Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-30

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the coffee h lis wife
Has just made him. II am 30 glad to
tear YOU say so. l was on the verge,
ny dear, Of proposing some such social
Ilstracho9. And pray whom have you
lit upon7"
Ophelia Radclife's handsome dark
yea are studying the table-cloth now,
nd there Is the tiniest little fragment Of
smile at either corner Of her mouth as
hs answers amblguously:
"A lady and a gentleman"
Indeed" responds Mr. Radcliffe,
With an assumption OF interest which he
II reality possesses for little except his
:reen-houses and his vegetable-garden
whom have you selected, my lover
nat is, do know them?"
You have met the lady, am sure
q is Miss Eloise Brlstow, and the gen
IMAM is Mr.. Parker Folsom"
tsr. Radcliffe considers this response
~ y moment, and then up go his gray
,ached eyebrows In unmistakable as
"nishment- my dear, you must be
qking some mistake. l have heard
u say very hard things about both
i.ase people. l remember your being
',,ry angry, indeed, at Eloise Bristow,
u-t before your marriage, for-for-
Cant you recollect whyf interrupts
RS. RydclifIe, in smiling lnterrogative.
his was my reason for being angry !:
. pise chose to spread abroad certain re-
.orts about me when l was poor little
}ahelia Shelton, which, whether they
.sre true or false concealed behind
Aem the design OF preventing our mar
.iage. You were sensible enough not to
,aIieve tho gossip, and so she was de-
Gated"
But, have you forgotten her, opheliaS
thought not.
Mrs, Radcliffes face is very calm and
;entle in it's expression. "Pshaw my
lear Radcliffe, what is the use OF cherish
ng grudges?"
Folsom2 You used to dislike him, II
aell remember. What WAS it by-the-bye
that he did to ofTend?'
'Oh. 1t was two years before met
you, and during the year that l lived Ia
Philadelphia with Aunt Fannie. All,
usband mine, what memory you
raveH
I'm getting old, Ophelia"
Nonsense. You're as young as l.
Thanks for the delicious compli-
meRt. watt kiss TO you across the
breakfast table Now, tell me what it
gas that your Philadelphia friend did.
HE set a very dear friend Of mine, u
Mrs. Farren, against me, by telling her
that l was trying TO make her husband
all IN love with mo, He never know
that had found the truth out before
oft Philadelphia, but had"
And you are going to have these
Two people, both OF whom | know that
H.1
Radcliffe, lifting both hands in mock in
tensity of amazement. 81 mover could
understand some Of your whims, Ophe-
ia; they are quite beyond me. By-tne-
oye, do these forthcoming guesto know
zach other?"
''No; doubt If they have ever heard
each others name. Parker Folsom has
always lived in Philadelphia, you know.
and Eloise in New York. Mr.. Folsom
is on here now for month or so, have
lately heard from Mary Waldron, an old
Philadelphia friend. He is here for bus
iuess reasons-trying, Mary writes, to
save a little from the wreck of his for
gune.'
"Ah he has, then. met with severe
osses? | knew he was rich--or rather,
[ remember your telling me So"
"He has lost next to everything, they
say. by the failure Of Rushft STAN
mer."
A little silence follows. Presently Mr..
Radcliffe looks up from his coffee with
the least suggestion of a sly twinkle in
his pleasant eye.
land, Iuy dear-ahem how about
this Miss Eloise Bristow! Is she-ahem
well OFF,
Not at all church-mouse is i'll
handsome circumstances compared with
nor"
Five or six days after the above con-
versation Mrs. RadcliGe's guests arrived
NJ Elmdale. Each OF llieiu Is beNlldorod
bT the invitation, and each takes it rs a
-is,n OF peace and goodwill.
Now that she rs Mra. Algernon Rad
cl,IFe," Eloirc Brbtow tells herself, "she
10 is that she can afford 10 pardon the
PAST"
'She has heard that l have lost my
money" muses. Parker Folsom, "and she
concludes to ,huw herself magnanimoua
and all that. We'll, it's truly wonderful
what strange things happen. thought
that woman de,estod me.
Tho guests find every hospitality
awaiting them on the charming estate OF
Eimdale.
You have most exquisite home
here" Parker Fo'-om tells his hostess,
whilst they are LEFT alone together for a
few moments, ON the. night Of his AL
rival.
Yes? Do you really think so?' Is the
sweet answer, "lm so glad everything
pleases you. And how about your fel-
iow-guest, Miss Bristow? Is not she
iovely2"
Il never specially admired brunettes, "
is Parker Folsom's reply, with q covert
glance at the iiaxen tresees Of Mrs. Rad
chfTe.
The lady laughs.
"Ah, 1t doesn't much matter, fancy,
whether ono be blond or brunette, il one
has immense wealth"
Immense wealth. And is Mles Bris.
tow"