The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-01-25
Select Storp.
FALSELY ACCUSED.

It was in the beautiful summer time;
the trees were clothed in their richest fo-
liage; the birds sang sweetly; the little
lambs frisked about merrily in the green
fields, everything looked bright and happy.
Prosperity reigned over the little village
of Ballyglen, which nestIes among the hills,
in beautiful valley, in the western part
of Ireland, and as the story which. | am
going to relate happened there, we will ask
the reader to accompany us across the
three thousand miles of water that inter
venes.
Through the center of this village a
beautiful river wound its serpentine course,
the banks of which, on either side, were
intespersed by numerous picturesque man
sions, the property Of several rich gentle
men, who were masters of all the lands
over which the eye roamed.
As our story relates to one of those
mansions, or at least the inmates of one OF
them. We will confne ourselves to it and
not mind the rest.
Goefrey Blake was very wealthy man,
his gold could be measured by the bushel,
and yet, with all his immense wealth, he
possessed none of the arrogance or worldly
pride that some men have when favored
by such good fortune.
He had lovely daughter named Mol
ly-lovely in every sense of the word, a
beautiful blonde whose long, wavey tresses
Of golden hair hung over her finely mod
eled form, almost to the ground, and eyes
blue as the summer sky of her native
home, and whose tender-hearted goodness
made her favorite with rich and poor for
miles around.
Now, as may be supposed, there were
numerous admirers who looked with loving
eyes on the peerless girl, some of them
sons of the richest men of the province,
but all to no purpose; for her love was be-
slowed on one, though he was far below
her in worldly point of view. His name
was Gerald O. Conner, the only son of a
widow. and on him she bestowed all the
love of young heart.
Now, there was another young man in
the village who loved, or professed to love
Molly Blake and tried every means avail
able to blacken the character of young
O. Conner.
On the evening when first we introduce
them to the reader, the pangs of jealousy
had great cause to arouse the ire of his
nature.
They were seated side by side under the
branches of an elm tree, her pretty hand
was nestled ON his shoulder, as she listened
to his words of love.
"Molly, love you dearly, and it would
be the happiest day of my life when |
could call you mine; but, darling, you
know that l am poor, and your father may
object to my suit
Gerald, don't you know father better
than that 3? He is not the man to offer
any opposition to my happiness when he
knows that he whom love is worthy of
the best girl in ireland.
i'Bless you, my darling for your words
have made me very happy.
at is the truth which have spoken;
and as for your being poor, why. haven t
| got plenty for us both. =
This was too much for the eavesdrop-
per. he ground his teeth with rage, and
an oath escaped his lips, yet he managed
to keep his temper, and waited to hear
more of their conversation, for he lay con-
eealed among the shrubbery few feet
from where the lovers were seated and
heard every word of their conversation.
For sometime longer they remained seat
ed at their conversation, and at length as
the shadows of approaching night began to
steal across the tree tops they arose and
separated, Molly going towards the house,
while O. Conner wandered leisurely through
the sweet scented meadow towards the
river bank.
No sooner had they parted than Antho-
ny Bell, for such was the listeners name
arose from his place of concealment, and,
shaking his clenched fist at the retreating
form of his successful rival, hissed through
his clenched teeth
Course you, you low-liyed upstart
But will blacken yon in her sight; aye,
even if have to stain my hands in blood
to do so :
And as he ceased to speak he stuffed
his hands in his trowsers pockets and strode
fiercely from the place.
n 4 - l. =