Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-11-14
MIFFLNTOWM JUNATA COUNTY PENNA, NOVEMBER A. 1866
.syess In this condition Of uncertainty

hasiy step uiiSat priDS nl'n to Sriei.
At Frea's earnest solicitation promis
e1 to sound Belleas to her sentiments, il
a favorable opportunity presented itself
or at any rate to 1t her know, in an indi.
rect way, that Frod was lauguishing in
distress on her account, and thus give her
no excuse for unnecessarily prolongng
his misery. 1t Sd happened, however,
that my services were not called into re-
quisition. Belle Bronson, because Of .he
sudden arrival at her house Of some coun-
try cousins, MS obliged to give up her
room-her motier's cottage being a small
one-and TO occ,py for Il siugle night a
room at the hote. We would cheerfully
have offered her guests accommodation at
cur house, but we vere in the same pre-
dicament. An agricultural fair in the
village had brought many strangers into
the place, and our oyn guests we're so uu-
merous that | had given up my room to
two OF them, and had intended asking
Fred Evans to let me pass the night with
I him
For this purpose | went to the hotel at
late hour. and proceeded at once to
Fred's room, bu. to my surprise found no
/ one there | did not even notice that his
trunk was gone, or suspect the fact, which
atierward became apparent, that ''to oblige
some Ady guest for this night only" as
the landlord expressed it, Fred had con
sented to give up NO. 90 and occupy a
smal. room in the rear of the building
The gas being turEcd up took book TO
await his return, and hearing at least
what appesred to be steps approaching
the room, and supposiug it to be Fred, in
a momentary impulse to play joke upon
him slipped under tie bed, a large and
high one, intending to initiate cat Col
which animal knew be had dctesta
tiou) so soon as he entered the room -
The ac1r opened, and WAS on the point
Of induiging in my veltr;lcqual faculty
by giving ong-drawn mico,r, when from
my hiding'place l behcld Belle Bronson
take quiet possession Of the apartment
Ny asionishnIent was so great, and the
sense of modification so intense, that |
did not, as | should have done, make my
self immediately known to her Thus
the opportunity for discovery and expla-
nation was lost | dared not move a
hair, but hoped sincerely that some ex-
cuse mi gh; take her out Of the room for
moment, and SO facilitate my escape
She, however, locked the door. removed
the key, and, as | knew BY the sound,
prepared to retire. Finally she kuceled
down beside the bed, and clasp;ng her
hands and bowing her head so fear!ully
near to mine that | could hear the Sit
words in my very earl she offered up
her evening prayer in a manner so full OF
feeling and with such sweet accents Of
womanly tenderness and devotion, that |
felt as if she was an angel Lending over
Tie vilest of morta!s. The paryer went
to my heart; but cue portion Of it went
through it and held it captive Never
shall l forget my feelings of surprise
and my deep emotion when l heard her
utter these words: BLESS my dear moth
er, sisters and friends; bless all around
me, and o God bless him | love, Au-
gustu5 Evergreen, and shower down thy
mercies over him. Amen. ."-"Ah, Au-
gustus," said my divinity to herself, as
she arose from her devotional attitude,
''if you but knew that | named your
very name in my lrayers, you would be
less Indifferent to me -
If | breathed short before, after this
ny breath seemed to desert NE entirely,
and | verify thought that the beating of
my heart would betray me. Belle, pure
as an angel to me then, and white as a
SNOW fake, proceeded to turn off the gas
and 70 get into bed. felt her soft press
n7o over ny head, and shrunk closer and
closer to the hard floor upon which |
was extended. What thoughts rushed
through my brain Above me lay young
and unsophisticated girl wholly uacon-
'clous that the one she loved lay so close
|y to her, aud who had for the first time
been made aware of her interest in him, |
by hearing words which she supposed
went only to Heaven l knew then that
The night must pass away, and the morn
nc come, and that Belle must FIRST leave
he apartment before l could venture to
change my position.
Belle had lain perfectly motionless for
several minutes aud was, | fattered my
l. 7 L ! ! i