Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-05-28

paying much attention to the readngA but
knew upon which side Of the paper to look
Fanny told me it was time for me to 90 TO bed,
however, and left my search before could
find anything that seemed to concern Miss Ag-
mes. ! stopped at her door, and babe her good
night again; and she came out to me, and kiss
ed me, and said, IL was good child and must
not trouble myself about her.
The next day she seemed quiet, vet the same
as ever. Though said nothing to anybody
else about her fainting, could not help telling
my friend Jessie of it ;---for / always told Jes
sic everything. Fanny called us the two JAYS,
we chartered so when we were together
knew she would not tell anybody, SO could
not help sharing my wonder with her,-what
could have made Miss Agnes faint so suddenly ?
She thought it must have been something in
the newspaper, perhaps the death of some
friend, or the marriage of some other. | was
willing to look again, and this time remembered
three things that Fanny had just been reading
when looked up at Miss Agnes. One was
about MIR Paul ShattuclS tin descending from
a haycart he had fallen upon a pitclfork, and
had seriously wounded his thigh. Another was
the marriage of Mr. Abraham Black TO Miss
Susan Whtcomb, and Fanny had wondered if
she were related to the Whitcombs of Hadley.
Then she had read a singular advertisement for
lost ring, a seal ring with some Arabic letters
engraved upon it. | was of the opinion that
Miss Agnes was somehow connected with this
signet rng-that it had some influence over
her fate. Jessie thought that Miss Agnes must
have been formerly engaged to Mr. Abraham
Black, and that when she heard of his marriage
- but interrupted her in this suggestion
In the first place, she never could have been
engaged to a MIR Abraham Black; and then,
nobody who could marry Miss Agnes would
think of taking up with Susan Whitcomb.-
So Jessie fell back upon Paul Shattuck, and, to
tell the truth, we had some warm discussions on
the subject.
Time passed on, and it was June. One love-
ly afternoon, we had quite frolic with the hay,
the grass having been cut on the lawn in front
of the house. Miss Agnes had been with u.s.
We had made nests in the hay, and had buried
each other in deep mounds of it, and had all
played till we were quite tired. Invent into the
house in search of Miss Agnes, after she had
gone in. and found her sitting at one of the side
windows | came near, then wished to draw
back again, for | saw there were tears in her
eyes But when l found she had seen me, |
tried to speak as if / had seen nothing
"How high the cat has to step, to walk over
the grass" | said, as looked out of the win
dow.
Miss Agnes put her arms about me. "You
"N.'NNit bSNHHoS lOu Stt CINlilR, bHC SdlQ
and looked into my face
81 never before saw an! body cry that was
grown up" said l.
Miss Agnes smiled and said. "Thcy tell chill
dren il is naughty to cry; but sometimes you
can't help crying, can you?" And her tears
came dropping down.
"Oh, Miss Agnes" said, "a wish, could
help your crying 1t is too bad it is too
bad" -
YES, it is very bad" she said, as she held
me in her arms sit is very bad; but you do
help me. You shall be my little friend''
That was all. She did not tell me anything
yet felt as il she had said great deal, and |
did not speak of this to Jessie.
A few days after, as was passing the door
Of the parlor, fanced heard little cry, and
II soundeu ~ me rs ir ho...i a. IT, .r
Miss Agnes. | hurried in. A stranger had
just entered the room. But before me stood
Miss Agnes, pale, erect, her lips quivering.-
She held fast chair, which she had drawn up
in front of her, as one would place a shield be-
tween ones self and some wild animal How
slender and defenceess she looked j followed
the terrified glance of her eyes. There in the
middle of the room, stood a stranger, not so
terrible to look upon, for he was young, and it
seemed to me had never seen so handsome
man. His black hair and eyes quite pictured
built, and directly showed his strength by seiz-
ing large marble table that stood near the
centre of the ROOM and wheeling it between
himself and Miss Agnes
"lf you afraid Of me-" he said 81 will
build up barrier between us. Poor lamb. YOU
would like to be free from the clutches of the
wolff"
al am afraid of you," said Miss Agnes, slow
ly-and the color came into her cheeks "You
know your power over me. ! begged you, if
you loved me, not to come to me-"
"And all for that foolish ring And the spir-
It's OF mischief betrayed its loss to you; it was
none of my work that published it in the pa
pers. Can you let fancy, old story in
ring, disturb your faith in me-"
elf the faith is disturbed" answered Miss
Agnes, "what use in asking what has disturbed
it, Ernest, as you stand there, you cannot
say you love me as you once professed to love
meP"
81 can say that you are my guiding STAR
that, if you fail me, fall away into ruin"
"Can my little light keep you from ruin?"-
said Miss Agnes, shuddering. "Do not talk to
me SO! Alas, you know how weak amp"
al know that you are an angel, and that am
too low wretch to dare to speak to you. |
came here to tell you | was worthy of your
deepest hatred. But, Agnes, when you speak
10 me OF my power over you, II tempts me TO
WELD it little longer, before fall below your
contempt"
lie walked up and down the room, and pres
emily saw me standing there.
"a listenerP" he exclaimed "you are afraid
to be alone with me-"
was about to leave the room, but he called
me back.
"Stay, child ~ he said; if can speak in her
presence, it makes little difference that any one
else should hear me. Agnes, little Agnes, you
would not like to be quite alone; let the child
stay. Yet you know already that am faithless
to you. You know what am going to tell YOU
l love you passionately, as have always loved
you. But there are other passions hold me
tighter Money, and position,-I need them,
i cannot live without them. The first have
lost already, and the claims have to reputa-
ton will follow soon. / am mad. / am fling
ing away happiness for the sake of its mask
Next week marry riches-a fortune. With
the golden lady, go to Europe. forsake
home,-my better self. leave you, Agnes =
and you may thank God that do leave you; l
am not worthy of YOU"
She lifted herself from the chair on which
she was leaning, and walked towards him. She
laid her hand upon his shoulder, and, white and
! ,,alo lonl "A IN b;o