The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-09-06

l
attention. There was no part of the
work on the farm he could not do.
Those Under him knew what would be
expected from them. james Ellis not
only knew how to manage the farms
better than his father, but knew how
to live and enjoy life and that which
he made, better.
There was not better library in the
town than his he had collected it him
self. He was q lover of art. james
Ellis was talented man. His large
hunting-dog heard many soliloquy
that for originality and brightness
would have rivaled the mental calibre
of by far the greater number of his
fellow-townsmen.
James Ellis's life had been, however,
q failure, rs he looked at it-an un-
happy failure--a miserable existence,
caused by q baby face and a woman's
voice.
His greatest happiness, and at the
same time his greatest unhappiness,
was his love for Julia Costello. He
was not content unless near her. He
worshiped her II was the love of n
strong man; the only love of lonely
life. He had known her from child
hood, and had always loved her. He
loved her because he could not con-
ceive how life could be complete with
out her. Because he believed that
with woman-the best gift to man
this woman, could he alone reach the
great blessings of existence-home,
love, happiness. He WAS miserable
because he had been and was no more
TO Julia than Jimmy" He felt that,
with his baby face and woman's voice,
he had failed to awaken the chords of
love, to sound the depths of her heart.
She liked him, respected him, but he
was only Jimmy" her boy play
mate.
Shortly after the conversation be-
tween Julia and her friend, James Ellis
succeeded in gaining long-looked-
for opportunity. Taking Julia's hand
in his, he said, in his squeaky voice !:
"Julia, darling, / love you, 1 love
you. This love is the sweetest, the
only thing on earth that makes life
worth the living to Inc. Be mine
Love mo-marry me.
Julia could not help seeing the ridic-
ulous in the voice, in the face, and
interrupted him several times as he
spoke, saying;
"Oh, don't, Jimmy! Don't, Jimmy r'
Silence ensued. He began again:
"Won't You give me your answer
, Can't you love me?"
: Oh, don't Oh, don't, Jimmy !" Julia
| again pleaded
, "Can I hope? Tell me something, u
James Ellis urged.
: 81 hardly know what to say" Julia
) answered 81 have never thought OF
such thing as you have spoken of.
! IT seems funny. You seem but the boy
played with yet. I hardly know
whether to bid you to hope or not to
hope. I might answer better in e
month.
'1'll wait the month, the man read
lily said.
'Make it two months"
"Well, let it be two, then.
, "Four months might be better yet. -
''Make it, dear, just as you will.
am content if only in the end you will
be mine"
So it was decided that at the end of
four months she would give her an
swer, yes or no, to his suit, or whether
he might hope or whether it was hope
less. This was February-Junem might
witness the making of one life or it
might no+
While James Ellis was content to
wait, he was not hopeful. He was only
Jimmy" to Julia. Jimmy, the boy
the playmate with the pretty face and
a woman's voice. Julia wished a man
for her husband, representative of
manhood and strength. He feared the
decision. The time crept on fast !;
weeks had flown, n month passed.
There WAS no change in Julia's feel
ings that he could detect.
1t was in the latter part of March
that, in the dead of night, a fre-alarm
was sounded Men sprang from their
beds, jumped into their clothes. 1t
was a country town in which every
man and many women were needed to
fight the dread fiend. 1t was soon dis
covered that weather-boarded dwell
ing g-house had taken fire. at the roof
When the crowd reached the house the
top of it was wrapped in flames. James
Ellis was among the first on the ground
1t was thought that every soul had left
the house. There was terrible scream.
In the second story room, by the blaze
of the fire, could be seen a woman.
The blood froze in the mems faces
Os they looked at the awful scene.
They looked at each other, then back
at the woman. Who would make a
move to save her? Like flash James
Ellis rushed toward the house, kicked
open the door, disappeared, fought his
way through the smoke and heat in
the second story until he reached the
woman. He dashed out window and
helped her to the ladder that had been
raised.
As the crowd watched James Ellis
disappeared. Another second and
there was fall of heavy timber into
the house; a column of sparks went
upward Seconds passed The fire
was making headwNy rapidly. James
Ellis had not appeared At last Nnxi-
Gus watchers crept into the house and
came upon the body of Ellis lying at
the bottom of the stairs. He had been