The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-02-21

and. finding remonstrance unavailing,
there he went The lanlOrd (honess Old
Downshury-I wonder il he YET lives)
gave Fred, st my suggestion. his best
bedroom, No. 20'-I am particular in
mentioning the number. He shall have
No 20. said Downsburv. ANY friend
of yours, Master Augustus. shall hsve
the best have to give as long - ! am
landlord 1t was pleasant room look
ing out on the distant hills and the beau
tifll winding branch Of the Blackwater
i but what cared Fred for the scenery
he was in the hands Of the blind god.
and could not see even "a far as his
nose. except in the direction of Bellies
cottage used to go over TO Freds.
room AMI smoke my cigar. while he
poor wretch, expatiated on his suffer
inys. doubts aa.i solicitudes Dill she
love him that was the question that
distuFI,e,l every moment Of his exis
tence.t an : to which. with the s'losese
reasoning, he cosid nst bring himself 70
sa i.factory reply Sonstines he
thought 4 word-or q sign settlest the
point bevoni a ioubt in his favor; at
others he fanciea ne read a GOODNESS or
Indifference in her eyes In this condi
ton of uncertainty he dared not press
the qnest on lest hasty step might
bring hin To grief.
AT FreIs earnest solicitation prom
. ised to sound Belle rs to her sentiments.
if favorable opportunity presented its
elf. or a. any rate to let her know, in an
in iirect wy. that Fred was languishing
| in distress on her account. and thus give
her no excuse for unnecessarily prolong-
ing his misery. 1t so happened, how
ever that nv. services we're not called
I into reqnisition Belle Bronson. because
of the sudden arrival at her house OF
some country cousins, was obliged to
give up her room-her mothers cottage
being a small one-and to occupy for
sin gle night room at the hotel. we
| would cheerfully have offered her good
accommod at our house, but we were
in the same predicament- An agrlcui
tural fai.an the place, and our own guests
were SO numerous that had given up
nv room to two of them. and had intend
ed asking Free; Evans to let me pass the
night with him.
y For this purpose 7 went to the hotel
at late hour, and proceeded AT once to
| Fred 5 room, but to my surprise found
no one there l did not even notice
that his trunk was gone. or suspect the
, fact, which afterward became apparent.
that to oblige some lady guest for this
night onlv,' as the landlord expressed 1t.
| Fred had consented to give up No. ~
and occupy a small room i'll the rear OF
the bnilding The gas being turned up
l took book to await his return. and
henrinx at lAAe Whist eFpexrrd To r% stcpo
approaching the room and supposing 1t
to he Fred, in . momentarv impulse o
play a joke upon him l slipped under
tosimitate cat (of which animal knew
he had detestation) 50 soon as he en-
tered the room The door opened and I
was on the point of indulying in my
ventriloauial faculty by giving long
drawn n,ieow. when from my hiding place
I beheld Belle Bronson take quiet pos
session Of the apartment!
NV astonishment was SO great. and
the sense Of modification SO intense,
that did not, as should have done.
| make myself known to her. Thus the
opportu aity for discovery and explana
! ton was lost ! dared not move 3 hair
but hoped sincerely that some excuse
| might take her out of the room for q mo-
mont, and so facilitate my escape. She
however. locked the door. removed the
KEY, and. as 1 knew bv the sound. pre-
pared to retire Finally she kneeled
down beside the he'd, and clasping heI
hands and bowing her head so fearfully
near to nine that I could hear the snf1
| words in my earl she offered up hel
evening PRAYER in \ manner so full q
feeling and with such sweet accents o
4 womaniy tenderness AMI devotion, tha
i I felt as if she was IN angel hendin:
over the viieSt OF mort as. That praye
went to NV heart. bat one portion of i
a went through and held 1t captive. Neve
A shall forget my feeling of surprise ant
nv deep emotion when l heard her utte
/ these words: Bless my dear mother
sister. and friends, bless all around me
and. . God bless him love, Augusta
Evergreen. and shower down thy meccie
i over him A'nen-.Ah, Augustus sal
I my divinity t. herself as she arose iron
her devotional attitude, if you but kne,
named vo,r very name il my prayers
YOU would be less indifferent TO me !
II breathed short before. after tbi
nv breath seemed to desert me entirely
and verify thought that the beating c
nv heart would betray me. Belle, pnr
as an angel to me then, and white as
snowflake. proceeded to turn of the ga
and get iuto bed I felt her soft pre-.
sire over my lead. ana sunk closer an
,.,oser TO the hard floor upon which I VS.
extended What thoughts rus b e
through my brain Above me lay
young and unsophisticated girl who'll
unconscious that the one she loved Ia
$50 closely to her. and who had for tt
first time been made sware of her il
~ x.,I.; Il
she supposed w-nt only to Heaven!
knew then that the night must pass ava
. and the morning come, and that Bel
mus; first leave the apartment before
could venture to change even my p
sition.
Belle had lain perfectly motionless {
several minutes and was. fattered m
self, losing herself in sleep. when su
dealy she exclaimed to herself. There
I haven't looked under the bed
horror ran through me all 10 lost: VII