Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-06-08

smoke my cigar, while he, poor wretch
expatlated on his sufferings, doubts
and soltudes. Did she love him tha
was the question which disturbed ever,
moment of his existence, and 10 which
with the closet reasoning, he could no
bring hinself a satisfa tory reply
Sometimes he thought ID word or Il sigr
settled the point beyond a doubt iu hi
favor ; at others he fancie6 he read ;
GOODNESS and Indifference in her ewes
In this condition of uncertainty ht
dared not press the question lest hastl
step light bring him to grief.
At Fred 5 earnest solicitation prou
ised to sound Belle as to her sentiments
If favorable opportunity presented
itself, Or at any rate to let her know, il
an indirect way, that Fred was Ian.
gushing IN distress on her account, anc
thus give her 10 excuse for unuecessa.
rily prolouging bis misery 1t so hap
pened, however, that my services were
not caIledlnto requIsition. Belle Bron
son, because of the sudden arrival al
her house ot some country cousins, was
obliged to give up her room-her moth
er's cottage being small one-and t(
occupy for a single night room at the
hotel. We would cheerfully have offer
ed her guests accommodation at oul
house, but we were in the same predic
ament. An agricultural fair in the
village had brought many strangers intt
the place, and our own guests were sc
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 I went to the hotel
at late hour, and proceeded at once tc
Fred's room. but to my surprise found
no one there. | did not even notice
that bis trunk was gone, or suspect the
fact, which afterward became apparent,
that 'to oDlige some lady guests for this
night only as the landlord expressed ii
Fred had consented to give up No 20
and occupy small room in the rear OF
the building. The gas being turned
up | took book to await his return,
and hearing at last what appeared to be
steps approaching the room, and suppos
ing it to be Fred, in momeutary I'M
pulse to play a joke upon him | slipped
under the bed, Il large and high one,
intending to initiate cat (of which
animal he had "A detestatlon) so soon as
he entered the room.
The door opened, and [ was on the
point of indulging in my ventriloquiaI
faculty by giving "A long drawn micoa0,
when from my hiding place beheld
Belle Bronson take quiet possession OF
the apartment My astonishment was
50 great, and the sense Of modification
So intense, that dil not, as | should
have done, make myself Immediately
known to her. Thus the opportunity
for discovery and explanation was lost.
| dared not move a hair, but hoped sin
cerely that soule excuse nj ght take her
out of the room for moment, AMI 50
facilitate my escape. She, however,
locked the door, removed the key, and, /,
as | knew by the sound, prepared to
retire. Finally she kneeled down be-
side the bed, and clasping her hands
and bowing her head ESQ feartully near
to mine that | could hear the otwords
in my very ea), she offered up her
evening prayer in manner so full of
feeling, and with such sweet accents Of
w"manly tenderness and devotion, that
felt as if she was an angel bending
over the vilest of mortals. That prayer
went to my heart but one portion of it
went through it and held it captive
Never shall | forget my feelings of sur
prise and my deep emotion when l
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 mercies over him. Amen =
'Ah. Augustus, said my divinity to
herself, as she arose from her devotional
attitude, if you but knew that named
your very namein my prayers, you would
be less indifferent to men
If | breathed short before, after this
my breath seemed to desert me entirely
aud 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
g.s and to get into bed. felt her
soft pressure over my head, and sbrunk
which | was extended. What thoughts
rushed through my brain ! Above me
lay young and unsophisticated girl
unconscious that the one she loved lay
SO close y to her, and who had for the
first time been made aware of her in
terest in him, by hearing words which
she supposed went only to Heaven. |
knew then that the night must pass
away, aud the morning come, and that
Belle must first leave tho apartment
before | could venture to change even
my position.
Belle had lain perfectly motionless for
several minutes and Was, hattered
myself, losing herself in sleep, when
suddenly she exclaimed to herself,
'There-l haven looked under the
bed ! A horror ran through me; all
is lost what should | do? Belle rose
and heard her feeling for the matches
She struck one and was moving toward
the gas light, when the lucifer went
out, leaving all darkness again Bless
ed relief; but how brief. Again
heard her feeling for the matches and