Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-06-02

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hold to me tighter. Money, and position-I
need them-I cannot live without them. The
| first / have already, and the claims have to
reputation will follow soon. am mad. / am
lingng away happiness for the sake of its
mask. Next week | marry riches-a fortune.
! With golden lady, l go to Europe. l for
sake home-my better self. | leave you, Ag-
nes ;-and may thank God that do leave
you am unworthy 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 pale, looked into his face.
Do not CO. Ernest p said she. You
are mine. A promise cannot be brOken-you
are promised to me Stay, do not go away u
My beautiful Agnes !" said he, do you
come to lay your pure self down in the scale
against my follies and all my passions You
stand before me too fair. too lovely for me- 1t
is only in your presence that can appear no.
BILE enough for you. Even here, by your side,
| see the life must lead with you, the strug-
gle that you must share. In that life you
would only see me fail. / am weak can
never be strong. Let me go down the current.
Your heart will not break Il am not worth
such q sacrifice"
You are desperate" said She "You say
these cold, bitter words, and you must know
that each word cuts me- Oh, Ernest, you are
false, indeed, if you come to taunt me with
your faithleSsess !"
needed to see you once more" he said,
imperousIy-" needed it. But you were
true, AgneS-the ring was true talisman. 1t
seemed to me that its letters had changed col
or. | carried it to an old Eastern scholar.
He declared that the letters could never have
! formed the word " Faith, that the word
was some black word that meant death left
it with him, that he might study it. When l
saw him again, he declared be had lost it, and
had had advertised it. You see you can trust
your talisman sooner than you can trust me-"
At this moment the outer door opened, and
presently Fanny came in, with one of her
! friends Miss Agnes looked bewildered, but
her visitor recovered his composure directly
Miss Fanny, believe Il have met you
before. have just been bidding goodbye to
Miss Agnes, before leaving for Europe. Can
be Of service to you z"
Before we had time to think, he had said
something to each one of US, and had left the
house Fanny turned to speak to Miss Agnes,
but she had fallen to the ground before We
could reach her.
She was i'll, very i'll, for long time. She
had the brain fever-sO the doctor said. They
let me stay with her-she liked to have me
with her. l was glad to sit in the darkened
room all the long day. never was handy"
child, but l learned to be useful to her
waited on all her wants held her hand
when she reached it out as if to meet some
kindly touch.
T. ., of bor 7 Inl
the great piece of s,--of the terrible rail-
road accident that Mr.. Carr, the Ernest who
had been to see Miss Agnes, was among those
who were suddenly kiIled-the very day he left
our house | had not heard it so | was not
able to warn Fanny, when she came into the
sick room of Miss Agnes the first day she was
able to talk--I could not warn Fanny that
she must not speak of it But she did. How
could she be so thoughtless Miss Agnes it
is true, looked almost we'll as she was lying on
her couch o soft color in her checks. But then
Fanny need not have told her anything so pain
full. Miss Agnes looked quite wild, and turned
to me to as if to know whether it were true
| could not say anything to her. but knelt by
her--and she seemed almost calm, as she ask
ed to know all that was known, all the terrible
particulars that Fanny knew so well.
She was worse after that. We thought she
would die, one night. But she did not die
Either she was to weak or too strong to die
of broken heart Perhaps she wes not
strong enough to love so earnestly such a one
as Mr.. Carr, or else she had such strength as
could bear the trial that was given her to bear
She lived, but life seemed very feeble in her
for long time.
One day she began to talk with me-
"You wonld like to know, Jeane, the story
of that ring" she said.
| told her | was afraid to have her talk
about it, but she went on -
at is an old heirloom, and all our family
history is foil of stories about this ring. There
are so many tales connected with it, that every
one of US has looked upon it with sort of su-
perstition, and cherished it as q talisman con-
nected with our lives. 1t was always test Of
constancy, and the stories Of these occasions
when it has detected fasehood have always
been remembered. | suppose there are many
when it has been quietly worn, undiSturbed,
that have been forgotten. 1T has told many q
sad tale in my own family. 1t came back bro
ken, to my brother Arthur, and he died Of a
broken heart. My sister Eveline gave it to
her young cousin, to whom she had engaged
herself But afterwards, when she went to live
with gay and heartless aunt of mine, she
broke her promise to him for the sake of a
richer match The day that she was married,
our cousin far away saw the black letters turn
red upon the signet-ring."
; "Oh, Miss Agnes ?" | exclaimed.
"And why should not letters change" she
} asked, abruptly and | saw her eyes look out
dreamily, as if looking at something ! did not
see 1.-THE letter clothes the spirit and the
spirit gives life to the form. A face grows
lovely or unlovely with the spirit that lies be-
| hind it. l cannot say if there be spirit i'll
such things Yet what we have worn we give
rafna To II has an eYnressinn in nnr eyes Dc