Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-21
old, turned to George, and asked if Leah

| III tell YOU why, ne IIteII uPtCu, iiiitt-
| tieutly. " Because you've seen her here for
the last time. She's never coming to chapel
again"
"Never coming to chapel again: ," l fall
tered, laying my hand on his sleeve in the
earnestness Of my surprise. Why, George,
what is the matter -.- - ,
But he shook my hand off, and stamped
with his iron heel till the pavement rang
again.
Don't ask me" said he roughly Let
me alone. You'll know soon enough"
| And with this he turned off down a by
| lane leading towards the hills, and left me
| without another word.
| | have had plenty of bad treatment III nv
time but never, until that moment, an angry
| look or syllable from George. l did not
know how to bear it. That day my dinner
seemed as if it would choke me; and in the
| afternoon | went out and wandered restlessly
about the fields till the honr for evening
prayer came round. | then returned to the
| chapel, waiting for George. | saw the con-
! gregatiOn 60 in by twos and threes; I heard
| the first psalm-tune echo solemnly through
the evening stiffness; but no George came.
| Then the service began, and | knew that
punctual as his habits were, it was of no use
! to expect him any longer. Where could he
be? What could have happened? Why
| should Leah Payne never come to chapel
| again Had she gone over to some other
sect, and was that why George seemed so I'M
| happy:
Sitting there in the little dreary churchyard
with the darkness gathering around me, l
asked myself these questions over and over
again, till my brain ached for was not much
used to thinking about anything in those
times. At last l could bear to sit no longer.
| The sudden thought struck me that I would
! go to Leah, and learn what the matter was
from her own lips | sprang to my feet, and
set out at once towards her home.
1t was quite dark, and a light rain was be-
! ginning to fall. found the garden-gate Open
and quick hope flashed across. me that
! George might be there. | drew back for a
moment, hesitating whether to knock or ring
when a sound of voices in the passage, and
the sudden cleaning of a bright line Of light
under the door, warned me that some one
was coming out. Taken by surprise, and
quite unprepared for the moment with any
thing to say, | shrank behind the porch and
| waited until those within should have passed
out. The door opened, and the light stream
ed suddenly upon the roses and wet gravel
1t rains" said Leah, bending forward and
| shading the candle with her hand
"And is as cold as Siberia" added another
voice, which was not Georges, and yet sound
ed strangely familiar. Ugh! what eli
mate for such flower as my darling to bloom
in"
els it so much finer in France" asked
| Leah, softly.
AS much finer as blue skies and sunshine
can make it. Why, my angel even your
| bright eyes will be ten times brighter, and
| Your rosy cheeks ten times roster, when they
| Lana 10
you no idea Of the wonders of Paris-the
! broad streets planted with trees, the palaces,
the shops, the gardens lit is city of en-
| chantment."
cit must be, indeed !" said Leah "And
you will really take me to see all those
beautiful shops?"
Every Sunday, my darling. Bah! don't
look so shocked. The shops in Paris are
always open on Sunday, ana everybody makes
holiday. You will soon get over these preju-
dices."
{" think it is very wrong to take so much
| pleasure in the things of this world" sighed
| Leah.
The Frenchman laughed and answered her
! with kiss.
Good night, my sweet little saint :" and
he ran lightly down the path, and disappeared
IN the darkness Leah sighed again, and
| fingered a moment, and then closed the door,
| Stupefed and bewilder ed stood for some
| seconds like stone statue, unable to move
scarcely able to think At length | reused
myself, as it were mechanically, and went
towards the gate At that instant heavy
hand was laid on my shoulder, and hoarse
voice close beside my ear said:
"Who are you? What are you doing
here?"
1t was George. | knew him at once, in
spite of the darkness, and stammered his
name. He took his hand quickly from my
shoulder
How long have you been here?" said he,
| iercely. "What right have you to lurk
about, like a spy in the dark" God help me,
| Ben; I'm half mad. | don't mean to be rash
to YOU"
"Fm sure you DON'T I cried" earnestly
"It's that cursed Frenchmen," he went
on, in a voice that sounded like the groan of
one in pam. "He's villain. | know he's a
villain and Eve had warning against him
ever since the first moment he came among
us He'll make her miserable, and break her
heart some day-my pretty Leah-and love
her so But I'll be revenged; as sure as there's
a sun in heaven, I'll be revengedr
His vehemence terrified me. | tried to
persuade him to go home, but he would not
| listen to me.
"No, no." he said eco home yourself,
boy, and let me be. NV blood is on fire
this rain is good for me, and [ am better
alone"
eff l could only do something to help
YOU
You can't" interrupted he "Nobodv
can help me. I'm ruined man, and | don't
care what becomes of me. The Lord forgive
me my heart is full of wickedness and my
thoughts are the promptings of Satan There,
| go-tor heavens sake, go. | don't know what
| say, or what do ~
| went, for did not dare refuse any longer;
but fingered awhile at the corner of the
street, ana watched him pacing to and fro in
the driving rain. At length turned reluc-
family away and went home
lay awake that night for hours, thinking
over the events of the day, and hating the
| Frenchman from my very soul | could not
hate Leah. had worshipped her too long
and too faithfully for that; but looked upon
her as a creature given over to destruction.
| fell asleep towards morning, and woke again
shortly after daybreak. When I reached the
pottery, l found George there before me,
looking very pale, but quite himself and set
ting the men to work as usual | said moth
ing about what had happened the day before
Something in his face silenced me; but see
ing him so steady and composed, took heart
and began to hope he had fought through the
worst of his trouble. By-and-by the French.
man came through the yard CAV and off
hand, with his cigar in his mouth, and his
: hands in his pockets. George turned sharply
away into one of the workshops and shut the
door. l drew deep breath of relief Nv
dread was to see them come TO an omen QUAR-.