The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-01-31

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since last night.
How little had he thought. as. he
| fingered with Mary in the mOOnlit
portico TO say his reluctant good
night, that 1t was for the last time
chat those little hands would mover
be placed conhdingly in his, that
gentle voice murmur his name giving
it the sweetest sound it had ever
borne on mortal lips, no more
How fleeting had been his dream of
happiness and love i-how dreary and
tasteless seemed his life when robbed
Of it's grace and glory
The weary morning wore away,
and the hour Of noon rang out from
the steeple close by. He rose inn
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, lSind-hearted elderly
woman, quite compassioned his few
cred and haggard appearance.
Dear Mr. Morley, but you d) look
bad p she exclaimed. "You had bet
ter let me send for a DOCTOR"
James smiled family, and assured
her that it was only a nervous head
ache, which would wear of after a
while.
He was, indeed, suffering from ex-
treme nervousness, his pulse thIobbed
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 tho win
dow, he heard the sound Of footsteps
on the stairs leading to his rooms.
Nobody coming to see me, de-
voutly hope" was bis thought,
The hope was vain one. for the
next minute there was a tap at his
door, and in answer to his re igned
a." Come in !" his landiady flung it
open, and with beaming face ushered
in-who?
A little lady in blue silk dress aud
q hat with a 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.
ooh, James how could yoll-how
could you write me such q note Pll
never-never forgive you !"
She was sObbing on his shoulder.
" Mary-Mary, my love, my darling
girl what is this ? What does it
mean p said James, too bewildored TO
comprehend how this state of affairs
could possibly have come about.
II means this: That you are a bad,
bad, good-for-nothing person, who
wants to get rid of me, and ! won't
be got rid of-do you hear? Now do
you understand, ungrateful man ?''
" No, / don't understand, Mary. I
am afraid there is some great mis-
take.r
eyes, there is a great mistake-the
greatest you ever made in your life.
[ dare say it was my own fault (sob).
made you think me a mean, selfish,
heartless mercenaTy little wretch"
Sob, and it was shameful in you to
believe me, and l never thought you
would have acted 500 (sob, sob)i "but
/ will show you that l am just as good
and forgiving as / can be, and Pye a
great mind never to forgive you or
love you any more ~
With which verv lucid and consis-
tent speech Miss Sweet hid hor face
and cried more than ever.
But, Mary, my dear, dear girl do
you KNOW that I'm a ruined man ?p
OF course, know il! Papa
knows it, see papa, there; you didn't
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 samei and you are just as silly
as can be-"
Pardon me, my dear Nary,n handy
interpOsed Mr., Sweet, of whose pres
ence James had been in total uncon-
sciousness; that was By no means
my expression. I only saidp-
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 hut as one viii be sufficient
for his needs, let us hope that it will
not be long before he succeeds in at
tanning It.
He is already on the road to re-
newed prosperity. He has been mar
ried now for over year, aud in all
the city there is not a happier couple
than Mr.. and Mrs. James Morley.
Mary was not to be done.