The Penn's Grove record., 1888-05-12

gaily and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS young
man, whom Alice introduced to him
as Mr.. Somers.
The gentleman glanced superciliously
at the sun-browned young farmer,
without so much as deigning him q
p%atronizing look, such as a king might
have conferred upon q peasant without
sacrificing n shadow OF his imperial
dignity.
That evening be and Alice sat up all
alone by themselves In the best room
till past eleven O'Clock, while Reuben
lay awake in his little chamber above,
to all intents and purposes. SIS miser-
able a being at heart as could have
been found anywhere, and all for love
OF a young lady of whose existence he
had no knowledge a week before.
The next morning at breakfast, the
squire, who CHANGED to be in excellent
spirits. rallied Alice ~jocosely upon the
subject Of her co1rtship-every ex-
preston of which was as needles to the
sensitive soul of Reuben-and stated,
by way Of explanation to this wounded
and silently suffering martyr, that
Ralph Somers, a young and prosperous
merchant Of the town had, with his
full sanction and approval, been paying
his addresses to Alice for a year.
"Pshaw, father, I always told you I
didn't r for him; and last night
when he refused to shake hands with
Reuben, as any gentleman would, l
thought less Of him than ever. 1 know
Of no reason why Reuben Is not as
good as he is"
Reuben's heart mercury went up
fifty degrees with the abruptness OF a
s%ky-rocket,
THAT may be all true" said the
to him, and this sentimental love bust
ness, which comes to young ladies OF
your age as natural as pap to babies, is
all nonsense-moonshine. This Is a
practical world, girl, and Ralph Somers'
father is worth fifty thousand dollars,
If he is worth a cent; 80 don't let me
hear you be so foolish as to talk any
more about your likes and dislikes."
Alice was silent after this. and Reu-
ben's heart underwent another depres-
sion.
Reuben's thoughts reverted again to
California after this, and he determined
to 90 as soon as his time was up.
During the seven months that en-
sued, Ralph Somers came regularly
twice a week, and was always the
same overbearing or bringing creature,
that circumstances might dictate him
to be.
During all this time Reuben was en-
during = perpetual torture of heart for
the furtherance Of the n grand OBJ
ject-California. Alice was very kind
to him, and with wonderful intuition
would anticiE I'll his slightest wants,
even before SSs,,i I'd thought proper to
make them krH, \; and sometimes he
interpreted froih her soft aud eloquent
glances something deeper than the
mere impulsive action Of a kindly and
generous spirit. Still, In his daily in
tercourse with this charming and in
teresting girl, he was the same awk-
ward, bashful BOBBY he had always
been, Notwithstanding we might have
expected better things Of hin, iconsider-
ing the many little innocent traps she
| set for him, which he never sprung.
1t was generally understood, now
that Reuben would start for California
about the middle of November, and as
blC blulC ulCW hORlt &xiASO 6OOblCA 1000
cherries and light hearted than when
he 6rst knew her. There was a lam
| guor and li5tless observation-disclosures in
all her movements that could not fail
to attract the attention Of those less
interested than Reuben.
Her father noticed 1t, but in the
grossness Of his scheming, ambitious
nature, he attributed 1t to anything
but the right cause.
Hedged in by the unfavorable cir.
cumstances already enumerated-to
wit, his own imaginary unworthiness,
as well as the long-understood engage
ment of Alice to another, and COM
pletely absorbed by his own emotional
feelings, Reuben could not fail to have
some dim perception of the phenomena.
Still he would stubbornly persist in
a%ttributing these appearances of men
tai disturbance on the part Of Alice to
anything rather than the legitimate
cause, when, to speak within bounds,
she had done and said all she could,
consistent with modesty, to prove to
his dull apprehension that she loved
him.
For the last three weeks Of his stay,
Alice employed all her spare time in
~renovating and supplying new and de-
sirable articles for his scanty wardrobe.
Among these necessaries were four
bleached cotton shirts, which she cut,
made, washed, starched and ironed,
with her own deft fingers, and when
the stout trunk was procured which
was to accompany him In his wander
ings, she assisted IN arranging and
packing the various articles, 80 that
they would come readily to hand, and
in order, when wanted.
"Oh, Reuben" she said, when 1t was
all over, ''this has been the hardest
task l ever performed"
81 am sorry to have put you to so
much trouble" said innocent Reuben.
81 dare say I might have done 1t
alone, after a fashion, and saved you
all this; but l shall gratefully remem-
Der the hand that did it whenever
remove the articles"
Alice looked disappointed, and ut
tered a soft little sigh.
"still as cold and unimpresslble as
icel" she unused. rather pettishly.
"neigh-hol 1 wonder what these
strong creatures are made of to be so
obtusel"
Then she ran up to her own room
and cried for an hour.
TEEN she burst out, e%xultingly, in
the midst Of her tears: "But he will
find it out-he will understand it when
it's too late; and like the Judge in
Maud Miller he may be brought to
think, as well as l, of of what might
of beenl' and, choking down a sob, she
dried her eyes hastily, and moistened
them with cologne to prevent their
showing the traces Of tears.
The next morning Squire Newcomb
carried Reuben to the station. He
would have preferred Alice, but the
squire, out Of the very kindest of
motives insisted on doing it. He SIM
ply wrung Alice's extended hand like
any commonplace friend or acqualnt-
ance under such circumstances, saying
with all the cheertulness he could mus
ter:
"Good-by, Alice. 1 hope you will
always have good luck and be happy"
and then not to break down in the
A. ILL - go "