The Penn's Grove record., 1886-10-30

winch my lOn5 yedluCu'
Gladly-ah, gladly would L enter into
correspondence with such a II as
Rupert, but, aiasl / am an orphan
maid, and the worlds riches are
not for me. You would spurn the poor
girl who must gain her humble crust
by her own exertions. Yet, perhaps,
your noble nature might not turn from
the desplsed companion. Did l but
knowl My dearest aspirations are to
be elegant; to cultivate my mind to a
high pitch under your tuition would
leave nothing wanting to crafty yours
dare she sign herself?-
"a ffectionately and humbly,
"RosALINDA ST. CLAIRE.
~ enclose my photo. | am a bru-
nette, with flashing yet melancholy
dark eyes. Ere sorrow met my path, |
was not considered ~unlovely. Your
answer, should you deIgn to send me
one, Will be forwarded TO me by a
friend. Till then, farewelll-Address,
r., P~ostofice, Great st. Paul's street,
Z. O."
The weeks went on; his holidays
were at hand. He would fam have
visited his Rosalinda at her home in
Surrey, but she besought him not
to come; he should not first look upon
her in the halls of slavery. Her Rupert
must wait till fate smiled upon their
path, and she enclosed a little poem on
the subject which made him happy for
days. he sent her q ring-two golden
hands clssped together-and he wrote
her long letters every day, which she
answered ut first once a week, and
then, once a fortnight. AT length
there came a day when he had not
Heard for a whole month. He was
frantic with vexatlon; some of his
friends had begun to talk, and tease
him about his new flame; should
he lose her now, just as he was about
to have his salary raised2 He could
not brook the thought.
In despair he wrote a few hurried
lines, begging to be allowed to see her,
bemoaning her long silence. Life
without his Rosallnda was ln-
supportable to him, etc. In
answer to this appeal he received
a short epistle In a shaky handwriting.
Rosalinda had been i'll; she had parted
with hC1 OuuplO4Sls dud hdu SOllO W W
the companion of a maiden lady of
wealth n Northshire. 1t was-a long
journey from London; she dared not
invite her Rupert to the house that was
her temporary home. If better, she
would write again next week. Adieu,
and again adieul
But she did not write. Days went
by, and at last, one foggy morning
toward the end of November, Septimus
received O communication from a
stranger, a gentleman who signed him.
self Thomas Gawkroger." His
worst fears were realized. The gentle
man wrote that it was his painful duty
to inform Mr.. Potter that Miss Rosa
linda st. Clair was suffering from
so severe an attack Of illness that the
doctors declared that there was no hope
for her ultimate recovery. AS Mr..
Potter and the young lady had never
met, the writer hoped that time would
soften the blow and reconcile Mr.. Pot
ter to the inevitable. The ring and
other trlnkets would be forwarded
tomorrow per rail. The postmark on
the cover was Charlhill.
"N OF so win 1 be baf1edir cried Sep
timus." Does this imperIinent stranger
think to tear two loving hearts asun-
der!" And then descending from the
friend his intention of checkmating old
Gawkroger in the long run
The two young men laid their heads
together, and between them hit on the
following plan: Septimus was to tell
the firm that a relation of his was
alarmingly i'll in NorthshIre, and to beg
for a few days. holiday. He was not to
answer Mr.. Thomas Gawkroger's letter
Ito write to Rosalinda on a bed of sick
ness would be worse than useless), but
to take a ticket to Charlhill and burst
upon the conspirators like a bombshell.
"Miss st. Claire?n he inquired of a
buxom, high-colored wo~man-servant.
81 am her intimate friend. How
is she? Is she betterp"
beg pardon" said the servant.
"Miss st. Claire-the lady who is so
dangerously ill"
There's none sick in thu house
now." said the woman stolidly: shut
they've got tn whooping-cough down
the lane."
mo, no." exclaimed Septimus, ar
ranging his fur collar. He could see in
a glass In the hall how we'll he looked.
This is Miss Dynoch's house, is it
not?"
AYE; but she's at hoam."
"Well, then, l have come to see the
lady who Is companion to Miss
Dynoch."
81 dunno what's to do" said the
servant, cycling him su~spiciously; 'sbut
the mistress is within. VIII We give a
name?''
'Strange that they are all in league
with Gawkroger," said Septimus, to
himself, as he handed his card to this
alarming parsonage. 1t was a very
neat, glazed card, which he had lately
had printed.
The servant left him standing in the
hall, but returned almost immediately
to say, would he walk in.
Hat in hand, Septimus entered and
found himself i'll a handsome drawing.
room, face to face with a prIm, elderly
lady, with a small terrier yelping at hi:
heels. The lady had a gold eye-glass in
her hand, which she held close to the
while she threw her head back
wards after the fashion 0 people of weak
sight Her gown was of rustling silk
her presence full of dignity; yet indica,
tons of feminine coquetry were not
wanting in the arrangement of the lace
tippet on her shoulders and the rose
buds that dangled from her cap.
The carpet was soft and velvety.
SePtimus glanced at his muddy boots
with dismaY. He would willingly have
made a 0 splasdid entrance into the
halls of slaytaiy.rs y
Miss Dynocs TO believe he said,
Ti aY ess D tSst Opssewl : name ,erhap,
you will be SIS Mod as lform
me to what cauaieptn indebt as ryoul
She did nc ,eslk him to SIT psii' ant
she remained standing hcrselan Wy
II have come, madame.n lad Sept
mas. much Impressed by her dignity,
TO "en3 Mis- st. Ciaire-Rosa
~lindeatsr III your hands,"
Hsen lie red this little speech
.on1 mara hut tho raat a,