The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-03-14

do you like this dress, Rufus !" hold.
ing up the cleaning folds Of the pink
satin. 81 shall wear it on Thursday
evening""
"Do you think, Rosie" said the
young man, gently, "thst il is wise
for us to go so much into society on
our slender income?"
THAT arrow came from your moth
er's quiver, Rufusi" said Rosamond,
with another laugh. "She was always
preaching about your income.
"And, after all" said Rufus, "what
do we care for the fashionable people
to whose houses we go, and whom we
invite to our parties9 They wouldn't
one of them regret IL we were to go
to the Rocky Mountains tomorrow"
81 would as soon die at once as live
without societyl' said Rosamond.
''Do leave off lecturing. me, Rufusp
Society is oil that makes life worth
having for me"
And, with deep sigh, Rufus held
his peace.
That was long, lonely winter for
Mrs. Mildmay, senior, at The Hem
locks.
Snow set in early; the river froze
over. as il ii were sheeted with iron,
except in the one dismal place down
in the ravine, where restless pool Of
ink-black water boiled and bubbled at
the foot of a perpendicular mass of
gray rock, under the shadow OF gloomy
evergreens; the sunshine glittered
with frozen brightness over the hills,
and the old lady was often secretly
sad at heart as she sat all alone in the
crimson parlor, by the big fire place,
where the logs blazed in the twilight.
Aud as the New Year passed, and
the bitter cold of January took posses
sion Of tho frozen world, vague ap-
pre- hension crept into her heart.
Something is going to happen"
she said. 81 am not superstitious, but
there are times when the shadow of
coming events stretches darkly across
the heart. Something is going to hap
penl"
And one afternoon, as the amber
sunset tlazed behind the leahess trees,
turning the snowy fields into masses
of molten pearl, she put on her fur
lined hood and cloak.
al will go and take walk" said
she. 81 shall certainly become
hypochondriac il / sit all the time by
the fire and nurse my morbid fancies
like this"
She took long, brisk walk down by
the ruins of the old mill, through the
cedar woods. oss.the frozen swamp,
and then she paused.
al will como back by the Black
Pool" she thoug ~ 1t is wild and
pictuferqsyr sp3.SNsA N.nter, with
icicles hanging to the tree boughs,
aud weird ice-efects over the face of
the old gray rock"
1t was a dark and gloomy place,
funereally shaded by the hemlocks,
which grew there to a giant size; and
when Mrs. Mildmay got beneath their
boughs, she started back.
Was it the Elusive glimmering of
the darkening twilight? or was it
really n man who stood close to the
edge of the Black Pool?
Ouy bOu.
She was barely in time to catch him
in her arms and drag him back from
the awful death to which he was hurl.
ing himself.
When they reached the cedar wains-
coated parlor, where the blazing logs
cast ruddy reflection on the red
Moreen curtains. Mrs. Mildmay looked
into her stepson's face with loving
eyes.
"And now, Rufus" said she, "tell
me all about it. The Lord has been
very good to you In saving you from a
terrible crime"
"Mother. why did you stop mep"
he said, recklessly. ~ am ruined
man. ! shall be dishonored in the
sighs of the world! Death would be
preferable, thousand times, to dis.
grace"
"Rufus," said the old lady, tender.
ly, "do you remember when You used
to get into boyish scrapes at school?
DO you remember how you used to
confde your troubles to me? Let us
forget all the years that have passed.
Let us be child and mother once
again"
So he told her all-of the reckless
expenditure on Rosamond's part-his
own, also, he confessed which had
woven itself like fatal web about his
feet-of the unpaid bills, the clamor-
ing tradesfolk. the threats OF public
exposure, which had driven him at
last to the forgery of his employers
signature, in order to FREQ himself
from one or two of the most pressing
Of these demands.
"And if my investment in Erie
bonds had proved a success" he said,
eagerly. 81 could have taken up every
one of the notes before they came due.
But there was a change in the market,
and now-now the bills will be pre-
sented next week, and my villainy will
be patent to all the worldl Oh,
mother, mother why did you not let
me fling myself into the Black Pool?"