Connecticut western news., 1882-08-02

ing an invalid whose only treatment for any unexpected state of affairs was to fret at it.
 So Miss Ferris, as people began to call the young woman who year before had been merely little Kate, did about as she pleased. There was no bad com. pany in the village for her to fall into, for her father did not allow her to as- sociate with the village people except at school and in church, and there was no ''set" of young people who could give evening parties for the sole pur- pose of dancing and Irritation. There were no young men in the vicinity whom her father would have allowed to visit her, even had he realized that at fifteen years girl may be something more than @ child.
 Miss Ferris was. therefore, thrown upon herself for all her diversions, and she sometimes grew desperate over her inability to use up her time. She read 8 great many novels, selected by her self, which increased her trouble rather than diminished it she drove her po- nies furiously about the country roads, set the family servants by the ears 80 frequently that they had to be changed every month or two, dressed expensively and in shocking taste, and made of her. self the stock topic of conversation and joke among the mill hands and their wives.
 As the store in which Selvidge was clerk was the only one in the village that kept any of the small dress goods and little things that even the poorest woman imperatively demand, Miss Ferris suddenly began to do 8 great deal of shopping; and at the same time Sel- vidge began to notice that Kate had ceased to be little girl. He hesitated & long time before adding her name to his list of candidates for the position of wife, for the awe in which he had been taught to hold old Ferris and his money was not easy to overcome. Gradually, however, he began to notice that Miss Ferris, while discussing possible arti- eles of purchase, sometimes looked more at him than at the goods.
 This was indeed unexpected luck in- stead of falling in love with money and having to labor hard for his end, money was falling in love with him, and doing almost all the work. Selvidge did not forget that it was old Ferris, and not the daughter, who had the money but he determined that if he could secure the daughter he could afford any amount of effort to gain the consent of the father.
 Naturally Selvidge was impatient, but he was also discreet, so he did not ieopardize his prospects by undue haste. One day, however, when Miss Ferris was aimlessly handling some goods tha she had been looking at, she mixed them 80 Intentionally that she had some trouble in rearranging them. Selvidge hastened to assist her, and when his hand met hers under the folds of the material, he did not resist the tempta- tion 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 @ quick glance at the door, he withdrew and kissed it. Kate gave him a shy look, without bit of reproach in it, from under her upper eyelashes, and this so emboldened him 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 consid- erably helped the young man by leaning slightly toward him. Then, with cheeks aglow, Selvidge looked ardently into the face that was of deeper crimson than his own, and murmured
 Forgive me, my darling, but ] couldn't help it, for I have long loved you-oh, so long 1"
 Kate was not unequal to the situation, for she said, with downcast eyes:
 "I guess I've loved you, too, but I've only just found it out. But what will father say ?"
 "Don't tell him, my precious one, ' replied Selvidge. quickly. "Leave me to do that, ct the proper time."
 Kate promised, and then, rather frightened, left! the store, but not until Selvidge, leaping over the counter, had followed her and given her a close em' brace and saveral kisses behind one ol
 the front doors, which, by the merest
 accident, of course. 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 tho store and occasionally in the Ferris gar den ct an hour that should have found Kate asleep in bed. But the younI mans prospects were rudely blighte'
 one night, when old Ferris, unable t sleep on account of the heat, left hi bed and strolled in stockinged feet an . with Q pipe in his mouth, about tn garden. An unusual appearance of . shaded rustic seat that attracted his a . tention proved, on investigation, to | 3 due to Selvidge veh the head of Kat s pllowed cone0ingly on his breas 3 Then there was a scene, from whiC 3 Kate quickly withdrew, and within fiN minutes Selvidge had made hun 8 ble apology, ip, which he took a