The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-01-24

expressions.
The funeral over Miss Ovcring urged
upon her daughter the impropriety of
again seeing Oscar.
But mother, l feel as certain of his
innocence as do of my own, and now,
when all look coldly and suspiciously up
on him, would you have me desert him
also?
If | understand the matter rightly, !
circumstances are against him, said Mrs
Overing, he was the last person seen
with your father, and the only one with
whom he had any misunderstanding"
The last person seen with him; but
seen here in the house. 1t is true that
some unpleasant words passed between
them, but Oscar came directly to me, and
acquainted me with the circumstance
My father left the house while We were
talking, passed down the road, and was
out of sight before Oscar left. He must
have turned into the woods, for his body
was found there, and Oscar went straight
home by the road He is about to leave
the neighborhood and have promised
him an interview this evening"
"Then you have heard from him p
" Yes, more than once. DO you tkink
l could have lived through this, had he
not himself assured me of his inno-
/ cence 7"
"And you will hold our engagement
sacred for two years" said Oscar, when
about to part from the weeping Nora
" Yes, as long as life lasts, if You wish
it,"
" No; ask only two years, and If in
that time | do not discover the real per-
petrator Of the crime, and clear my name
from the stain that rests upon it, then
consider yourself as free as if he we had
never met" And so they parted She
to bear the sorrow of this long separation
as best she could, and he to engage in the
weary work Of hunting up the real Grim
inal.
Again the sunshine played, and the
June roses bloOmed around the home of
Nora Overing; yet neither line or mes
sage had she received from Oscar. Her
mothers health was delicate, and her own
cheek was pale and her step languid. So
with Arthur they had resorted to fash
ionablc watering place, hoping that the
change would benefit them all. Nora
mingled but little with the gay crowd
that as usually frequented the place yet
some few acquaintance did she make,
and among them was one, the object of
whose attentions she would not under
other circumstances have mistaken. But
now her mind was so wholly absorbed in
the thoughts Of the absent, that things
transpiring around her seemed like
dream, and were as quickly forgotten
He had been introduced by Arthur, and
was received politely for his sake, and
without thinking Of what she was doing
Nora had allowed him to become more
and more attentive, until one lovely night
when alone with him in vine covered
arbor, he had begun to breath soft words
of love into her ear. She was both sur
priscd and mortified, and in order to gain
little time to collect her thoughts re-
quested a glass of water.
He was gone but few minutes, but
in that time the vines behind her were
parted and note was dropped into her
lap, while a well-known and much loved
voice whispered, Read this when alone"
She started joyfully to her feet ex-
pecting to behold Oscar, but the shrub
berry was so thick around the arnor that
she could discover no one, and had only
time to conceal the note, before her would
be lover re-appeared. With some con-
fused excuses, and complaints of feeling
unwell, she left him, and sought her own
room in order to read the precious epis-
tie. 1t was tender, loving note from
Oscar, breathing of his unaltered at
tachment, and telling also of his labori-
Gus and fruitlcss search
She induced her mother to return
home at once, opened the house once
more to her young companions and
friends, and whenever an opportunity of
fered, expressed the firm belief in the in-
nocence of Oscar Stover.
Mrs. Overing's health did not improve,
and the good lady really believing that
her days on earth were numbered, and
that soon she would leave her darling
daughter without protector continually
urged her to accept the hand of her cous-
in.
at is true, my dear, that only a few
short months must elapse before the time
allotted for Oscars return will have ex-
pired. But consider all the long months
during which you have heard nothing
from him. Contrast this Indifference
with the devotion OF Arthur, and con-
clnde as have long since done. that Won