Litchfield enquirer., 1874-07-30

| friends thoughtful and prudent persons -as most exemplary young lady, who would prove a suitable companion to him, and exercise. doubtless, the best l Christian influence in an uncivilized com munity. William conscientiously consid- cred the matter, and nursed the acquaint- ance, and now their marriage seems inevi- table. It is the only rational course. You will agree with me that it would be very malapropos to bring her, in this crisis, in contact with her old lover?"
 Undoubtedly"
 l "You have not seen Bessy since she has been in the city?"
 l "I have not seen her for three years. !"
 Suppose we walk mp to her uncle's then? Very probably we shall find Will liam there"
 I assented. Of course Bessy Nuttall could be nothing to me now, but had a secret desire to look upon her sweet face again, and to sec, too, the man she would marry.
 l We found them together The parlor was staid and respectable; they were play Ing staid game of draughts; in short, even to my mind (and am by no means a "fast" person in any senso of the word). William Meade and his love-making were of the most inflexibly heavy and subdued type. Bessy had altered but little; there were the pure, delicate features, the neat, dainty figure, the careful dress, conform ing strictly to the ruling fashion; but the color had faded out of her face; scarcely vestige of pink remained ill the thin lips and cheeks. Still she was to me, as she had always been, the one beautiful woman i'll the world. We sat down and talked of 1 draughts, games of skill, the cool morn 1ngs, and the different remedies for heart l burn, with which William Meade was troubled. He was man apparently of but few ideas, and expressed them with i deliberation. tried to draw some infor- nation from him with regard to Japan, which has appeared to me a picturesque and interesting country; but he seemed to know little beyond his routine of work ! and the one or two American families there. Bessy's replies were singularly we'll suited to his remarks, noted. A few moments later servant announc- ed a gentleman to see Miss Nuttall. "Show him in here." Her precision and indifference of manner were so mark ed, she had chilled and deadened in out | ward appearance so much, that remem- Der wondering absurdly enough whether, l If her visitor proved to be the prophet Elijah himself, she would lift her eye brows ono whit with surprise or alarm But when he entered behind me, she rose to her feet and stood looking over my shoulder at him. Her features certainly for moment grew strangely pinched, her mouth drawn.
 ''You?" she said in whisper. "You?" turned and saw Spiridion. SSVoo ' ko see you alone. Pardon mo, gentlemen" turning hastily, 'I must see this lady alone"
 Dr. Meade started up. He was always a polite little fellow, Charles Meade, and always in hurry.
 Certainly, signor. This is a part of a drama in which you want no audience, ,eh? Come, William. Come. James. We will go into the library and look over Dr. Nut tails engravings"- to Bessy. fancied he was hurrying his brother out before he could gain any idea of who Spiridion was, or his business; but Bessy stopped him by gesture-her formal dignity stood her in good stead.
 ''It is not necessary that you should go You are my friends. Mir. Vesey is but an old acquaintance, and can have no busi- ness with mo which you cannot know"
 Spiridion came closer to her. "I have deserved all contempt, all reproaches from you to me-" q could detect the for eign mispronunciation and mistakes now.) ''But it will be hard for me to explain be- fore these gentleman-or anybody but you, Bessy," lingering on that name with curious tenderness, ''there is shame i'll the story"
 ''The shame" calmly, "is not mine. I beg, again detaining Dr. Meadc-'I beg that you will not go."
 Charles Meade hesitated, hot and an- noyed; myself felt uncomfortable, but Mir. William Meade sat tranquil and cool.
 ''Let it be" said Spiridion. ''It is on- ly little trouble the more. It does not matter" He paused as if to find words calm enough. He began apparently to feel by this time that We belonged to a colder -blooded race than his own.
 "You think of me, perhaps" he said. speaking to Bessy with the same gentle ness, ''by the names which this gentle and villain. did not blanc him; he had reason"
 ''I have no charge against you. Mir. Vesey," she said, lowing civilly. ''You broke no promise to nc. had no right to complain ofyou."
 ':Bessy! Bessy!" He, stopped, looking into her eyes. She put up her thin hand to her face. It was the first sign of feel ing she had given; she let it fall again in- stantly.
 ''You had the right" said Spiridion. ''You were my betrothed, not ill the words. but in the truth. You knew that / loved you, Bessy. I had had @ hard life, but what does that matter? Only, I hoped for some little pleasure and home, like other men. When left you to go to New York"
 "Yes, Louis?" She drew her breath with difficulty, looking up at him with her lips apart.
 'I met there Q man with two helpless children. He was criminal flying from justice. He had claim upon me"
 'Had Tho claim?"
 ''They were hunted, starving. His life was in danger every hour. They had mo- body to turn to but me-"
 'sAnd IT was only poor girl that loved you" The words were spoken as calmly as though she had told her dress maker of the misfit of gown.
 He drew away from her at that, and spoke with more apparent control than before. '"The man-I did not mean to bity tu0 WOEU-GI0 man was my father, The children were two helpless orphans he had taken as his own, before-before the crime. It seemed to me I had but one duty. I am no Spartan, II I cannot go to the police and say, Here is this old man; send him to the galleys, and rid me. his son. of him. I could not say to you. Marry me, without telling you this black and heavy secret. I would not tell it to you. Perhaps was wrong"
 ''You were wrong, think. At that time I could have called your father my father."
 ''Andnow?"
 ''That was long time ago." calmly. ''I am quite different woman now"
 He watched her keenIy minute. s.lt needed money to keep these people, and the secret. find that money" with an odd smile, "has something to do with all right and wrong in America. could not go back to the pretty little village. My father spends money like water. must find some quick and full supply. sing then; I study nay art; they have not been idle years: now if nays ma havo ,,1aoad