Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-10-02
drawn neow. when. from my hiding -plsee,
| beheld Belle Bronson take quiet posses.
sio0 of the .navsu,srtt

drawn nseoU. when. from my hiding -plsee
l beheld Belle Bronson take quiet posses.
sion Of the apartment!
My astonishment was 20 great. and the
sense Of mortifcasion 50 intense. that l did
not. - I should have done, make myself
Immediately known to her. Thus the
opportunity for discovery and explanation
was lost. Idared not move . hair, bu,
hoped sincerely that some excuse might
take her out Of the room for . moment,
and 70 facilitate my escape. She howev-
or. locked the door. removed the key, and
l knew By the sound. prepared to retire.
Finally, she kneeled down beside the bed,
and clasping her hands and bowing her
head (so fearfully near to mine that
could hear the soft words in my very ear. J
she offered up her evening prayer in man.
ner full Of feeling and with such sweet 90
cents. Of womanly tenderness and devotion,
that felt as If she was an angel bending
over the vilest of mortals. That prayer
went to my heart; but one portion Of i,
went through it, and held it captive. New.
er shall l forget my feeling Of surprise and
my deep emotions when heard her utter
these words: BLESS my dear mother, SIS
ters and friends; bless all around me. and
o God bless him / love. Augustus Ever.
green. and shower down Thy mercies over
him"
If breathed short before, after this nv
breath seemed to desert me entirely. and
l verify thought that the beating Of my
heart would betray me. Belle, pure as
an angel to me then, and white as snow.
fake. proceeded to turn of the gas and
get into bed. What thoughts rushed
through my brain Above me lay young
and unsophisticated girl, wholly uncon.
scious that the one she loved lay so closely
to her, and who had for the 6rst time beer
made aware Of her interest in him BY hear.
ing words which she supposed went only
to Heaven!
Belle had lain perfectly motionless for
several minutes, and was, l fattered my.
self. losing herself in sleep. when sud.
denly she exclaimed-"Therc, / havn'i
looked under the bed ~ A horror ran
through me--all is lost! What shall
do? Belle rose, and heard her feeling
for the matches, and try to light one after
the other. as they failed to ignite; then
an 90, dear, there are no more! !" whis-
pered my soul to me. Belle CROPPED back
to the bed, but did not Immediately get
in; she stopped and lifted the curtains
which hung around the bottom. cautious
ly passing her arm around as far as it
could reach I almost felt her fingers
Craze my face. as held myself fearfully
and silently back against the wall. too far,
just too far for her to reach. Apparently
satisfied that no danger was near her. she
lay down in the bed again. and I counted
her respirations till she was lost in slum-
bcr.
As for myself. sleep was utterly out o!
the question. never was so wide awake
in my life. How l lay upon that hard
carpet and thought the night out-though.
of her. and her love for me-thought Of
myself, and my love for her.
With the morning light fresh fears
came upon me, lest my unconscious ROOM
mate might yet peer beneath the bed for
robbers before she left the room; but my
fears were groundless. She rose and
dressed expeditiously. for she was to join
her cousins at an early breakfast, and she
had oversight herself. When at last she
took the key, unlocked the door, and de-
parted, l lost no time in slipping out Of
my shameful place Of concealment aud es-
Gaping from the hotel. On the stairs |
met Fred coming out Of his room, who
exclaimed:
"Why. what's the matter with you,
old fellow? You look like the last days
Of an i'll spent life. And your coat. too
why it's all feathers and dust. Where
have you been 7"
why. l slept-slept out last night,
that's all. Our house is full, and SO I
had to fud quarters elsewhere. / am
just going home to dress"
IL should say so: decidedly. I see i,
all, old fellow; you've been on lark. aud
had to put up in the watch-house. Come
now, own up, and tell Us all about it."
'No lark at all, Fred; nothing of the
kind. assure you"
"Well, If not a lark, what kind of a
bird was it? From the looks of the feash-
ers. I should say it was a goose"
You're the goose, Fred. But, seri-
ously. I've a word to say to you of a mos,
important nature. BE a man. Fred, and
make up your mind to hear something ex-
cessively disagreeable. 1t must be told
to you sooner or later, and | may as well
tell it now!
GOOD heavens. Gus how earnestly
You look at me. You don't mean to say
that-.hat anything has happened to Belle
Bronson z
Don't mention her name again. Fred,
or think Of her any more, for she'll never
be anything to you. l have it from one
who knows all about it. that she has been
attached to somebody else, and that some.
body else means to marry her. There:
no mistake about it, 50 bear up and tr,
your luck elsewhere"
But Fred Evans was not to be discour
aged by mere hearsay. That very dag b,
wen. to see Belle, determined to know hi
fate from her own lips. Soon after be lef
Oak vile, and l did not see him again 70
several years. when. meeting him in towl
one day, insisted on bringing him hom,
with me. snd presenting him to his ol,
fame, Belle Bronson-the present Mrs
Evergreen.
"Ah. Fred said be. after dinner
when my wife and the little Evergreen
had left US to ourselves-''sh, FEED, 70,