Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-08-31
The Leaf of Geranium.

It is very strange when we come Il
think of it on what small cogs ant
plvots the wheels of fate run, and wha
slight jar will do toward changing th,
whole machinery and set it to turning
In an entirely different direction. t
was = geranium leaf that altered he
whole course of my life. But for the
trivial leaf picked by young girl in q
Ahoug'sless mood, I should not Ie sit.
ling here to-day in this pleasant dining
room, where the sun comes in through
me vine wresthed windows .nd falls
apon the geranium pots inside; and
lhls little girl would not be upon my
knee, nor yonder red.cheeked maiden
sn the veranda with young Smithers;
and neither would that very handsome
nstron who just passed into the parlor
have been in her present situation.
If you will listen an hour or so will
;eil you my stNry. 1t was just twenty
Tears ago this summer that I fell in
!ove with Carrie Dean. She was twenty,
'ne and twenty-seven - both old
nough to know what we meant and
What We were about-at least was, but
parrie was such little coquette used
70 think she had no mind of her own.
Oh, but she was lovely all rose
'olored and white, and brown .tressed,
md pearly-teethed, with the round est,
Plumpest figure, as graceful as a fairy
m every movement, and with beautiful,
ihapely hands that were constant de-
light to the eyes.
1 was just home from college, and she
vas on visit to my stepmother, her
1unt and my half-sister, Lila, and her
cousin.
1 had seen good many girls in my
Ieven years at college, and some of the
bellies OF the land; but I had never yet
aad my heart stirred by any woman's
ayes as Carrie Dean stirred it when her
glance met mine in greeting; and the
so1ch of her soft fingers completely set
me afoat on the sea of love.
was her slave from that hour not
her slave either, but her passionate
lover and worshipsr. And of course
ihe knew it, and Of course, being
anished coquette, shs queened it over
me right royalty.
There was Fred Town. the country
physician, and Tom Delano, tho hand
some young farmer, both as badly off as
[ was; and pretty time we had of it.
Fred and I-old chums in former
iays-were at swords points now, and
hated each other splsndidly for few
weeks. And Tom I held in the utmost
contempt, and rallied at them both
whenever opportunity presented itself,
for Carries edifcation, after the man
ner of men. and was repaid by seeing
her bestCw her sweetest smiles and
glanoes upon them the next time they
met.
Fred drove q splendid span OF bays,
aud almost every day they dashed up
the avenue, and dashed out again with
Miss Carries added weight. And Tom
was on hand nearly every evening, and
she was just as sweet to one as the
other, and just the same to me and
that was what maddened me.
was not to be satisfied with "wid-
ow's third" by any means, and I told
her so at last, and asked her how the
matter was to be settled.
81 love you better than those brain.
less fops know how to love-" 1 said,
hotly; sand now decide between u.s."
She had listened to my love confes
sion with blushing cheeks and down
cast eyes but when I said this she
turned defiantly on nae.
"They are no more fops than yoJ
are" she said, "even il they have no
spent seven years in college. The,
are gentlemen. and I can't say that TO
every man Of my acquaintance"
And here she shut the door betweel
Us with slam aud left me to my pleas
ant meditations, and half an hour late
{. met her at the gate with FREQ
going out for ride, which was yer
aggravating, must oonfess.
I thought over my conduct tbs
night, and concluded that ! had been
brute. The next morning ! found Ca
rie at the diIingroom window alon,
and sought her side She had h.