The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-03-03

a bunch Of wild roses the little girl was
satisfied.
"I will tell you, Mabel" said Ed
ward Kirham, as he walked away with
his cousin, " as you are two years older
than Allie, and not so childish besides
know that will always love me.'
To be sure l will, dear Ned" re-
turned Mabel Lynn, pressing close to
her cousins side. . -
81 believe you, Mabel darling, you
know l am nearly sixteen (and the boy
proudly raised his head !; well, this very
morning mother ordered me to take a
criuging note of an apology to Master
Jones; an apology for an offence of
which / never was guilty-it would have
been disgrace to me to have offered it
l told mother of this, but she believed
me in the wrong, and urged, until at
last she looked and talked more like a
iend than woman"
Ned! Ned! -
"Hear me, Mabel! she ordered me
from her house, and shall not darken
her doors again. stopped to tell you
this, and bid little Allie and yourself
good bye"
Where are you going, Ned /; Are
you never coming back again 7" gasped
Mabel, eagerly clutching her cousins
arm.
"Don't ask me where I am going.
Don't ask me when l am coming back.
l cannot tell you, Mable, darling; but
promise always to love and remember
me.n
always! always !" returned the
affrightened little girl and then sobs
choked her voice, and burying her face
in her sun bonnet, she cried passionate
ly. When at last she checked her grief,
her cousin reminded her of Allie he
bade her dry her tears, and they're
turned to the fence. In vain did Mabel
Lynn implore her cousin to tell irrr
where he had so madly resolved to go
in vain did she try to soften his boyish
wrath against his mother. Edward
Kirham was firm, and ere they reached
Allie, she had ceased to plead.
"Good bye, my sweet Allie," said
Edward, fondly kissing his little sister,
and then, turning to Mabel Lynn, he
kissed her trembling lip, and pulling his
cap over his eyes to hide the tears, he
turned away.
Ned, why do you bid us good bye !:
Amt you coming home for dinner :"
asked Allie in surprise
"No, darling, no!" and Edward
hurried towards the woods. Allie Kir-
ham looked after her brother in mute
amazement, and for a moment seemed
lost in thought, but directly bright
butterfly sprang up before her, and the
ay-hearted little girl forgot Ned's queer
behavior in the merry chase. Mabel
Lynn was sad aud silent all that morn
ing; she said nothing to Allie of Ed
wards strange determination, although
it sorely troubled her heart. Edward
Kirham did not come home for dinner,
and when evening shades darkened the
village was still absent Mrs. Kirham
grew uneasy the little girls, frightened
and when second day had nearly worn
away, and Edward came not, she began
to think it was something more than
zone of Ned's mad freaks" Ere a
, third day heeted by, the villagers went
forth to seek Edward Kirham. Mrs
Kirham's passion had now gone, and her
heart seemed wrung almost to anguish
Not until the close of the forth day did
any light break upon the disappearance
of Edward Kirham. A mournful clue
!; was then furnished to the mystery. The
, Jacket of Kirham was found floating
upon the waters of 4" Blue Stream,' and
on the bank near by, lay his handker-
chief and school satchel-his foot prints
, we're traced in the soft earth close down
to the streams edge. " Blue Stream
was dragged, but the body of the poor
) boy could not be found there was bu,
little doubt it had been carried far down
and lost in a wider expanse of water.
Mrs. Kirham now fearfully realized the
, truth of her sons threat, and for weeks
: was like one bereft Of sense, Suddenly
, she rcgained her stern, calm composure,
, and after listening with whitened cheeks
, to Mabel Lynn's tale, forbade that her
sons name should ever be mentioned
to her again. The villagers respected
, her grief, and Edward Kirham was re-
, membered by them only in silence or in
fearful whispers at their own Rresides.
Mrs. Kirham felt that she had provok-
ed that storm Of passion in which her