The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-04-23
FALSELY ACgUSED.

Il was the beautiful summer time the
trees were Clothed in their richest foliage;
tie birds sang sweetly; the little lambs
frisked about merrily In the green fields,
ever. thing looked bri hit and happy.
Prosperity reisned over the little village
of BaN. glen, which nestles among the
hills, in beautiful valley, in the western
part OF Ireland and as the story which /
am going to relate happened there, We will
ask the reader to accompany us across the
three thousand miles Of water that inter-
voncs.
Through the centre of this village
beautiful river wound its serpentine course,
the banks of which, on either side, were in
terspersed by numerous picturesque man
sions, the property OF several rich gentle
men, who wero masters cf all the lands
over which the eye roamed.
AS our story relates to one of those man
sions, Or at least the inmates of one OF them,
we will confne ourselves to it and not
mind the rest.
Godfrey Blake was a very wealthy nlsp,
his gold could be measured By the bushel,
and yet, with all his immense wealth, he
possessed none of the arrogance or worldly
pride that some men have when favored
by such good fortune.
He had lovely daughter named Molly
lovely in every sense OF the word, 4 beauti-
full blonde whose long, wavey trcsses of
golde hair hung over her finely modelled
form, almost to the ground, and eyes blue
as the summer sky of her native home, and
whose tender-hearted goodness made her
favorite with rich and poor for mile
around.
Now, as may be supposed, there were
numerous admirers who looked with low
ing eyes on the peerless girl. some Of them
sons of the richest men Of the province, but
all to no purpose; for her love was be-
slowed on one, though he was far below
her in a worldly point or view. His name
was Gerald O'Conner. the only son of a.
widow, and on him she bestowed all the
love of lrer young heart.
Now, there was another young man in
the village who loved. or rrofessed to love,
Molly Blake and tried every means avail
able to blacken the character Of yoany
O'Ccnner.
On the evening when first we introduce
t-em TO the reader, the pangs Of jealousy
had great cause to arouse the ire of his
nature.
/ They were seated side by side under the
branches of an elm tree, her pretty hand
was nestled on his shoulder, as she listened
to his words of love.
"ldol!y, love you dearly, and it would
be the happicst day of my life when l
could call you mine; but, darling. you,
know that I am poo-, and your father may
| object to my suit
Gerald. don't you know father better
! than that He is not the man to offer
any opposition to my happiness when he
knows that he whom I love is worthy OF
the best girl in Ireland"
"Bless you, my darling for your words
! have made me very happy
at Is the truth which 1 have spoken ;
and as for your being pocr, why, haven't 1
got plenty for us both.''
This was too much for the evesdropper,
he ground his teeth with rage, and an
oath escaped his lips, yet he managed to
keep his temper, and waited to hear more
OF their conversation, for he lay concealed
among the shrubhery few feet from where
the lovers were seated and heard every
! word of their conversation.
For some time longer they remained
seated at their conversation, and at length
as the shadows Of approaching night be-
gan to steal across the tree tops they arose
and separated. Molly going towards the
house, while O'Conner wandered leisurely
through the sweetscented meadows toward
the river bank.
No sooner had they parted than Anthony
Bell, for such was the listeners name
arose from his place of concealmcnt, and
shaking his clenched fist at the retreatino
form of his successful rival, hissed through
his clenched teeth:
."Curse you, you low-Eved upstart But
will biacken you in her sight; aye, ever
il have to staia my hands in blood t.
do 30 !"
And as he ceased to speak he stuffed hi.
hands in his trowscrs pockets and strod,
fiercely from the place.
A month had passed and the shades d