Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-03-27
Where They Both Erred.
Ii fare. please mlss?n

Your fare, please, mlssr"
The lady looked up at the conductor
and started. ''You, Mr.. Carroll?"
she murmured-
'No one else-conductor OF this car"
dOfling his cap
''Is this jest?" she asked earnestly.
s'Far from it. have been reduced
to this by the misfortune of friend.
Is it not an honest business?n
Yes" hesitatingly. but you
know my fathers position"
''In other words he would not have
you engaged TO an ordinary car conduc-
tor" taking the words out of her
mouth. Well, Miss Hamilton, / alb
solve you from your obligation"
She bowed and left the car.
That night Arthur Carroll called ut
Judge Hamilton's house. resolved 10
explain everything. Miss Hamilton
sent down word that she was too busy
TO see him. After leaving, Arthur
turned into an unrTequented street and
entered a long, rambling, wooden house.
In one of the upper rooms a young
man, with his arm in a sling, sat by
the window. Carroll accosted him
cheeriy:
How do you find yourself tonight,
old fellow?"
$50 nearly recovered that shall re-
sumo my duties tomorrow" responded
John Ainslie, with u smile; (which, /
think, YOU Will be glad to learn.''
"Well, l don't know. Pm glad to
have you up again, but l've enjoyed
the excitement and novelty, on the
whole, especially the astonishu ent
among such of my aCquaintances as l
chance TO meet. 1t has certainly given
me revelation in one direction, which
viii prevent my making 4 lifelong
mistake. II you think you are able TO
90 back, believe will leave town for
u few weeks"
Arthur put his resolution into effect
early the following morning, telling no
one of his design or destination.
He had been gone about two months
when he received q letter from John
Ainslie.
1t was rs follows:
Friend Arthur: have been think
ing good zeal lately about what you
told me in regard to Miss Hamilton,
and wondering if you know of her
fathers failure, and which occurred, as
l have since learned, the day l was
hurt AMI you so kindly took my place.
Ii seems that Judge Hamilton lost
everything. His daughter Ida, 1 am
told, supports them both by teaching,
the Judge being good deal broken III
body and mind since his misfortune.
JOIIN AINsLIE-"
Arthur was not long in reaching
town after reading this. lie went d.
rectly TO his rooms, finding on his desk
"A small package and Il letter.
The letter came tie day after you
LETT" said the landlady, and the pack
age a few days after"
The package contained some letters
and a ring.
BY the date of the letter Arthur saw
that It WAS written the morning after
his attempt to see the writer. 1t ran
as follows:
''AIr. Carroll: ] have been thinking
that perhaps | was too haSty IN the
conclusions l drew from what you said
at our last interview and which occur
red mt a time when was feeling wound
ed and Inundated by my altered cir
cumstances, and so more prone to take
offcnSe.
"If there is anything 20 explain
shall be glad to see or hear from you.
Failing To do so l will return your let
ters and the ing you gave me, glad to
know ere it WAS too late how worth
less is the love you profeSsed To feel for
''IDA HAMILTON
The writer OF the above letter sat
alone in the rustic school house TO
which she had been confined many
weary months. Never had life seemed
SO wearisome to her, SO void OF all JOY
and brightness. The hardest thing 20
bear was the humiliating consciousness
that, in spite of his unworthiness, her
thoughts would turn with regretful
tenderness to him who had obtained
too strong a hold on her heart and life
to be easily dislOdged.
81 would never have forsaken him
thus" she muTmured through her fast
falling tears. "When misfortune came
l would have clung all the more closely
TO him.
Hearing a step upon the threshold,
Ida raised her head, and the object of
her thoughts stood beside her.
''Nay, do not turn away from me-"
he cried. have only just received the
letter you wrote me so many weeks
ago. Nor did l know until recently or
your fathers failure and the conse-
quent change in your circumstances" "
at was all Occasioned by my own
stupid blunder," said Arthur, after
the mutual explanations that followed
and the two were sitting together IN
loving and happy converse"
"Oh, no." smiled Ida; ~ can not
let you take all the blame. 1t was a
mutual mistake"