The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-07-21
FIRE IN NUMBER TWO"

"Well, mother, can't help it. 1t is
settled now. l like Ruth Silver, and
she likes me, and am bound to marry
her.n That was Charlie Mantons declar-
alton.
"Wc shall see Charles"
That was Mother Manton's discour-
aging doubt.
"Charlie Manton was not very deep
headed. He was not deep.hearted. In
his dress he showed "style." He wore
eyeglasses, sported on each check a
tuft of soft, brown whiskers, looking
like two little haystacks that had been
, stuck there, and twirled a long, slender
cane. lie had graduated at college, had
brought home little polish, and could
scent his language with the perfumery
of few extracts from the poetry of for
cign authors. He fairly glittered in the
Sewing Circle at home. 1t was, how
ever, the glitter of glass, not diamonds.
He had not brains enough to stock an
Office in one of the professions. He was
eimply an attachc in the counting-room
! at the big mill, called assistant" and
drawing a big salary. Just what assist
ance he rendered, no one could say. l
think it would have puzzled Charlie
more than anyone else to say what 1t
was he did in that counting-room. On
fluence' put him there, and 'influence"
threatened to drive him out some day.
Charlie was good -natured, he was good
looking, he had plenty of time for par
ties and picnics, and the girls rather
| liked him. At any rate, Charlie liked
Ruth Silver.
Ruth was mill-girl. She worked in
No. Two. She had the softest blue eyes,
| like violets that only one dash of dew
had touched. No girl in town had such
| glossy, golden curls, such a cunning
mouth, suck fairness of complexion, such
! grace of form In that little New Eng
land valley town most of the operators
were Americans. Responsibility was not
tarnished rs yet because person worked
in the mill. Still there was little smell
of oil and cotton waste about the term
''mill-handn that even admission TO the
privileges of choir and sewing circle
could not wholly remove. Ruth sang
in one and scwed in the other. 1t was
at the Sewing Circle that Ruth and
Charlie met. 1t was from the Sewing
Circle that Ruth and Charlie went home
together. Ruth was pleased with Charlie,
There was this difference in the liking
of the two for one another: Ruth was
pleased with Charles surroundings,
rather than with Charlie, though she
knew it not. 1t was his social standing,
his fathers big house, his college edu-
cation, the family display on Sunday,
when the Mantons swept up the church
aisle, that Ruth was really enamored
with Charlie was kind. Charlie brought
flowers. Charlie on sloppy days had come
down from the lofty countingroom, and
taking Ruth prctectiycly under his UNI
brella, like an oak k-bough sheltering a
summer bird, had escorted her home.
Still, though she knew it not, it was
Charles surroundings, more than Char
ie, that pleased Ruth,
1t was the reverse with Charlie. Ruth's
surroundings did not please him at all.
True, he had held the umbrella over her
when it rained, but he wished the walk
had been up Central Park rather than
, through mill-yard Neither were Ruth's
surroundings liked by the young men IL
, Charles set, who all smiled and sim
? pered and wore Eyeglasses, and eact
carried little cane that needed only t.
be twisted into a curl and carried behinC
to complet, their resemblance to monk
eys. Charles set ioked him about Ruth
and hit pretty hard; that is, if sof
putty can give a hard blow. There wa
| Ruth's father (her mother was dead) ii,
= WAS a mil-hand. No, Charles set didn'
like Ruth's surroundings; neither diC
: Charles mother.
n She was the daughter of Judge Smith
Y (iudge of what, nobody knew unless
I was to Judge his neighbor). Behind he
was long list of ancestors, selectmen
{ militia colonies, justices of the peace
i registers of probate, and this stream o
e aristocratic blood had gone on flowing
2 swelling and gathering strength till tn
mighty current came to head, d front
" form, in the digniied person, the tire
Il mendous presence, of Mrs. Manton. O
IS course, she did not like Ruth's surround
II ings.
q As for Ruth's father, how his drinkin
p, habits had. worried her That was tn
j little worm in the .honeysuckle's heart
's eating its life away One night tn
# honeysuckle's heart received fearfI
n wound Charlie had been making a
evening call at Ruths home. He Wa
: about leaving, when a noise was heard
l. the little passageway running beside II
n house There were voices; then violeI
e thump against the wall; finally q souu
of something heavy fallingo on the fltchel
, floor Ruth guessed what it was in
J. mediately. She kept on talking as
nothing had happened, like robin tn