Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-09-28

1
he could secure the daughter he could
afford any amount of effort to gain the
consent of the father.
Naturally Selyidge was impatient,
but he was also discreet, SO he did not
ljeopardiZe his prospects by undue haste
One day, however, when Miss Perrls
was aim essly handling some G ,ods that
she had been looking at, she mixed
them SO inextricably that she had some
trouble in rearranging them. Selvidge
hasteued to assist her, and when his
hand met hers under the folds of the
material, he did not resist the tempta-
ton to indulge in little squeeze. As
the hand was warm and soft, and its
owner showed no inclination to with
draw it, Selvidge continued to hold it.
Suddenly, after a quick glance at the
door, he withdrew it and kissed IT,
Kate gave him a shy look, without a
bit of repreach in it, from under her
upper eyelashes, and this so embolden-
Ell hum that he leaned across the
counter and kissed the young lady's
cheek. The counter would have been
too wide for such an operation had not
Kate considerably helped the young
man by leaning slightly toward him.
Then, with checks aglow, Selvldge
looked ardently into the face that was
of deeper crimson than his own, and
murmured-
Forgive me, my darling, but /
couldn't hel p it, for L have long loved
you-oh, SO long p
| afa Nyaa not annol 70 kba
for she said, with downcast eyes:
81 guess I've loved you, too; I've
only Just found it out. But what will
faith say ?"
Don't tell him, my precious one,"
replied Selyidge quickly. Leave mt
to do that, at the proper time"
Kate promised, and then, rather
frightened, left the store, but not until
Selvidge, leaping over the counter,
had followed her aud given her close
embrace and several kisses behind one
OF the front doors, which, by the merest
accident, of coarse, Kate partly closed
by touching it with the toe of her boot.
During the few weeks that followed,
the course of love ran smoothly though
secretly. The couple met daily at the
store, and occasionally in the Perris
garden at an hour that should have
found Kate asleep in bed. But the
young mans prospects were rudely
Dlghted one night, when old Perris,
unable to sleep ON account of the heat.
left his bed and strolled in stocki1ged
feet, and with pipe in his mouth,
about his garden. An unusual appear
ance Of shaded rustic seat that at
tracted his attention proved, on in
Vestigation, to be due to Selvidge,
with the head of Kate piilowed contid- |
GuSly on his breast Then there was q !
drew, afiai within nve ttftIftfssties lVRtbs
uad made al humblY apology, in which
he took all the blame to himself, and
had also promised to leave the town at
once anu forever, old Perris kindly
giving him a thousand dollars with
which to set himself up as a village
merchant somewhere else.
Selvidge departed, without saying
goodbye to his employer, within, twen
ty-four hours, but not before he had
bribed one of the 'Perris servants to
give Kate a letter containing flo1d
pIotestations of eternal devotion it
also contained his photograph and his
address, which he had determined
should in future be at New York.
Within a week, old Ferris suddenly
took Kate off for trip, the unannounc.
ed destination of which Was q country
boarding-school where the espionage
was reported to be very strict. But a
fortnight did not slapse before, in spite
of sly father and strict school principal,
the lovers were exchanging letters that
bore double or treble postage.
Arrived at New York, Selvidge did
not make haste to 60 into business for
his capltal-now about $4,000-was
too small to enable him to buy an IN
terest in any firm strong enough to
command the respect of old PerrIS in
the good time that SeIvldge assured
himself must come sooner or later. On
the other hand, he could afford to live
well and keep up appearances; and as
any well dressed adventurer of passable
manners can readily find his way into
some New York sets that contain many
respectable people, Selvidge soon found
himself in grade of society where all
the gentlemen wore dress coats when
making evening calls.
Then it struck this discreet fellow
| that it might be well to have two
strings to his bow. Kate was darling,
and must be her fathers heir; but sup
pose she were to die, or the old man
were to fail hopelessly, as he saw some
| New Workers of high standing doing?
To think was to act, 80 after skillfully
informing himself about the young
ladies in mis- set, Selvidge began 10 pay
special attention to Miss Florence
Wernton, who was the reputed heiress,
in her own right, of one of the hand
soonest estate, III Western New York.
| Miss Florence was the counterpart OF
Kate in almost every respect she WAS
slight, sentimental and retiring but as
she had heart and had not all accepted
lover, she soon succumbed to Selvidge's
atten tions, while the young man, who
never before had met lady of her
kind, really lost the heart which he had
gwen to Kate so he declared his love.
He more than limited that there was
temporary obstacle to their union, but
there was just enough mystery about
this to bind the sentimental girl more
closely to him.
Meanwhile he Was not neglectlng any
promising opportunities to pick up any
fortune that might be had before mar
riage. He went West to look at a
mining adventure that promised well,