The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-27

womanly skill and tenderness soon
put the proper. remedies to work, and
when the father returned, a, short
time later, he found Anna conscious,
but evidently unable to face her
guests again that evening" a. 1aEf !.
p =" I'll carry her up stairs, Kate,
he said, land you must make the best
excuse you can" ~ ssa ssA- gig
But what is the matter?" inquired
the bewildered lady. - n
"To-morrow-7I'll tell you to-mor-
row. Go back, now, and make the
best story you can. s Ifshe DOM know
herself she can't tell anybody else,
he Vmuttered, as his sister left the
room. "Come, birdie, put your arms
around my neck, and I'll carry you to
your room" esiI .aaalt3D
She chung to him fondly. This was
love she could confide in, pure, true,
mistaken from her infancy. Her lit
tie figure nestled into his strong arms,
as he lifted her from the sofa, and her
head sank down YEARLY yet trustingly
upon the broad shoulder, that never
yet turned away from its pressure.
Yes" he said, as he put her on her
bed, and sat down beside her, "yes,
pet, see what your eyes are asking
me, and | will tell you all / know.
better tell you than have you in a
brain fever with conjecture You see
they calculated to have twenty-four
hours start, as this is holiday, but
there was some suspicion reused by
Mr.. Leslie's proceedings yesterday,
and to-day some of the directors went
to the bank, too late to prevent, but
In time. to discover the abduction.
They went at once to the house. The
old gentleman left early this morn
ing; Harold at noon. 1t is a bad
business If it was only a money
loss, pet, [ would not play the stern
father to your love, but dis
grace has never touched our NAME"
And shall not through mel twill
be hard fight, father, but [ will live
it down.
That's my brave grill Shall"-and
the loving voice sank to a whisper
shall | say prayer for my child to-
night?"
'Here-now-papa. l"
And while the echo of the band
playing Strauss waltz came floating
up the broad staircase, and the faint
sound of moving feet and merry
voices mingled with the music, in
the room above the father prayed that
the young girl, for whose pleasure the
gayety had been awakened, might
have strength to bear the sorrow that
evening had brought to her happy
life. E
Many of the guests had departed
before the host entered the drawing
room again, and soon the quiet of the
house was unbroken. save by the
stealthy feet of the servants as they
made all fast, before retiring. In the
cold gray light of the early winter
morning, alone in her room, Anna
Leigh looked upon her dead past and
her future. She was very fairy in
face and form, this little heroine
of mine; was small, graceful, and
wonderfully pretty. Her deep blue
eyes were childlike in their frank
innocence, and round her shout
ders clusters of sunny curls fell like a
shower of golden threads. From her
babyhood she had known no grief.
Her mother died before she had
learned to lisp her name, and her
fathers widowed sister had filled her
place from the hour of her death.
Loving her tall magnificent father
with an almost worshipping love,
Anna had been repaid by the tender
est, most eaTessing affection ever be-
slowed upon a child Surrounded by
the purest Christian influences, her
religion had Been one of the beauties
of her life, gliding and refining
all else. Then the love that had
grown soluneonsciously in her heart
was almost childish passion, so long
ago seemed its commencement.
AS she sat in the low arm chair be-
fore the fire, on that cold morning,
she let her thoughts dwell upon Har-
old as she believed him to be. The
tall manly figure, the frank, open face,
the voice, ringing and cheerful; not
one memory was there of an act or word
that was not open and frank as the
sunshine. Harold Leslie swindler!
1t was very hard to realize, and the
more memory painted of his life, the
more clearly she cOntradicted the sup
position.
1T is falsel'' she said at last, in her
heart He is noble, good and true,
and he will yet prove himself SO. |
cannot grieve father by any violent
assertion of what / believe, but I will
waitl / am yours, Harry, yours only.
My promise was not made for a day
or or a week, but for life, and if you
never come to claim it, [ will die, true
to my first, only love" She pressed
her lips to the diamond Ocirclet upon
her finger, and in, her heart pledged