The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-05-02

Mr.. Morgan the old clerk, looked up from
his desk with a sigh.
what my funereal friend : cried Bestow;
do you mean to say you are interested
in the subject?'
~ am very much interested in Mrs.
Hartfleld," the old man answered quietly {;
"she is always kind to me! 1t is a good
sign when woman of her age takes the
trouble to be polite to an old man like me
"A sign that the hearts in the right place.
/ wish her husband understood her better.
l don't think she wants to be taken to tea
parties, Mr.. Bestow but / do think she
wants little more sympathy"
This was long speech for Mr.. Morgan.
The young men stared at him superoilously
and then went on with their work. From
the first day of her coming to be mistress
of the old house, William Morgan had shown
himself interested in his masters wife. He
was always pleased to perform any little
service for her, and seemed needlessly
grateful for the smallest kindness at her
hands. His way home took him the whole
length of the town and Mrs. fairfield used
to intrust him with her books to change at
the circulating library, an Office which he
81 take the liberty to carry volume
home with me for the night at odd times"
he said to her one day.
"What Mr.. Morgan do you read ?"
"No, madame but have niece living
with me, who is glad to skim the volumes
of an evening"
"Indeed You never spoke of her before.
Is yonr neice married ~
"She-she is a widow, to all intents and
purposes. Her husband deserted her three
years ago, and left her and her child, boy
on my hands. But we are very happy to-
gether, ! thank God ~
"The husband must have been bad
man."
/" He was amost consummate scoundrelw
answered the old clerk, with suppressed in
tensity.
How hard it must be for you to work
for all three ~ said Alice.
"It will be harder for the two that are
left when I am gone. My niece is able to
earn little money at her needle, but very
little. 1t is dark lookout for the future"
One morning early in the spring, Mr..
fairfield came into the Office with a very
dashing gentleman, a new client, who had
just come into handsome fortune by the
death of Squire Comberford of Comberford
Hall, seven miles from Norbury. Edgar
Comberford, the new proprietor, was a
nephew of the old man, and had been
school-fellow of George Hartfeld's fifteen
years before. Since that time he had dis
appeared from the ken of Norbury, and
was supposed to have led wild life in
foreign lands. He was eminently handsome
and in high spirits at the accession to the
Comberford Hall estate.
"There are the papers, title-deeds, leases,
and so on" said George.Hartfeld, pointing
to japanned box on shelf in the Office
edo you want to see them?"
"Not George" answered Mr.. Comber-
ford, gaily F; Z" it is quite enough for me to
know that the lands are free from mort
cages, and that the rents come in briskly.
The papers couldn't be in better hands.
Halloa what's that ?"
1t was Mr.. Morgan, the old clerk, who
had put his head in at the door of the Office
and suddenly withdrew it.
"Only one of my clerks" answercd d
George fairfield. "Come in, Morgan !"
he bawled ; but the clerk did not reply, and
the two young men left the Office Mr..
Comberford to be introduced to his friends s
wife.
He was not little surprised by her
grace and beauty, not little fascinated by
her shy, girlish manners. He stayed for
dinner, and contrived to make himself en-
inently agreeable to both his host and hos
tess, giving an animated account of his
adventures in Mexico during the last two
years.
81 should never have come home from
there, George, but for my uncle's death, f"
he said. 81 was Thoroughly cleaned out
when left England, and meant to live and
die abroad"
After this social dinner Mr.. Comberford
dropped in very often at his friends house.
He seemed to have some perpetual reason
for seeing the solicitor on business, and
happened by kind of fatality to call when
the master Of the house was out. Would
he leave a statement OF his business with q
clerk9 No, he would wait and he stroll
ed unannounced into the little sitting-room