The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-03-17
AN INNOCENT ELOPEMENT.
BY NJ. Il. HoLoHAN.

Aestretch of eastern country, open and
wooded, high and lo@ leyel and broken.
Beautiful in summer; but just now deeply
hidden beneath mantle OF snow, land above
1t hanging dome snow-laden.
A faint western Wind stirring the orch
ards great, desolate heart, and filling its
aisles with uncanny whispers.
From an invisible somewhere gaunt shad-
ows stealing forth, and reaching out their
cold, bare arms to darkly embrace a ramb
ling, oldfashoned homestead mansion.
Eyer unwinding and gaining volume a.
they approached, those spectral shades ST.
lently stalked into a quaint, low-ceiled
apartment before whose open chasm of a
fireplace stood young girl.
She was in appearance almost a child,
slim as a youthful tamarack, and graceful,
with face sweet, round, fresh, daintily
tinted, but hardly up to the classical ideal
Of beauty. A face tenderly, temptingly,
daringly lovable, yet wondrous sad, yithal,
IN its present repose.
Red flames suddenly broke from smold-
eringloR. Scarlet arrows, with Rembrandt
effect, pierced the encroaching gloom, fore.
ing its retreat and softly kissed that girlish
face, those dreamy, yelled eyes, and two
little hands idly falling down and lightly
clasped before her in an attitude OF uncon-
scious grace.
Her dress extended high to the warm
throat, and, loosely confined at the waist
by an artistic knot of ribbon, fell straight
down to her slim feet in folds of soft white
cashmere.
With that halo of light upon her, and
under the spell Of deep thought, she re-
sembled strangely the carven image of a
devout. rapt young saint cut from Carara
marble, or the miniature Of an introspec-
tive Aphrodite In Parian stone.
No wonder man coming up the walk
paused just outside the window an instant
with bated breath, then slowly resumed his
way with something very like a sigh Of
pain.
As II his glance had pierced her armor Of
calm:
81 wish it was OYER" she murn. ured,
pressing her small fingers closer together il
an agony Of self-restraint; then suddenly
ainging them apart with q passionate ges-
ture. cor wish l had never come, OF
that was dead, or that-oh, God! how ]
wish But-bahl'-a smile of contempt
dropping her sweet-lipped mouth at the
corners. "What use to wishP Oh, this
gnawing pain at my heart! This burning
dryness of my eyes. Tomorrow on some
pretext, must 60 home. else shall GO
mad; but Tonight"
Ay, tonight! What of ite
Could she only have foreseen the event,
in the darkness of that night, would sh,
have counted on the morrow thus?
Tie banging Of a distant door, then thu
sound of some one approaching.
An instant her heart stood still with
vague, indeflnable hope, a wild, yearninl
fear.
Could 1t be Paul? Paul Granleigh, he
cousin, her king among men, yet who in
few hours would be the husband of anothe
womanl
All, no, she had seen him ride away il
the early cleaning.
When he returned TO his ancestral hom
well. she would not be here.
Like a thing caught in guilt, she glance,
hurriedly around for an avenue OF escape
as a tep-Rick's-sounded in the corrido
outside.
A firm yet light step. and presently tn
door was hung ajar, admitting tall youn
mar, and with him a frosty breath from tn
outer world.
Behold, our steeds prance at the door
Haste to the wedding" he cried grandilc
quently.
Then, As his pheasant eyes take In this
sole, silent occupant;
Trick" coming forward, 'you loo
like great wax doll constructed after th
Greek. Where on esrth"-a mans usul
soon at woman's artistic dress-love-''di
you find that babyish AFFAIR.""
She shot him a glance of oyerwhelmir
scorn.
. THAT babyish affair was found at Re,
ferns, and cost dad more money than you
self and your prancing steeds are worth, S
Ignorance. Come, that's good boy
sweet, laughing tones--''feteh my wral
from yonder sofa, and"
"oh, no hurryp fiinging himself into
;. chair near. "Ths GoYernor,your respects
uncle and the lucky sire of your humb
servant, is still swearing over an aggravs
ing cravat. heard him as stole past b
room. As It is nearly six hours TO mid
BY Jove, old manr' his eyes suddenly Iii
ing to tall form in the doorway. "Ejet
ed, ehP What's up?'
His brother slowly entered.
II forgot my purse, and-well, you knC
one cannot expect 10 do Europe on
~ wedding tour with empty pocketsr' with
low. pirthless laugh. II left 1t in my roc
some place. viii you fetch 1, while wal
up, ErTic?s
"Well, seeing. it'S your night Of doc
yes; but"-vIth = hsArt-frss lAugb-''y
| are PalllHG = ualsAty long face. cid man,