The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-01-24
seemed as though years had elapsed

keem0u as bhOuBu years udu Slupo5u
since last night.
How little had he thought, as he
fingered with Mary in the moOnlit
portico to say his reluctant good
night, that it was for the last time
that those little hands would never
be placed confdingly in his; that
gentle voice murmur his name, giving
! it the sweetest sound il had ever
| borne on mortal lips no more
How fleeting had been his dream of
happiness and love l-hOw dreary and
tasteless seemed his life when robbed
of its grace and glory
The weary morning wore away,
and the hour Of noon rang out from
the steeple close by. He rose i'm
patiently from the sofa, rang for coffee
and some dry toast, but could not
taste them when they came. He had
eaten no breakfast, and felt faint and
weary from excitement and fatigue,
but loathed the sight of food.
His landlady, kind-hearted elderly
woman, quite compassioned his few
cred and haggard appearance.
Dear Mr.. Morley, but you do look
bad % she exclaimed. You had bet
ter let me send for a doctor"
James smiled family, and assured
her that il was only a nervous head
ache, which would wear off after a
while.
He was, indeed suffering from ex-
treme nervousness, his pulse throbbed
and his blood coursed through his
veins with painful rapidity. He tried
to compose himself TO sleep, but the
attempt was vain.
Late in the afternoon, as he was
sitting in an armchair near the VIM
dow he heard the sound of fsotsteps
on the stairs leading to his rooms.
Nobody coming to see me, de-
voutly hope" was his thought.
The hope was vain one, for the
next minute there was q tap at his
door, and in answer to his resigned
"Come in % his landlady flung it
open, and with beaming face ushered
in-who?
A little lady in blue silk dress and
a hat with most bewitching feather
in it, who, without the least show Of
bashfulness or timidity, ran up to him
and clasped her arms about his neck.
"0h, James how could you--bow
could you write me such noteP I'll
never-never forgive you %
She was sobbing on his shoulder.
Mary-Mary, my love, my darling
girl what is thisP What does it
mean ~ said James, too bewildered to
comprehend how this state of affairs
could possibly have come about.
1t means this: That you are bad,
bad, good-for- nothing person, who
wants to get rid of me, and | won't
be got nd of-do you hear? Now do
you understand, ungrateful man ?"
mo, 1 don't understand, Mary. I
am afraid there is some great mis-
take"
eyes, there is a great mistake-the
greatest you ever made in your life.
| dare say 1t was my own fault' (sob).
81 made you think me mean, selfish,
heartless mercenary little wretcho
(sob), and 1t was shameful in you to
believe me, and l never thought you
would have acted so' (sob, sob) but
| will show you that am just as good
and forgiving as l can be, and Pve
great mind never to forgive yoC or
love you any more ]"
With which very lucid and consis-
tent speech Miss Sweet hid her face
and cried more than ever,
But, Mary, my dear, dear girl do
you know that Pm a ruined man ~
"Of course, | know it Papa
huoWo 4Vs oOC pdFut NASAS JOu hIhu
think I would be so improper as TO
come to a gentleman's rooms without
him, did you, sir ? and he says it's all
the same and you are just as silly
as can be.n
Pardon me, my dear Mary" blandly
interposed Mr. Sweet, of whose pres
enoe James had been in total uncon-
sciousness; that was by no means
my expression. l only saidr-
What he said, and what James said
in return, is too long to be repeated
here. Suffice it to say, that James, in
the strength of his newly restored
love, felt equal to making a dozen new
fortunes but as one will be sufficient
for his needs, let us hope that it will
not be long before he succeeds in at
tanning 1t.
He is already on the road to re-
newed prosperity. He has been mar
ried now for over year, and in all
the city there is not happier couple
than Mr.. and Mrs. James Morley
Mary was not to be done.