Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-07-23
CHAPTER III.
OWEN cALLINGroN's GRANDSON.


Agnes was an early riser, and on the
morning following the arrival of Captain
st. John, she arose earlier than usual. She
came down the broad stairway with light
step; but ii was not quite SO swift us had
been its wont, nor did the air awake with
any warbling of song upon her lips. The
old butler saw her, and was tempted to stop
and inquire If she was sick for Agnes Percy
coming down those stairs in the morning,
silent and thoughtful, was thing he had
never seen before.
The storm of the previous night had been
very short one the rain having fallen only
for two or three hours, and when the sun
arose, the only clouds to be seen were
few fieecy masses which were swiftly passing
away to the westward. Agnes stepped
forth into the garden, murmuring simple
prayer of thanksgiving, as the grateful
breeze, loaded with The aroma of thousand
swect-scented shrubs, famed her brow
Thus far Agnes had kept her thoughts
within her own bosom but she had not
been long seated ere her thoughts found
words,
..How different he is from the gentlemen
of his age who have been in the habit of
visiting at the castle how different his
looks, how different his bearing how diff
fcrent his speech, and how different he is
in every respect. Surely this is one whom
nature made gentleman
The words were not particularly signiti-
cant but they betrayed the course Of the
maidcn's reflections. She bowed her head
in thought, and thus she sat until dim
shadow seemed to fit before her eyes, and
with 1t came sense of uneasiness---a sort
OF magnetic intluence-suspending her re-
Elections, and causing her to raise her head
quick cry of alarm broke from her lips
as she behcld standing directly before her.
a stranger. At first he was to her strangers
but when she found that he seemed inclined
to offer no violence, she examined him more
closely, and recognized him to be a youth
whom she had seen several times at the boat
landing, and whom she had met once or
twice while visiting among the poor and
needy OF her fathers tenants. She could
not he mistaken /; and yet, when she came
to reflect, she remembered that she had not
seen him for several months, AYE, ii had |
been almost IL year But where among the
tenants had she seen him All she saw ii |
now. She met him when she went to sec |
old dame Callington at the time she had the |
fever
But these thoughts and reflections were
like flashes of light--thcy all passed while |
u modest man might have been framing |
words for speech. And she had time for
one thing more She had time to observe |
and-twcnty that he was quite well dressed |
though the style of his garb was, to the pure |
minded girl, disgusingly rakish and that |
he possessed face and form of much |
comeliness
She tried TO think that this man had only |
Numbered accdently into her presence, and |
she arose and started to walk Always, trying |
very hard the while to appear calm and con- |
iident. But she was not to get away so cas- |
lily.
Lady" said the interloper, advancing so
as to cut off her retreat, 81 came here ON
purpose to speak with you"
you must have fancicd that was an |
early wandercr, sir, she said, with slight |
tinge of irony in her tone.
81 knew that il was your habit to walk in |
the garden on pleasant mornings, my dear |
LADY, and | came prepared to wait until you |
made your appearance; but will confess |
that had expected to wait longer than this. F"
There was something in the mans manner
that had alarmed Agnes more than his mere
presence had done There was free and |
easy degree of assurance amounting TO inso-
lence; and then there was cleaning in his |
eyes which was strange 10 her. And there |
was one thing more. As the youth came to |
speak, thus bringing his features into play, |
she discovered something strangely familiar |
in them. Her mind was quick and clear, |
and her perceptions were ready and though |
the circumstance was curious one, yet she |
caught it and retainedit. The something so |
familiar in this mans features was their |
strong resemblance TO the features of the |
Percies, as she called them to mind from |
many canvass in the old gallery of the cas-
tie. But what of this 1t could only be an |
accidental likeness. II would be strange i'll !
deed, if amongst the millions of men upon |
the earth, there were not n few who bore |
some resemblance to her ancestors. The |
young man observed that something in his |
appearance had arrested the lady's attention,
and a quiet smile curled around his mouth |
as he watched the play of her beautiful fea-
lures; but that smile was not pleasant one. |
There was something evil in Utmost decid- |
edly evil and Agnes detected it, for quick |
shudder passed through her frame, and in an
eager, hurried manner, she said.
" II you have anything to say to me, sir, |
will listen; but ! beg that you will be |
brief | cannot remain here long
"What I've got to say, Miss Agnes, won't |
admit of haste, so you will please to give |
me time, don't suppose you know who l |
am"
Agnes? She. the grown-up daughter of |
marquis and he the child of tenant.
Whoever you are, she said, with stern
dignity, ''you will bear yourself beseem-
ingly, if you would have me listen to YOU"
"Dont get into passion, my sweet lady
now don't, pray. BE quiet, and kind,
and Ill soon let you know why came.
would be friends with you. If you will let
me, will be the best friend you have ON
earth. ! swear it, by the God that made
me-"
Agnes was so relieved by this speech that
she felt really happy for the time She felt
that she had done the youth injustice His
apparent rudeness was evidently only igno-
rance, or carelessness, while the thought of
befriepding her gave him an undue degree
of assurance.
Indeed, good sir, she said, g had no
| thought of anger
swell, well, hope you didn't. But
| don't think you know me-"
Have l not seen You at Mr.. Calling
| ton's?"
"Very likely. I've been there"
"You are not his son y
"Whose son ?"
"Owen Callngton's."
s'Oh, no; bless you, no. Owen Calling
ton is only my grandfather.
| :" did not know that Callington had u
daughter married.
"Didnt you? o, yes. His daughter
Agatha was married before you were born
and before l was born, too, for the matter
| of that"