Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-08-22


comAedate US with decent apartment,
our choice. We shalt he compelled TO claim
the privilege Of not only cOncealng our for
mer place of residence, but our names, and !
unless it can be understood by the inhatit-
ants that We are friends Of yours, come 10
spend a few months with you, il will lie
unsafe for us, at any time, to leave the
house. lamaware that startlinSinierences
must naturally be drawn from such a state
ment, You will probably think that one OF
both Of us, have been guilty Of some crime.
1t will, perhaps, be too much for Us to ex-
pect thai you will give full credit to my as
serton, when tell you that we are perfect.
iyinnocent Circumstances Of the most un-
fortunate and painful nature, have made il
necessary to adopt the course we have"
Seeing that both Mr.. and Mrs. Vernon
hesitated 10 reply, the younger lady, with
eyes streaming with tears, implored them
to suffer them TO remain,
1--WE can assure you Of one thing" said
the elder lady, 1--WE have the means Of coW.
pensating you most literally for all your ex-
Pense and trouble"
alt was not on account Of the compen-
sation l hesitated TO answer" said Mr.. Ver-
non; but because could think OF no melh-
od by which our house could be made the
safe asylum you deem necessary"
"You kno w." said his wife, "lhat we are
expecting Mrs. Alien and her daughter to
make as visit and that this very morning
ol,,t
that something had occurred which would
prevent them from coming. have been
thinking that, if you have no objection, we
viii do our best to accommodate these Ia.
dies, and as there must be some name to
designate them by, we will, with their con-
1currence, call them Mrs. and Miss Allen,
| Which will prevent the neghbors from Ell
thef expressing or entertaining any impeI~
| tinent curiosity"
II was finally settled, greatly to the relief
Of the strangers, partit uiarIy the younger,
THAI the IUan proposed ty Mrs, Vernon
should be carried into effect.
The stormy pight was succeeded by one
Of the brightest Of March mornings, and
the robin and blup~bjrd were abroad in the
bamy air, The driver Of the coach was
astir at early dawn, ia order to see 10 his
lhorsee; and having done justice to good
and substantial breakfast, was on the road
u lt.h after sunrise. By the 1tme the two
strangers had risen, neat ana convenlea
apartment, on the second floor, comforta
bIy furnished aud rendered cheerful by the
bright sunshine and good are, was ready
for their race ption,
Time passed on, but nothing transpired
to clear away the cloud OF mystery which
hung over them. Theeldpr lady atail times
maintained lhe cumposure and equabllty oi
manner that had at first characterized her
while the Younger still melancholy and un'
haDry, was at times afflicted wFR such eX'
trelne nervous agitation, that her healtl
was seriously injured. There were inter
walls, however, when the buoyant spirits o.
youth would rise above the secret cause ci
misery which seemed crushing her to tn;
earth. And then her voice might often bt
heard, clear and meludoWs as the solIg o
the birds that reveed in the old chcsnuts
now in foliage. As no one seemed to sus
pect that they were not really Mrs. AlIcl
and her daughter all passed on quietly p
, nough, except that Mrs. Vernon was occa
sionaly torRented by the close and pryn!
questions of an invetera,e gossip, who haC
received the appropriate cognomen o
"Puddins stick" being always ready to sti
up the little community whenever it seem
, ed likely to settle down into Il state OF to-
much apathy and rcpose.
Though three months had elapsed sine
y their arrival they expressed no intention
of departing. As the only son of their hos
and hostess had now completed the stud
> of the law in the Office of an eminent bar
: rister in distant city, he was daily eXpec
ted home. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon ha
: hoped that their boarderS would fin
then.selvesi in situation TO change thel
t residence previous 10 his arrival as the
2 dreaded to have him exposed to the inhu
r ence of person possessing such tastina
, ting beauty and manners as the younger
+ who, they could not help fearing, it she ha
4 not actually been guilty of crime, had wide
ly deviated from the path Of moral rect
Y tude. At length, Mrs. Vernon took coln
' age 10 hint to them, that as their son wa
r expected home, it would I've difficult to az
: commodate them longer as he would nee
: the apartment now occupied by them
o The bare suggestion, however, threw til
: young lady into state OF such agitation
/ tha! Mrs, Vernon at once withdrew her Of
h lection to their remaining, and said sh
n would do her hest to prepare some other
: partment for their son. The next point
A be settled was one between MIR. and Mrs
n Vernon. They were at a loss to determln
A whether it would be best to let him entel
Y tain the impression that prevailed in tn
: neighborhood, relative to the ladies, or
v inform him Of all they themselves knew
They decided ir favor OF the latter course
If as the doubts which it would involve as re
n spected her character, might act as chec
r. upon the dangerous effect to be aPpreher
|. ded from the superior attractions whic
i. distinguished the younger.
n It was about the middle of June, 1e'
y the close of dayof uncommon Iovelnes
tnat Lionel Vernon drove up to the door
>. a private chaise, as no public vehicle can
Al, ;Nn xx.I,iph WnS aiY n,iIf