The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-03


rather than wear out his welcome at our
house, and finding remonstrance una
yailing, there he went, The landlord
(honest old Downsbury-l wonder II he
yet hves) gave Fred, at my suggestion,
his best bedroom, "No. 2U-l am partlc-
ular in mentioning the number. HE
shall have No. 20" said Bloomsbury.
"Any friend of yours, Master Augustus,
shall have the best I've got to give as
longs I'm landlord" 1t was pleasant
room. looking out on the distant hills
and the beautiful winding branch OF
the Black Water; but what cared Fred
for scenery7 he was in the hands OF the
blind god, and could not see even as far
as his nose, except in the direction OF
Bellies cottage. / used to 80 over to
Fred's room and smoke my cigar, while
he. poor wretch, expatiated on his suf-
ferincs, doubts and solicitudes. Did
she love him! that was the question
which disturbed every moment OF bis ex-
istepce, and to which, with the closest
reasoning, he could not bring himself
satisfactory reply. Sometimes he thought
n word or a sign settled the point be-
yond doubt in his favor; and at Others
he Illlcltu lc NOoAAi'''o H""
ference i'll her eyes. In tins cohdltloh
of uncertainty he dare not press the
question lest hasty step might bring
him to grief.
At Fred's earnest solicitation | prom
ised to sound Belle as to her sentiments,
if favorable opportunity presented it
self. or at any rate to let her know in an
indirect way that Fred was languishlng
in distress on her account, and thus give
her no excuse for unnecessarily prOlong-
ing his misery. 1t so happened, how
ever, that my services were not called
into requisition. Belle Bronson, because
of the sudden arrival at her house OF
some country cousins was obliged to give
ND her room-hcr mothers cottage be-
inc a small one-and to occupy for a
single night room ut the hotel. We
would cheerfully have offered her guests
accommodations at our house, but we
were in the same predicament. An ag-
riculuiral fair in the village brought
many strangers into the place, pd our
own guests were so numerous that had
given up my room to two of them, and
had intended asking Fred Evans to let
me pass the night with him. ,
For this purpose | went to the hotel
at a late hour, and proceeded at once to
Frcd's room, but to my surprise found
no one there. | did not even notice that
his trunk was gone, or suspect the tact,
which afterwards became apparent, that
''to oblige some lady guest for this night
only" as the landlord expressed it, Fred
had consented to give up NO. 2U' and
occupy n small room in the rear of the
building. The gas being turned up |
took n book to await his return, and
hearing at last what appeared to be
steps approaching the room, and sup
posing it to he Fred, i'll momentary
impulse, to play joke Oh him | slip
ped under a bed, large and high one,
! intending to initiate Il cat (of which an
imol | knew he had Il detcstation) rs
soon as he entered the room. The door
opened, and | was on the point of in-
dulging in my vcntriloquial faculty by
giving Il long-drawn mieow, when from
my hiding-place beheld Belle Bronson
take quiet possession of the apartment.
7 My astonishment was so great, and the
sense of modification so intense, that
did not, as ! should have done, make
myself Immediately known to her. Thus
the opportunity for discovery and ex-
planation was lost. i dared not move 4
hair. but hoped sincerely that some OK
cuse might take her out of the room for
a 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 kncelcd
down beside the bed, and clasping her
hands and bowling her head $50 fearful
" near To mine that | could hear the
soft words in my very ear,) she offered
up her evening prayer in manner so
full of feeling, and with such sweet ac-
cents of womanly tenderness and dcvo-
ton, that felt as if she was an angel
bending over the vilest of mortals. That
PRAYER went to my heart; but one por-
ton went through it and held it cap
tive. Never shall forget my feelings
of surprise and deep emotion when |
heard her utter these words: BLESS my
dear mother, sisters, and friends; bless
all around me, and, o God! bless him
love, Augustus Evergreen, and shower
down thy mcrcies over him. Amen"
"Ah, Augustus said my divinity TO her
self. as she rose from her devotional at
titude. "lf you but knew that | named
your very name in my prayers, you
would he less indifferent to me"
If | brcathcd short before, after this
my breath seemed to desert me entirely,
and verify thought that the beating
of my heart would betray me. Belle,
pure rs an angel to me then; and white
as a snowflake, proceeded to turn off
the gas and get into bed. ! felt her
soft pressure over my head, and shrunk
closer and closer to the hard floor upon
which was extended. What thoughts
rushed through my brain! above me
Law a young and unsophiSticated girl,
wholly unconscious that the one she
loved lay so closely to her, and who had
for the first time been made aware of
her interest in him, by words which she
supposed went only to Heaven! ]
knew then that the night must pass
away, and the morning come, and then
Belle must first leave the apartment be-
fore | could venture to change even my
position.
Belle had lain perfectly motionless
for several minutes, and was, | fiattered
myself, losing herself in sleep, when
suddenly she exclaimed to herself,
"There-I haven't looked under the
bed" A horror ran through me; all is
lost: what should / doi Belle rose and
heard her feeling for the matches. She
struck one and was moving towards the
gas light, when the lucifer went out,
leaving all in darkness again. Blessed
relief; but how brief! Again ] heard
her feeling for the matches and trying
to light one after another, as they fail
ed to ignite; then an "Oh. dear; there
are no morem escaped from her lips.
safe, safew whispered my soul to me,
and thanked God in silence for my de-
liverance. Belle groped back TO the
bed, but did not immediately get in
she stopped and lifted the curtains
which hung around the bottom and eau
tiously passed her arm under and around
as far as it could reach. l almost felt
her fingers Craze my face as held my
self fearfully and silently back against
the wall, too far, Just TOO far for her
reach. Apparently satisfied that no
danger was near her, she lay down in