The Press., 1886-08-12

ing down witli tAs unfortunate ehAk ubon
 the carpet with e crash that betokened
 ruin for the chair, and hlled the breast of
 our midnight intruder wifh the most un-
 pleasant sensations imaginable,
 | "Surely, be thoueht as he lay for a moment listenlnn with breath suspended,
 'sunless she Is one of the Seven Sleepers
 she must havs hoard 0f that 'As an" . " Evidently she had heard it \ for at that
 moment little, while.robed figure sprang
 lightly from the bed, darted across the room, and disappeared through the open
 window, just as Bob succeed6d in gaining
 a perpendicular attitude. Without an in-
 stant's hesitation he sprnng after her, de-
 termined Co overtake hers and try to ex- plain matters, before she succeeded in
 arousing the neiQhhoKhood. f.g, s.i.
 He overlook her mnch sooner than be
 expected. Right aa the foot of the veran- tdah steps lay . liiale white ARure, moaning
 as though fn paia. Bob tent down and
 asked gently, Are you haftf" And as he
 spoke the moon ealne suddcnly out from
 behind cloud, and shcd hos fnlI light up.
 on the prostrats figure, revealing to him not as he expected, oDe of he aunt's maids,
 but lovely, little golden haired fairy that
 he had never seen bafores As he spoke.
 she raised herself to a sitting posture, and put up hef hands as if to ward him oif,
 Don't touch me, pleaaa If you want
 my purse and iewelry, go back into the
 room and get them, but in the name of
 manhood and honor I ask you not to touch lme."
 Has ~oics ssingusasls clear and firm,
 though there was just enough of pleading
 in 1t to go straight to the heart Of tho lis
 tener. The long, thick braid of golden
 hair fell over her shoulders and lay upon H,.1 .s.~ ~.~N .Is .Nrww
 moonless night were raised imploringly to
 his. ..[a.tfa ....... .. s.-.r......
 "Poor little darling, whoever can she
 be?" he thought, and then said aloud in his soft and gentlest tones, "Il know you can never forgive me for frightening you
 so, but indeed it is all the result of very
 awkward blunder on my part, which I
 hope you will allow me to explain. First, as you are doubtless a guest of my aunes,
 tell me, please, have you not heard her
 say that she is expecting visit from her lnephew, Robert Burtonf" ".' '.'' lT A startled glance from the dark eyes, a Il wave of crimson across the white face. and ] a slight inclination of the head were all the reply he received.
 ''WeIl, am Robert Burton. came in
 the night, but my aunt, not expecting me
 till morning, had retired, and disliking Co awaken her, I thought I would take pos , session of my old room and give my aunt & surprise in the morning. Why, my poor little girl, you are hurt your forehead Is ' bleeding. Oh, dear, Lfeel as if I had act
 ed the villain, and know you can never l forgive me. You are hurt and half frozen,
 and think the only thing for me to do now is to call my aunt and make full , confession" '. .,..... ....s. But even as he spoke, his companion
 sprang up, and exclaimed, vehementiy :: "Oh, no, no, Mir. Burton If you want ! me ever to forgive you for this nights
 work, give me your word right here that
 no living soul shall ever know what has
 occurred" l She stood on the step beside him as she
 spoke, her long, flowing night-dress trail-
 ing behind her, and one little white bare - foot peeping out from beneath the snowy 2 ruffies, and the thought flashed across Bob's mind that, after all, heaven was not a a the only abode of angels. ..a. a,.... v He gave the required promise with | alacrity, and the next moment his angel n had vanished, he heard his room window i. let down with bang, and found himself 5. standing alone upon the verandah steps,
 with the damp fog of the morning hours a settling around him. Slowly, like one in a dream, he made his way to, the back of ' the house, aroused the cook, and induced < her to smuggle him to an unoccupied
 room, where he lay awake till dawn, think f ing and dreaming of the lovely little lady that had so suddenly and unexpectedly . crossed his path.
 t "Soft black eyes, and hair like burnish- V ed gold" he murmured, and then, just as . the faint light of dawn came stealing in ,f through the window, he fell asleep, and Q dreamed that his sister Jennie, with a a priests robe on, and prayer-book in her "a hand, was marrying him to a short, fat, "a dumpy little widow, with cheeks as red as "a a peony's and little wisp of sandy hair, 7 twisted tightly at the back of her head, 1, who ere the ceremony was half completed, g threw her arms around him and began Q kissing him with so much ardor that he l. gasped for breath and flung her from him. la Whereupon he suddenly awoke, and found "a that he had flung the covers off the bed ,t and that the kisses had doubtless como e from Aunt Martha, who was just disap- !. bearing through the open door, evidently 's frightened away by his being so startlingly ~ en dishG6itte. t..fa4. ....ll lyae.r y Half an hour later he entered the break. 5 fast room, and Aunt Martha, after giving e him a warm welcome, said:
 d "Oh, Rob, I've got the sweetest little . woman here visiting me that you ever
 saw {; sh-here she comes now" a... Ltt ,- The door swung open, and his golden . haired, dusky eyed angel swept gracefully Ia in, and, like one in a dream, he heard his n aunt say:
 o "Mrs. Blondette, allow me to present to
 you my nephew, Mir. Burton" .... al gl A budding spring, a long, warm sum. t. mer, and golden autumn, have glided by. Ie Once again Thanksgiving day is at hand,
 and this time there is a merry wedding r. lparty assembled in Aunt Marthss oozy, d old fashioned parlor. All the Burtons and ,e all the Blondettes have gathered together a to see Bob and Ivy married but the face |. that is brightest and fullest of fun is Jen h. nie's as she comes in, and going up tc at Rob, whispers {; r, IiI stA .4 sr 1.-The widow is ready, my boy, and sr awaits the bridegroom's coming" ', And then she led him to the room, and II he found Ivy standing before the glass
 and Aunt Martha arranging the folds ol u the long billowy veil that fell around her .f ''Now, isn't she lovely, Rob, and isn'i IS her dress perfectionp" queries Auni ,l. Martha.
 ,e "Yes, she is very lovely, and her dresI 1t beautif1l," assented Rob- as he drew heI |. to him, and kissed the sweet, red lipa n wwha aIR.