St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-08-17
But now the father interuoses. To

~ near DOth or his children accused of suth
q crime is more than his irascibles temper
will endure, and he enters counter-accu-
sution that Mark has, for some unworthy
end, removed the parcel himself. Words
nov became SO hot and bitter that FanDy's
distress is increased, not lessened by this
championship, and she weeps so bitterly
and pleads so earnestly with both that
Mark, more touched than he would like to
confess, abruptly leaves them to shut him
| self i, his chamber. After some hours,
the sound of his footsteps ceasing, the anx-
ious wife creeps softly up stairs, and is re-
lieved to find him lying on the bed in an un-
easy ;slumber. Her father persuades her
to rest too, but poor Fanny shakes her head
and still sits by his side, leaning her head
on his shoulder, and feeling more forlorn
/ and miserable than it had eyer been her
lot to feel before. What will poor Mark
do? And what will become Of her if he
persists in believing her guilty - s..
Equally bewildered and almost as unllap-
Ply as his daughter, Mr.. Roberts tries to
soothe her with promises not only to seek
George and bring him to cxculrate himself
but forgive Marks hasty speeches, and as
sizt him in investigating this mysterious
affair. So, at last. Fanny begins to fee
more comforted, and to wish her father tc
leave her; but, tired as he confesses him
self, he cannot quit her in such trouble,
and they continue to occupy the same po-
sition by the fire till night has long given
place TO morning, and Mr.. Roberts eyes
close inveluntarily. u
A footstep overhead starties them. 81,
is only Mark" says Fanny, after mo-
ment's listening. "Poor fellow, wish he
had slept longer" -..rs..
In the modern six roomed house every
sound is distinctly audible, and they hea,
him enter the chamber where stands the
now shattered escritoire. After short
rause he is heard slowly descending the
stairs, and his wife raises herself from he1
reclining position and smoothes her disor.
dered hair. ., -~
As he enters the room, Mr.. Roberts lays
his hand on his daughters arm. ssLook,
child. lcok!'' he whispers; and Fanny
sees with astonishment that her husband
is fast asleep, and holds in one hand the
bundle of old love letters.
| Setting down his candle, Mark ualocks
the front of his large and we'll filled book
case, and begins deliberately taking down,
one by one, the handsomely bound volumes
of the History of England, which grace the
highest shelf; then he draws out number
of loose magazines, hidden there because
of their untidy appearance; lays the old
love-letters quite at the back of them all,
! replaces the odd numbers, returns the vol
umes to their shelf, carefully putting them
even, locks the glass doors, and is stalking
away, when Fanny, with cry which
awakens him, sLatches the key from his
hand. Rubbing his eyes, and wonderi n g
he sees her eager fingers dragging Hume
and Smolictt from their proud position to
assume on inglorious one on the hearth
rug and in the fender; the once treasured
t.Belle Assemblee'' arc scattered in all di-
rectlons the highly priced love letters re-
ceive similar usage; and tien, from behind
al the rest, Fanny triumphantly takes out
the small brown paper parcel, tied with
pink tape, and sealed with the Office seal.
Crying and laughing in one breath, the
happy little wife is the next moment in her
husbands arms, kissing and being kissed
dd hbitum.