The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-01-22

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in tones of whispered wonderment.
Mrs. Hatfield gave one hurried glauce at
the averted face of the bride. Gould she be-
lieve her eyes Was il her child clad in such
gorgeous attire The color faded from her
stern face, giving place to blue pallor, and
suppressed moan escaped her lips. She
heard nothing of the murmured surprised 60
ing on around her powerless to answer the
questions asked her by the curious But her
face hardened in an instant, becoming rigid
in its forced calmness. Unable TO endure
the stare and observations of the gaping
crowd. she took Nellie by the hand and
silently left the church, with the bride at
the altar taking her vows. Many regarded
her inquiringly as she passed, and would have
detained her, but she shook them off and fed
to her desolate home, amazed, bewildered
and heart-stricken. ........
Agnes dared not raise her eyes to her
mother, fearful even IN her refuge. Flushed,
excited and frightened, she desperately cung
to Robert. The church, the people, Annie,
her mother and the minister, all swan wildly
around her She only felt sure of HINr-so
strong, so brave, so good, and she was his
wife. Dizzy with unspeakable happiness,
she leaned heavily upon his arm for support,
unable to realize her great JOY.
Little Agnes Willard, the drudge Of the
farm house, turned from the altar, the hon
ored Mrs Stewart, with her proud, handsome
husband smiling down on her, as he had doue
since that day one year ago in the grove. -
The opal ring glitters on her finger but
there is no tear to dim its beauty now.
al wish had told mother" she whispered
ty Robert when she saw her place vacant
II wish had told her. But l dare not.
had not the courage, though longed to do
so this morning. May heaven forgive me il
gave her a pang of grief l never found
her heart. She always shut me out. away
from her love and confidence. never dare
tell my troubles to mother or aek her advice.
She will be very angry with me, know, and
then forget me as she has forgotten AL"
Oh, Agnes How little you know of that
mothers stern heart when you reason thus,
or how tenderlY the absent son is shrned
there.
Agnes often wondered how Robert came
TO love her of all the world. But he did,
and that blessed fact was all she asked. She
did not reflect that her mother would mourn
her loss. Her fllial love had been perverted
but not killed deep in her bosom slumbered
true and devoted affection for the mother
that seemed to have no genuine love for any
of her children.
Conscience whispered that she had not
dealt fairly with her parent. Too late she
realized the truth. even while she shrank from
coniessing the wrong
On returning home. Mrs Hatfield opened
the kitchen door as if ghost were hidden in
the room. The little glass mirrored no
braided trcsscs THAT picture had fed for.
ever. A fair, sweet bride in spotless white
stared at her from every corner mockng her
loneliness. kiss me just once, for my faith
ers sake" kept sounding in her ears The
plantve voice and tender eyes haunted hel
remorseful soul. Thank tod, she had kissed
her on her wedding day. Now all was plain.
The happiness of months stood revealed
Agnes had loved and married in secret and
SHE was left to find it out with the gaping
vllage-forgotten aud alone to return to hei
deserted dwelling
The kitchen hair brush, worn and stubby
lay on the window-sill, just where Aggie hat
placed it. Absently the mother picked il
up few long, silken hairs adheared to it,
Mechanically she gathered them, carefully
twisting the simple threads about her fng
ers. 1enderly she placed them in the LITTLE
plated locket that she always wore in hel
| bosom. 1t contained a ring of the deaC
John Willard's hair and a sunburnt lock o
Ais. Carefully she placed the few brown
threads beside them, murmuring as she shu
the tarnished case, These are my dead-al
| have left of what was once my own. -
Softly she stole up stairs to Aggie's room
pausing at the door Us if afraid TO enter
Mastering the weakness, she quickly passed
in, shntting the door as if corpse lay stark
ly shrouded in the dreary little chambe
where her child had lain, and watched th
shiverng limbs Of the poplars moan in tE
winter blast. She went up to the neatl
made bed, and silently patted the patch
work quilt and soothed the solitary pilloN
that the young head was never to press again
married Agnes, little Agnes, married
Is il possible that John Willard's daughter
HIS only daughter, married and left me tc
day ? rich, happy and careless Of my sorro'
--deserting the old home where she wa
born, without regret, or parting good by
dressed in silk and pearls. "a LADY, John
murmured Mrs. Hatfield, as if her dead hui
band was in the room. CHANGING at the coars
shoes and faded calico, she shook her hea
sadly, and turned to the high, old fashione
chest of drawers that contained the scant p(
sessions of Agnes. How neatly the few lttl
trifes were put away The check apronl
the well-darned stockings and pitiful suppl
of linen, all carefully folded and bearing th
impress of her tidy fingers.
Agnes left behind every article of her ol
wardrobe, for none of it was suitable for ht
new station in lie, and there was pothin
pleasant connected with the familiar tral
pings of her servitude.
Mrs Stewart went forth in costly attire
nothing of Agnes Willard remained, sa,
the face of her girlhood. She bade adeu {
the farm without apparent regret. The
. was no kiss, no tears no whispered pray
for her return followed her parting footstep
Mrs, Hatfield went to an old trunk stowe
away in the garret its contents were sacrt
, to her-homely sepulchre wherein she stowe
the mementoes of her living dead. Slow
} her trembling hand disentombed an old chez
shirt. patched in many places, and frayed
collar and wristbands, yet very dear to Il
| hn ha1