The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-05-02
you'd like a place?"
81 must have one


don't trouble herself about the house
keeping. / and my widowed daughter
run the whole establishment, and
there are nine of us sit down to din
ner in the housekeeper's room. There |"
as they drove in between two massive
stone gate-posts, into on avenue of
rustling tamaracks. 'Do you see that
pretty young lady gathering holly
berriesp It's the colonel's daughter,
Miss Lillian Bassett."
you've come back, have you,
Parkey?" cried sweet, girlish young
voice. 'Did you bring my chocolate
caramels2"
'The candy store was shut up, Miss
Lilly"
"Oh, how perfectly shamefulp"
And cluster of glaring red ber-
ries, aided by a not unskillful hand,
hustled through the air, and hit the
housekeeper exactly on her nose. But,
instead of evincing offense, Mrs. Park
hurst only laughed.
'1sn't she pretty?" said she, "and
such a mad-cap. Well-perhaps mar
riage will sober her down"
els she to be married soon?" asked
Jessie.
"We don't quite know" said Mrs.
Parkhurst. ''But one of the young
professors admires her very much,
and we think she don't quite dislike
him."
Jessie looked wistfully back to
where Lillian Bassett's scarlet mantle
lighted up the snowy terrace. Why
were some girls so happy, while others
toiled ceaselessly on in life's shad-
ows? Why was life such a problem {?
For awhile, however, the wheels re-
volved smoothly. Jessie's references,
forwarded from the Wilberforce Pro-
tective Agency, proved all that could
be desired, and she was engaged to
take charge of the linen-room.
During an outbreak of scarlet fever
she found herself particularly efficient
as nurse, and Mrs. Parkhurst soon
began to wonder how it was that she
had ever got along without her.
Married, Lillyi Really married
And to that handsome young pro-
fessor of mathematics ~ cried Adela
Maurice, Lillian's ex-schoolmate.
"Well, I never expected to see you
Gagged And he's quite self-made
man, they tell me-"
al tell dear Lillian, said Miss Bella
Bassett, the sharp-nosed maiden sister
of the genial colonel, "that she should
not make too sure of anything in this
world. The captain is very hand
some, and all that sort of thing, but
Pm afraid he's inclined to be a
flirt."
Nonsense |" cried Lillian, coloring
wrathfully.
"Oh, but indeed, I've met him
twice at the strawberries, walking with
that pretty yellow-haired girl that
takes care of the linen-room," per-
sisted Miss Bella.
"What" exclaimed Miss Maurice.
Zone of the servants?"
snow, Aunt Bella, why can't you
hold your tongue, flashed out Lillian,
"when you know very we'll that old
Parkhurst says she is areduced lady ?"
"Reduced ladies have no business
wandering about the laurel hedges
with handsome young engaged men"
viciously retorted Miss Bassett. "And
1 really think my brother ought to
inquire into it. There she goes,
founcing out of the room. Well, I'm
really afraid, Adela, that our Lillian s
temper isn't altogether perfect"
az don't think mine would be-"
said Adela Maurice, "if 1 were bad
gered like that"
'It is dreadful trial, isn't it, to
see your lover drifting off into an.
other woman's snares?" said Miss Bella,
wilfully misunderstanding things.
While Lillian, running up stairs,
paused to catch her breath at one of
the big mullioned windows ON the
staircase.
"How ] should like to cram big
bath sponge into Aunt Bella's cen
serious old mouth /" said she. "Only
to think Of"
Suddenly she paused. Down on the
lower pine walk, where the west winds
had swept the path dry of snow, Cap
tain Moreton was pacing up and down
with the gold-haired young girl at his
side.
"Well, why shouldn't they ?" said
brave Lillian, swallowing the rebel
lious lump in her throat. 81 sup
pose he happened to meet her, and"
At this precise moment, however,
the couple paused beside IL group of
dark spruces. She could distinctly
perceive her lover bend his tall head
to kiss-yes, to kiss the yellow-t tressed
lassie. And then they passed on into
the tamarack thickets and were lost to
view.
Lillian stood still, her bright eyes
brimming over with tears, a pang
transfxing her heart as if some poi
soned arrow were buried there.
"And 1 loved him /" she said, aloud,
"Oh, how loved himl But this is an
end of it all. Tonight, when he comes
to talk to me-to-night there must be
an end of it all 70
The young professor was certainly
very handsome man, with his brill
liant blue eyes, his brown hair, shot
with golden CLEANS, and those straight,
clear-cut features of his; and when he
came cheerily In that evening, Lii
lian's heart failed within her.
"How can he bear himself so