Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-09-02
Blanche Marvin'S Defeat.
BY DWIGHT WELDON.

handsome brunette, and her elegant
dress and aristocratic bearing generally
accorded but strangely with her sur.
roundings.
BY her side stood n man whose hand
some, earnest face won her a1miring
glance every time she looked at it.
They stood in IN unteranted room
in a crowded, broken.down tenement
house, the man gazing reflectively out
at the wilderness Of roofs and Chin
neys before them, the woman listening
| intentedly to the soft, mellow notes of
a song, which echoed from the hallway
without.
It's rare harmony impressed the man
at last. He aroused himself from his
reverie and looked at his beautiful
companion in wonderment.
Not a word was exchanged until the
last note of the song was completed.
| Whoever the singer wGs, her voice was
one of marvellous scope and sweetness,
and mutual appreciation showed in
the rapt faces of the two listeners.
Maurice Arlngton's usually calm
features wore an expression of curiosi-
ty and inter est as he started to leave the
room.
This is another SURPRISE he said.
we expected to find the tenements
here model home FOR the poor, instead
of which they are pile of Struggling,
lll-kept barracks. Then, when we
pause to reflect oyer the misery an6
poverty around us, voice as famous
as that of a contatrice startles us.
Come, Miss Marvin, must know the
possessor of that voice
Mr.. Arlington's companion frowned
slightly. Tie voice belonged to a wo-
man, and she was naturally jealous.
Besides, she did no like Arlington's
deep interest in the beggarly tenants of
the house it distracted his attention
from herself, an attention she was ex-
erting all her sirenlike wiles to secure.
1t was strange combination of cir
cumstances that had brought these two
together, and to the block of dilapida.
ted tenemenus known as Rossiter Row.
Two months previous Maurice Ar
lingtoD was poor and struggling ar
tist in New York City, living on the
bare pittaDce his avocation afforded
him, and the beautiful Blanche Mar
vim was secretary to a parsimonlous
old money lender named James Rossit-
er.
James Rossiter died, In his will he
tequeathed to his nephew, whom he
had never seen, his entire fortune. 1t
was surprise to Maurice Arlington,
and source os great disappointment
to numerous distant relatives of the
dead miser.
So Arlington had come into his for
tune. He had found Miss Marvin in
charge of the little Office where his un-
Gle had transacted his business, and
had learned that for years she had kept
his accounts as proficient and reliable
employe.
She was the sole support of an invalid
mother, and be was interested in her
from the first.
You shall retain your position, If
you choose he had told her. The
numerous tenement leases demand
some clerical supervision, land you seem
to thoroughly understand them.
And now he was visiting his proper
ty, and was amazed at the misery and
wretchedness Of the habitations from
which his uncle had made his immense
| fortune.
Secretly he resolved to better the
condition Of his tenantry, and it was
OF this he was thinking when the Incl.
dent which opens our story occurred.
Miss Marvin had accompanied him
in his visit to the tenements, and they
had reached the garret floor of the
house in their tour of inspection, when,
from some room near by, there issued
the song alluded to.
1t was plaintiye, tender love melo-
dy, and even Blanche Marvin, her mind
filled with schemirg thoughts concern
ing her wealthy employer, was momen-
tarily entranced.
She followed Arlington TO the hall,
and then to the open door of an apart
ment near by.
There she paused for Arlington had
halted and stood surveying homely
but touching picture within the room
The apartment was meanly furnish
ed, and showed evidence of extreme
poverty. 1t held two inmates, an old
man half reclining on couch, and a
beautiful girl just blooming into wo'
manhood.
Upon her the attention of Arlington
was centered. Her perfect face and
full. expressive eyes looked down ten
derly upon her companion, whose aged
features were pale and emaciated and
careworn.
She held in her hand The manuscript