The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-04-10

hands and call each other brother if
the mouse happened TO be that kind OF
q mouse-is part French, part German;
| goes nowhere but where duty calls;
sings IN the solitude of his own shabby
room 'Achl wars't du nur mein eigen'
aud songs of that illS, as you have heard,
and is fast falling head over heels in
love with my gentle cousin LiliaI-an
exceptionally pretty girl, who really
don't and never would care two straws
about him, being at the core of her
heart devoted to the purple and fine
linen of life, and only unmarried as yet,
because, rs she herself has cOnfded to
me, none of her admirers could offer q
million"
"Stuf and nonsense" says the "gen-
tle' cousin in no gentle voice, as she
rises from her lowly position, and lean
ing her elbow upon the mantle and
her head upon her hand, looks down
where she has been looking up. "You
know nothing about it, Kate. l never,
never, never was SO attracted toward
any one as l am toward Robert why
couldn't it have been Rudolph or
Reginald-so much more poetical, you
know-toward Robert Lear. He's Just
like some one out of poem-Sr Lance
lot, for instance-so handsome, so
melancholy, so graceful"
LILLIAN, what would your father and
mother and sisters and brothers say if
they heard youl They'd shut you up in
your room and give you nothing but
beefsteak and fried potatoes for month.
Think of thatl What dreadful pun
ishment for one who is as fond of broiled
birds, roast turkey and cocoanut tarts
as you are"
"You NAV laugh as much as you
please Kate" says Lillian with frown.
"You always were matter-of-fact
creature, with not a bit of sentiment
about you. You cannot understand the
feeling that sprang up in my heart the
first moment that behGld him. Had |
your fortune"
'It's only few thousand, my DEAR"
interrupted Kate, 'and you know your
own is million But, to be serious, if
you had it you'd be looking for two
million instead of one. There, there,
don't burst into tears. I will, | vow |
will be serious this time. And l ask
you, granting that you are willing to
admit him into the favored circle that
pays you homage, how is that admit.
lahNO " OC luduhSCu hllllOuI NOuI ONCl-
stepping the bounds Of maideuly pro-
prietyl To be frank with you, he be-
lieves as | know-you needn't shrug
your shoulders-as l know, l say, that
your interest in him is only a girlish
fancy, and the little Fren hwoman tells
me, she is in his confidence. being an
old friend-that in a month or so, to
break the fetters your witchery has
thrown around him, he returns to his
own country"
''Kate, have yop no feeling2 Do you
want to break my heartl Yes, brSak my
heart. You need not look at me in that
iucreduIous way. When you speak of
his going away forever feel as though
all the light and beauty were faded out
of my life. And if at this moment he
and a millionaire stood -"
''No rash VOWS, Lilian," interrupted
Kate.
81 must and will bid him hope. I
must and will, l say. Kate, how shall 1
do itl'
"Faith, don't know, F." says her cousin,
with a delicious mimicry of the brogue
and an air of meek resignation, "unless,
me dear, you send him valentine
There was a large and fashionable
party at the Luttrers. Aud "queen rose
of the rosebud garden of girlsn was pretty
Lillian Creighton.
So thought, though not precisely in
those words, for he read no verses with
the exception of comic ones: Allen
Ingram, owner of the yacht Farewell, the
fast horse Neverbeat, a town-house'un-
rivaled y magniticence-a country house
unequRed in splendor and thousands at
his bankers and elsewhere.
With a world of admiration in his very
light blue eyes, he followed the "queen
rose' about, happy to play, for the time
being, the part of her slave.
Mr.. Ingram was small and ignoble in
person but his fortune was grand. His
eyes were faded, but the diamonds that
awaited his bride were bright. His
brain and voice weee weak but his
family was strong. Only for few
moments that evening did he leS the
enchantress, and then it was to 7. elk the
supper room.
At that time Robert Lear left mis- seat
at the piano. Lilian's companions were
clustered together before picture at the
other end of the room and she stood
alone-and with his proud face all aglow
he sought her side and in a deep, rich
voice he said: "Blessed forever be the
postman. He brought me your precious
message this morning, and my heart has I
danced in my breast ever since l read
these words:
NAY, fly not from the spell Of love
Lest should pine in vain regret,
But stay an con this lesson DER
Faint heart ne'er won fair lady yet"
1t was a verse from a yalentine-a
violet scented valentine that he had re
ceived that day.
Lillian Creighton looked at him with .
naughty surprise in her face, wrapped .
her white satin cloak about her as though .
she felt sudden chill in the air aud
turned away.
Back to his place-the place he was
paid to occupy-the young man went
while all the brightness faded from his
face and the beautiful dream that he had
been dreaming so long died out in utter
darkness.
"Could 1 have been mistaken?' he
''Not about the valentine" said low
sweet voice, and looking up he met Kate
Gordon's lovely, plying brown eyes,
mot about the valentine but about
eVerVthinu else What tO Won has baan .