The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-04-17
TIT FOR TAT.

In the days when all the world was ro-
mantle, and no enc was ashamed of it
two gentlemen of England conceived the
rr-J osterors but at the same time rather
fashionable idea, that, because they were
I friends, their son and daughter, then in
fants in their cradles, must love each
other when they grew to be man and
woman; and, having compared notes,
and found that they quite sgreed on this
! point, set 10 work with zeal worthy Of
a better cause to arrange matters So that
I they must turn out exactly as they de-
sired.
Consequently, each made will, and
matters were so arranged that, if either
of the young people declined the hand
Of the other, the young person would be
penniless, and his or her estate TO q TO
the other young person who was will
ing.
After some years the gentleman, whose
child was a daughter, left his native Eng-
land for America, while the other, who
was widower, his wife having given her
life for that son, remained in England, 50
that the ocean rolled between the rO-
mantle friends.
The English resident was named Ed
mund Harrington the American, Charles
Seabright Both were wealthy and
brought their children up carefully. As
they grew older they permitted them to
correspond with each other, but each de-
tested the task so that the letters were
actually written by the elders them
selves.
Once, at the age of fourteen, when news
came that little Harold Harrington had
fallen from a tree and broken his leg,
Elsie Seabright was desired to reply that
she felt great regret and send her best
love and wishes for his speedy recovery,
but the girl, who could never listen to
the boys name with anything like pa
tience. refused to write one word of this
an liable epistle.
81 wish he had broken his neck, so
that might never hear any more about
him." she said, with stamp Of her foot
land | won't write ibs"
So again mama wrote the letter, hav-
ing first locked Elsie up in dark pantry,
by way of punishment.
"And | am sorry to find child of
mine so unfeeling," she said. A broken
leg causes great pain and may make one
lame for life"
a nice thing for me that would be if
am to marry him." said Elsie.
Indeed, if she had been as sympathetic
as her mother desired, Elsie would have
had opportunity enough to exercise these
feelings, for her young betrothed was al
ways in some pickle, and had nearly
drowned and nearly shot himself doz-
en- times, to say nothing of ordinary
troubles.
Il was tit for tat, at all events, for when
Elsie had the measles Master Harold had
received the information with con-
temptuous indifference amounting to
heartlessness, and had indeed said that
he did not care He hated girls, and this
one the worst of them all.
So, with the ocean between them, the
young people grew to maturity, and the
year approached in which they were to
meet.
But meantime all sorts of sad things
happened. Elsie lost both her father and
mother. and away in England Mr.. Har
rington died suddenly of apoplexy. So
the two men, who hal looked forward
for so many years TO meeting when their
children were married, never met again.
Mr. Harrington would not bring his
son to America TO see his lovely Essie, as
he had proposed, and but for these OBJ
stinate wills the whole matter would
have dropped for the last thing the young
people desired WAS to meet eacn other
But the young man was Of age, and the
young lady also, and the property must
be settled, and could not be until the
match was either on or Off
The old lawyers in whose hands the
affair rested, knew the feelings of their
wards, but they judged that a meeting
might mend matters. At least, it was
necessary that they should meet So
Harold, as in duty bounu, was TO cross
the ocean to meet his betrothed, and give
her an opportunity to refuse him.
The news of his ARRIVAL brought into
full activity those feelings of repugnance
that Elsie had conceived for Harold in
her childhood. She had for a while re-
solved to yield to her fathers wishes. but
now she felt that it would be impossible.
Yet there was enough of worldly wis
dom in her head to teach her how much
better it was to be rich than TO be poor
II he refused her, her fortune and his |
also would be her own by law. She /
would force him TO refuse her and then
she would return him his, and all would /
be as it should be. But hoS could she |
do this
The girl sat for a while in deep reverie /
and then arose and clasped her hands to-
gether. A thought had struck her There /
was in the house seamstrees with as
much conceit as any young beauty was
ever blessed with. Her rough manners /
and ways of speech had become prover- /
bal among her own class, the other ser
wants speaking of her generally as Crusty
Betsy And this girl of late had been
occupied in the room of her young mis-
tress over some new dresses.
Straight to this apartment Elsie few,
and, locking the door, sat down, saying
to Betsy:
81 have something for you to do, Betsy
and I'll pay you well for ii.
Just name it, them" said Betsy.
"When was a little girl, Betsy" said
Elsie, " poor papa promised that | should
marry a Young gentleman who lives in
England when | was grown, and that if
! did not / should lose my fortune. Now,
the time has come, and he is coming
and can't marry him, Betsy, and want
him to refuse me. Do you under
stand?"
i understand said Betsy, "and if l
were you I'd huff him off quick enough,
and make him glad to go,-that would"