The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-09-02

.-v5IrEsAN ter affably to some
half dozen lady
friends clustered around her, making
occasional bolts toward the door to
receive new visitors. OF course, her
daughter Miss Nettie Blake, ought TO
have helped her mother with the CO.
cial dutiesj but that young lady was
sitting in lar corner, engaged in
earnest conversation with certain
Mrs. Rapley, who professed to know a
great deal about spiritualism.
"But tell me-" Nettie was saying in
an awestricken voice, "can this wo-
man you were talking about really see
what is going to happen to people, and
do her prophecies always come true ?"
''As to that, replied her friend, 'I
have certainly known her foretell the
future wonderfully; but she succeeds
best in discovering peoples charac-
ters and lives from merely holding
in her hand something belonging to
them. For instance, If you give her
a letter she will, without even looking
at it, tell you all about the writer,
though both you and the writer are
quite unknown to her."
Now, besides the number of lady yisi-
tors at Mrs. Blake's that afternoon
there had been one man-Captain LIE
Streme Tassling of the Life Guards.
He bad left little while before, but
Nettie's thoughts were still full of him +;
in fact, though she had known him
but brief time, this foolish girl, fresh
from the schoolroom, had lost her ro-
mantle little heart to the handsome
soldier, and had accepted him as the
ideal man. OF his feelings toward her
she knew nothing, but she pleased
herself with imagining that his charm
ing manners were even more charming
with her than with others, and that
his dark eyes had a particularly ten
der look in them when in her com.
pany. Such thoughts were buried
deep in her inmost heart, and were
never breathed to anybody, except, of
course, her especial girl friend, who
didn't count but she pined to know
whether her conviction was right, or
whether his calls and attentions were
for her mother alone. The talk with
Mrs. Rapley at once suggested to her
mind way of satisfying herself on
this point.
al should so much like to see this
marvellous thought reader" began
Nettie again. 81 wonder how 1 could
manage it. Does she live far Off"
''She lives in Philippa Road, st.
Johns Wood, replied the other; "but
l should advise you, if you think OF
going, to ask your mothers leave"
ooh, no, don't think I want to go
really-at least-I might, stammered
the girl, "Dut I'll ask mother. What
number did you say?"
Number 43; it's a small provision
store" answered Mrs. Rapley, rising
to depart; "but probably Mrs. Blake
will not let you go. Good by"
The visitors having gone, Nettie
hastened to make a note of the ad,
dress, privately resolving she would
not give her mother the chance of re
fusing her permission to visit the clair,
voyant.
A day OF two afterward, when din
ner party was under discussion, Net
tic was strongly in favor of inviting
Captain Tasting; and though she haC
to bear some banter about this eager
ness she gained her point, and also q
promise that the gallant Captain should
take her in to dinner. The invitation
was sent, and next morning at break
fast Mrs. Blake laughingly tossed {
note across to Nettie, saying:
"There, my dear; hope that vii
satisfy you"
1t merely contained the usual forma
words, captain Tassling has mucl
pleasure in accepting Mrs. SherwiI
Blake's kind invitation to dinner OF
10th instant" Yet Nellie preserved
the note carefully, and, like the ittl,
goose that she was, read it over anC
over again when she was alone, taking
in every letter of the beloved hand
writing, and even-but no; it wer,
unkind to mention every little girlisl
folly that she committed, and, besides
Nettie is not the only silly girl in tn
world.
The time had come to put her plal
into execution, however, and in con
siderable trepidation she crept out o.
the house, armed with the precious
scrap of paper, by means of which 81
much was to be revealed to her. By
the time she reached the District Rail
way station Nettie we'll nigh repentel
and abandoned her plan; for she was
on the whole, q good, dutiful daugh
ter, and her conscience reminded he
that her mother did not like her goinl
out alone, and would assuredly objec
to such an expedition as that WHEREOF
she was bent. Still, the burning de
sire for an answer to one question
overcame all other considerations, an,
having resolved within herself tina
she would stay but five minutes will
the elairyoyant and then go straight
home, she took a ticket and rushe,
down the steps in time for a Bake
street train. st. Johns Wood station
safely reached, the next point was t.
! find Philippa Road, and this was N