The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-03-21


ness. Elliott had not miscalculated
The effect was immediate. All eyes
wereturned toward the couple and a
smile went around
Charlotte Merdon saw it, and her
cheeks famed. She had OWNED the
heartlejs joke. To the surprise of
those about her she beggel Seymour
to be seated-insisted that he should
be seated. Theh sne tried TO draw
him into conversation. But il was inn
possible. Embarrassment seemed TO
have driven his wits away. Only one
remark he ventured. Glancing at a
portrait on the wall he stammered
out, That's a good picture of the
president" The portrait was one
taken thirty years before and was any
thing but good likeness of the presi-
dent as he then appeared The un-
fortunate remark caused another
smile. Elliott was delighted. His
joke was splendid success. Poor
Seymour twisted about in his chair
and hung his head. His discontinue
was complete.
Miss Merdon took q deliberate look
at the picture, and did not smile.
Yes" she said, at is called a very
good likeness of him just after
graduation. Have you seen the presi-
dents flowers, Mr.. Seymour? Let Inc
show them to you"
Rising, and excusing herself. she led
the young man into the greenhouse, adj
joining the parlor,
"The deucep' said Elliott. al didn't
look for anything like that"
Seymour, rescued in this way from
as trying ordeal, hardly knew what to
say or do. He felt as if milestone had
been taken from his neck. The pain
and the manner of relief worked
strangely on his sensitive nature. He
felt that he was in great debt to his
companion. He wanted to kiss the
hem of her garment. lie wanted to
cry. He knew he was feeling and act
ing like fool. He expected that he
should make greater fool Of himself
than in the parlor. But some way he
didn't care. He had lost all fear of
the beautiful girl. Her act of mercy
had brought her nearer than years
of acquaintance could. He talked
rapidly of the flowers, for he knew
of them, and Charlotte listened
listened wondering why she cared to
listen, little thinking that her SYM
pathy had brought the awkward stu
dent nearer than he would have been
had she known him half her lifetime
and never seen him in pain. So when
he pointed out to her the observatory
where he worked, the queerly-shaped
building that showed its dark outlines
in the moonlight, just over the campus
on the hill, she wondered what it was
that prompted her to beg him to take
her there, to exact promise from him
that, on the very next evening, he
would conduct her through the build
ing that had been built aoaer her
fathers orders. She persuaded herself
that it was desire to see some manu-
scripts of her fathers which Seymour
told her had been left there Perhaps
it was.
Notwithstanding her mothers mild
remOnstrance, the next evening found
her with Brent Seymour in the t ele-
scope-room of the observatory The
roof had been let down and she was
watching the stars.
81 wonder if father often studied
them from this room," she said.
Whenever the sky was clear"
al wonder if he can see them now"
"No; think that through some one
of them he is looking at us"
Far from science and astronomy,
far. very far, from his scholarly stand
point, the mans childish reply had
taken him, but it had carried him
nearer the heart of the girl than he
dreamed.
Mrs. Merdon's disapproyal of her
daughters visit to the observatory
with Seymour broadened into anger as
his calls were repeated, and repeated
often. An intimacy grew between the
young people that, even to themselves,
they did not undertake to explain. The
girls friendship had opened a new
world TO the hardworked student. Had
he known more of life, he would
have known that he was falling in
love. Over the other a secret was
stealing as steadily as comes over us
the morning. A month had passed
since the senior party. The two sat
again in the telescope-room. She
seemed to be studying the stars.
"And do you remember" she was
asking, "that, that evening, you
thought through some one of them
father was looking at us?"
yes"
"Do you suppose he can see us
now"
Eyes" (in surprised way.
ether" " (hesitatingly) "do you
think he is glad-is glad to see us to-
gether?"
won't you" (the voice was very
husky" won't you answer for meY"
"Yes," she said, in a voice clear as