The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-05-12

use il.
: 81 shall remember that" said Mrs. Lee,
e laughing.
n ooh to my intimate friends am, OF
4 course, always at home" replied Mrs. Gran
. ger, blushing scarlet" but now confess, YOU
a dear piece Of proprety, that you use this
. subterfuge occasionally. You certainly can.
not always see your immense circle of yisi-
tors at home."
! :" sertainly cannot; but believe | never
: sent that message to the door but once, and
for that once" she continued, painful look
) crossing her sweet face, 81 shall never for.
! give myself. II was more than three years
ago, and when told my servant that morn
} ing to say, Not at home to whoever might
call. except she knew it was some intimate
friend, felt my cheeks tngle, and the girls
look of surprise mortified me exceedingly.
: But she went about her duties, and about
mine. sometimes pleased that | had adopted
convenient fashion by which could secure
more time to myself, sometimes painfully
smitten with the reproaches Of my con-
science.
"fhe day wore away, and when Mr.. Lee
came home, he startled me with the news
that very dear and intimate friend was
dead.
"' 1t cannot be, was my reply, for she
exacted of me a solemn promise that would,
alone, sit by her dying pillow, as she had a
secret OF great Importance to reveal to me.
You mnst be msinfOrmed no one has been
for me'-here suddenly horrible suspicion
crossed my mind. She sent for you, but
you were not at home, said Mr.. Lee inno-
Gently; then he continued, am sorry for
Charles. her husband he thinks her distress
was much aggravated BY your absence, from
the fact that she called your nome piteousIy.
lie would have sought for you, but your ser.
want said she did not know where you had
gone. ] am sorry. You must have been out
longer than usual. for Charles sent his man
over here three times
"Neyer in all my life did I experience
such loathing Of myself, such utter humlia-
ton. My servant had gone further than /, |
in adding falsehood to lalsehOOd, and | had /
placed u out otmy power to reproye her by /
my own equivocatlon. felt humbIed TO the |
very dust, and the next day resolved over
the cold clay Of my friend, that | would
never under any circumstances, say. Not at
home y"
!" But did you find out the secret;" asked
Mrs. Granger.
Never; it died with her. 1t was in re- /,
latlon to little child in The family, aud |
have always felt a painful consciousness that
might have received information by which /
the poor little thing could be greatly bcne-
fitted"
Mrs. Granger united her delicate bonnet
strings. and took TO tanning herself with
lace handkerchief. Mrs. Grand Immediately
arose and offered her gorgeous Indian fan
that lay on little table near
That reminds me, said Mrs. DR.. West
"ol similar circumstance that occurred in
my husbands practice. When we first NOV.
ed into the city,we were very intimate with
the family Of Justice Allen. They lived in
the suburbs in beautiful mansion. The doc.
tor called there quite often as friend aud
acquaintance. Mrs. Allen had but one child.
son, some five years old, little angel in
appearance and disposition, and as complete
an idol as ever shared the love Oftwo devoted
hearts. One day my husband rode by there,
aud as was his wont stopped moment. Anew
servant who did not know Kim met him, and
told him the mistress was not at home
50 he rode of again. Some two hours after
he came home, and was surprised when told
him that Judge Aliens man had been after
him long ago; that MIS-. Allen was nearly
crazy, and the child dying, having accident.
ally swallowed poison. lie hurried back
The house was thronged with doctors, and
little Eagene lay just breathing his last. lie
ascertained what time the accident occurred, )
and found that, had he not been misinlurmed
at the period OF his first visit, he could easily
have saved bis life. When Mrs Allen learn.
cd that he actually stuod before her door at /,
the very moment she discovered that her child
was i'll, her reason iorsook her, and she has
never since fully recovered. She had given ,.
strict orders that morning that she was at
home to no one aud. unfortunately. physi. y
cian could not DC found till nearly an hour
too late"
dear me-" said Mrs. Granger, pctulant !
ly, /" what can one do when ones visiting liz, :
is so large !" and she drew together tie folds
Uf magnificent cashmere shawl. "One :
would not like to send down an excuse: lor !,
my part don't see how you get slong.''
% doyery well without resOrting 20 false .
i0od.' e
"0h! dear me You can't call it a lie - !,
Mrs. Granger, much mortified.
" Then what is IL = y
The calm. quiet tone quite nonpused Mrs ),
Granger. She pulled at her glove uneasily u
=" Why it is--ahy ceftainly-n0t exact. s
J a lie !" aud then she hesitatcd 2
What else can you call it, Suppose | e
houd tell friend. who might happen to ask v
ne, that had not visited Mrs. Grand to u
lay" Y
"a Why Of course il would be false Mrs. 81
Granger was growing tiigety. 4
/" Well, and where is the difference il Mrs. p
Grand had sent word that she was not at
omef Certainly we should have felt buund "a y
0 believe the correctness Of the message" "
Mrs Grand made nice little mental pros 8
Mise that perhaps she never would do SO "a
gain.
" Besides" chimed in Mrs. Lee. a. think
leads 10 inss of eoniitlenre IN one's frtands W