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

world, and, above all, by my knowledge
of Edgar Combefford."
What knowledge can you have of Mr..
Comberford? Did you ever see him before
he came to this office?''
"Never, but his name is word of dire
meaning in my life. Ask him what be-
came of the girl he stole way from an hon
orable home and left in wretched London
lodging-house four years ago. Ask him
the fate of Bessie Raynor."
"Why should trouble myself about his
affairs? And who is this Bessie Raynor?"
"Never mind who she is, Mrs. fairfield.
She was good girl before he met her,
She will never be a happy woman again.
Ask him about her, if you doubt what
| tell you, and you will see by his counte-
nance whether he is innocent or guilty.
Knowing what l do, am bound to warn
you of his real character"
81 do not require any such warming"
replied Alice, coolly Mr.. Comberford is no
more to me than any other client of my
husbands. And beg that you will not
trouble yourself to dictate my conduct to
him."
"I see that have offended YOU
81 do not like spies"
81 am no spy, Mrs. fairfield. am an
old man, and have had bitter cause to know
the wickeness of the world. Your sweet
face has been kind of light to me ever
since your husband brought you home to
this house. God forbid the light should
ever be clouded -
| He bowed and left her-left her standing
in reverie, looking absently out upon the
shadowy fields beyond the little garden and
winding creek. She was angry, unhappy,
bewildered.
wish George had taken me to Paris,
she thought. He ought not to leave me
alone in dreary old house like this to be
insulted by clerk"
| After this evening she passed Mr.. Nor
gan without speaking to him, much to the
old mans concern. The days went by,and
not one passed without a visit from Edgar
Comberford, although in the first evening
Alice had expressly forbidden him to call
again during her husbands absence. He
was not easily to be put aside. He knew
the weakness of the girls unschooled ma
ture, and knew how to trade upon it. His
tender talk of the life that might have
been, had Alice been free--his glowing de-
scriptions of distant lands which those two
might have seen side by side, of countries
| where the commonest life was a kind of
poetry-charmed her in spite of herself
She knew the guilt involved in this danger
GUS pleasure, and hated herself for her
weakness, and yet looked forward with a
dull sense of dread to her husbands re-
turn. Nothing could tempt her to sin
against him, she told Edgar, however un-
suited they might be to each other. She
was his wife, and would do her duty to the
end of her life. But the temptor was not
convinced.
One day she ventured to ask him about
Bessie Raynor. He gave little start at
the sound Of her name, but declared that
it was strange to him and Alice was weak
enough to believe his assertion. 1t had
been mere ruse of the old clerks to
frighten her, she thought. The poor dis
NAL old creature had tried to make her
miserable about the only acquaintance that
gave her any pleasure.
Mr.. fairfield had been ten days away,
when Mr.. Comberford came in upon Alice
one morning with a grave countenance.-
The neat little parlor maid was only just
cleaning away the breakfast things when he
came in, and fingered inquisitively to hear
the meaning of this early visit
81 am sorry to say have rather bad
news of your husband, Mrs. Hartfeld," he
said to Alice's expression of SURPRISE
"He has been taken i'll with some kind of
a low fever, which is good deal about
now. Don't be alarmed it is nothing very
serious but he wants you to go across to
him. His doctor, Frenchman, has writ
ten to me, but there is an enclosure for you
from the patient" losfa, IaiiH
He handed her slip of foreign paper, on
which there were few lines in her hus-
bands hand. 9t HI" t". HnI
"DEAR ALIcE--Please come to me at
once, If you are not afraid of the journey.
1 ComberfOrd can escort you, AZ he is want
ed over here. Yours, &c, -
G..
"You'll not be afraid of the journey ?"
asked Mr.. Comberford.
"Not at all / should not mind going
alone" s.,i S., t.,..,. rs,
"a8ut you soc, am due there, SO you
| 4Ia - l.