted i
am of age to day, Mr.. Dibden,' she said,
and my own mistress. You are now
only guardian of my money. / require
to hear the contents of my fathers WILL
know you have copy"
"On hearing it she only said Four
years more and walked out of the
room.
g About this time young Dibden COM
menced annoying her with his atten-
tions, proving to her what she had al
ready suspected, that to secure her hand
and fortune for Stephen had been the
plot of the worthy pair. She did not
however, feel any uneasiness; but from
time to time she was subjected to much
that was trying and vexatious; until at
last matters were brought to crisis by
Stephen Dibden offering marriage-tell
ing her at the same time he hoped to be
able to get his fathers consent. She
stared at him some seconds before she
replied, and then said: Marry you !
Get your fathers consent Are you mad,
Mr. DibdenY ? You forget your place )"
and she walked calmly out of the room.
" At this time she had not actually
engaged herself, but doubtless this cir
cumstance precipitated matters for, the
first time after this that she met George
Hamilton, she told him of her annoy
ance, and then burst into tears. Now,
John if nice girl to whom you had
paid little regular attention, but of
whose mind you were not quite certain,
suddenly burst into tears as she tells
you of her troubles, and, so to speak,
throws herself on your protection, what
do you think you would dop Why, ten
to one, I'll be bound you would do exact
ly what George Hamilton did-offer her
your hand on the spot; and the same
odds that, like him you would be accept
ed. So George Hamilton went back to
his lodgings that evening happy rs a
king the affianced husband of Clara
Briefly.
"But L have not told you who George
Hamilton was. Well, he was Dibden's
head clerk and a first-rate one he was.
He had been bound as an articled pupil
in another house; but just as his ap-
premiership was up his father died and
he had not the means to prosecute his