The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-13
IINGTON, THURSDAY, MAY -, 1852.

whole hIIerDOOH. Dub w VIII. Whatever nap
pens. will not be talked into project by
Rodney Decker's eloquence, and then see il
blown away like feather the next moment at
the breath of his mysterious caprice. will
have that walk, if go alone"
This sublime resolution seemed likely 10 he
pretty thoroughly tested On Tuesday morn.
ing Dick Sullivan was sent to bespeak Mr..
Heath's company and guidance to the newly
discovered glen. Mr. Heath gave him all neces-
sary instructions for finding it, but sent word
that he was obliged to attend funeral and
would be unable to accompany them
Agnes's will now carried the matter through.
Mary had headache, and looked as if she
| would gladly be left in quiet But Agnes as
sured her that the walk would he her best
cure; that they should not have another such
fine day that season and that, more than this,
it was shame to fiatter these men by accom-
modating ones plans to their movements,
Mary had not spirits to contest the point She
soon yielded, and about noon the party of three
| set forth
Now the truth was that Mr. Sullivan had
been so impatient to return to his post ut Miss
Levison's side. that lac had given little heed to
Mr.. Heaths careful directions. He consequent
| ly found himself acting in the capacity OF
guide, and, as such, implicitly relied upon by
his companions: while in fact he had the
yaguest possible idea Of where their true path
lay But Dick was not the one to confess igno-
rance prematurely He put bold face ON the
matter, and beguiling the way with his agree
able discourse, affected an entire security as to
its happy termination. 1t was not till after
many blindly- undertaken short cuts, and pro-
tracted wanderngs in unpathed woods, during
which the points of compass were hopelessly
lost by the whole party, that he condescended
to acknowledge himself little in doubt which
way to proceed next.
Agnes was now heartily provoked with him.
The walk had been II particularly uncomfort-
able one to her; for as often as Mary Eustace
fell little behind, which she seemed bent upon
doing, MIR. Sullivan relapsed into sentiment,
and Agnes really began to fear that she should
not be able to keep off the crisis of proposal.
There seemed no prospect now of reaching
the desired glen and Miss Eustace, who had
not enjoyed the excitement of keeping in check
a lovers advances was already complaining OF
fatigue. Agnes found seat for her among
the boughs Of fallen tree, and placed stone
at her feet She then espied on the borders of
dark brook that wound its way through the
wood, some clusters of the bright cardinal
flower she FASTENED to secure them; they
would contrast finely with the glossy blackness
of Mary's hair Mr.. Sullivan as she knew of
old was an expert wreath-maker, and he really
needed some employment to keep him out of
mischief Agnes shOwered the scarlet blossoms
over him, as he sat in a graceful attitude at
Miss Eustace's feet and commanded him, in
her wiiful way to use his best skill in forming
a garland for the queen she had throned
Her companions being thus disposed of, Agnes
INDUCED her own restlessness by exploring the
wood in every direction around them. In her
present irritated mood, it was reliet to be
| alone.
As she wandered aimlessly about she soon
found herself retracing the path which they
had broken in entering the wood, and her eye
was caught by something white lying on the
ground before her She stopped for it, and
found il to be letter, and, on looking more
carefully at the address, she recognised it as
the very letter she had written to Mary Eustace
before her coming.
"My good, orderly Miss Mary has hole in
her pocket for once" she said to herself, " OF
very Agneslike ways of putting things into it,
Agnes now recalled the free, happy spirit IL
which that letter had been penned, 30 differen
from her present state of heart. She opened
it, to bring back, if possible, by its perusal
some ray of that lost sunshine: As she unfold
ed the well-flled sheet, slip of paper, as closel,
written AS the rest, huttered to her feet. Agne
was much in the habit of tucking in few las
words in such a shape, and it did not occur t
her. as she picked it up, that she was about t.
read anything but her own forgotten words
until her attention was irrevocably fastened to
the lines before her. They were these:
Mary, if you ever loved me, let no false
sense Of duty keep you from your Agnes bless
her for loving you'll because am here. We
| will meet as strangers. Let me but hear your
voice again, and mine shall not utter word
| you would wish unspoken.sWe have not sought
this meeting it has been strangely ordered for
u.s. You are striving to act and live as if we
had never met. Do 80 now, and let that stern
rule give, for once, happiness instead Of sorrow.
| mean no reproach; words cannot tell how
deeply honor you in all!
Agnes's amazement and intense excitement
had hurried her through this mysterious note,
seemingly without the power to stop. For one
moment the whole was Il profound enigma to
her; the next, a suspicion flashed like lightning
through the darkness. Mary's ready appreci-
alton of Mr.. Heath, their long talks, her indif-
ference TO Decker her sadness and those past
trials at which she once hinted-there was no
room for doubt They had known one another ;
she had loved him--he still loved her! A wild
tumult rose in Agnes's breast; its cause she did
not stop 10 inquire, but she knew herself to be
now ut last miserable beyond endurance
Urged by a resistless impulse, she plunged into
the densest part of the wood, and dashed on
through bush and brier, and tangled thcket
crossing the brook at q leap. and climbing the
bank beyond without thought OF its steep
ness The passionate feeling aroused in her
soul seemed to demand this unchecked and
reckless motion, as its only vent.
The woodland now lay more open before her
She flew with redoubled speed through its
quiet glades, till at length she struck upon a
beaten path leading down a slight descent
Agnes followed il at the same desperate pace,
careless where it was leading her, when, with
| q sudden dismay, she found herself on the
shore of the fatal lake!
Ii was very beautiful, as it lay under the
calm light of that autumn afternoon but at
sight of il Agnes felt her strength DESERVING
her, and, trembling in every limb, she sank to
the ground As abe looked bewildered around
her, she became aware, with a growing sense
| of fear. that she was on the very spot over
| which her brothers. lifeless body had been
borne when it was taken from these treacher-
Gus depths The great rock jutting into the
| lake the cedar bushes growing to its edge, and
| the tall groups Of chestnut trees behind, were
all too we'll known 10 her, though she had not
| looked ON them for many years. And now the
fierce conflict that had impelled her unwilling
| " to the spot was hushed before its peaceful
beauty, eloquent to Agness heart, OF an indy
ing sorrow The poor child burst into tears,
and being now too weak and exhausted for any
selecontrol, she seemed to sob away her life in
the vehement indulgence of her grief By de-
| grees her mood grew gentler the pride and
passion and strength Of will by which her heart
had been torn, melted fast away, leaving her
humble pcntent, and sorrowful The throng-
inc memories Of her loved brother, to which
| TIE soena before her gave birth, would not