The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-12

ana asked HIM to clear me before them
all. He swore that he had never said a
word against me. He felt very uncom-
Portable and after the others had gone
away lac asked me to marry him."
:. Are you going to2" L asked.
Her eyes flashed out at me as she ex-
claimed, g No But what am I to do?
These stories are everywhere. Do you
believe that they all came from those
letters?"
Certainly" I replied. ssWhat did
vassar say at the house2 Did he say that
there wasn't a word of truth in the
stories, and that you were entitled to re-
spect2''
81 don't know" she said, confusedly,
walking to and fro. ssHe swore over
and over that he hadn't said one word
against me-"
Didn't he swear that there wasn't
word to say?" asked, impatiently.
81 don't know, I suppose he meant
that, she said, wringing her hands.
took my hat and went straight to the
house with her, and, leaving her in the
partor, went into the dining room to see
Mrs. Walsh, the landlady.
Vassar made bad matter worse, "'
the lady said. stHe could have cleared
her, and didn't. He never said that she
was entitled to our respect, but only that
he had never said anything against her. !"
Do You know that he offered himself
to her, and was refused % asked.
The landlady shrugged her shoulders.
81 am sorry for Agnes" she said, after
had raved a while. ssShe is q very
amiable girl, but imprudent. I never
could understand her taking up with him,
and putting up with his caprice as she
has,. We have all talked to her about it,
but without effect. Girls must be more
prudent. am sorry; but have three
unmarried daughters, and I would rather
Agnes should CO."
talked an hour, but it did no good.
Then 1 went out of town little way, and
called on an old friend of mine, widow,
and told her the whole story. She, good
soul, consented to receive Agnes, and be-
friend her.
Then L went to the schoolmistress.
81 feel very sorry for it," she said;
but, really, what could I -do2 The
parents insisted that she should be re-
moved. IF the writer of those letters
could be found and punished, she might
be reinstated. I don't believe word
against her."
told her my conviction, which had
been suspicion from the first that Vas
sar had written the letters in order to
drive Agnes to have him. The school
mistress was astonished, and at first
incredulous
"Why should he wish to taint girls
name if he wanted to marry her p
Because he has all along seen that
she will have him in no other way.
Moreover, he Is coarse-natured fellow;
and SO long as he knows her to be good,
doesn't care what others may say or
think
My next move was to take Agnes out
H. L. L.
with open arms.
"May God reward your she said,
sinking into the chair offered her, too
weak and helpless to do anything for
herself.
Mrs. Marion took her bonnet and
shawl, and tenderly smoothed back the
hair from her throbbing forehead.
You poor child !" she said pityingly;
" don't believe that all is lost There are
few who go through life without meeting
some sorrow like this. You will come
out all right Never fear
Agnes lifted her heavy, incredulous
eyes to the widows face.
Ii it were anything else!'' she muir
INJURED, shiveringly. "But ISLANDERS
against ones character-they are always
remembered.
"Not always to their harm, DEAR" the
widow persisted. 81 have known per-
sons who were thought more of, after it
was known that they had been belied''
left the two women together. A
man is bungler on such occasions, un-
less he is a lover; and that I was not,
though 1 had never been SO near it as
when saw Agnes in trouble.
Frank Jameson came to see me day
or two after; loitered into my room,
nodded, and seated himself by a window
T !
liked Agnes, but I had not known that
he was SO hard hit.
He looked very bad. I should have
thought that he had gone through a
fever.
g Hang it, man ! why don't you say
something" 2" he said, savagely, after a
few minutes.
/" I've got nothing. good to say, except
one item, which comes rather late, .
answered. st Agnes has turned Vassar
| off for ever. She has refused him twice %
He looked up with Frightening face,
saying, Then who can think any harm
of her Z But are you sure ?''
I told him of the first refusal Since
then, Vassar had followed her to the
widows, and made desperate effort
He had first tried to frighten her, insist
ing that she was ruined unless she mar
| ried him. That falling, he had begged
aD1eCty, threatened to Kill himself If she
refused, and made tremendous scene.
She asked him TO go to all the people he
knew, and tell them that he was ready to
swear that no harm could be said against
her, and he said that was no use. Nobody
would believe him. 1t was evident that
he didn't mean to clear her in any way,
unless she consented to marry him.
The scoundrelly coward - burst out
Jameson, rather awkwardly. 6 And does
she pity him now.
No for the first time, she has be-
gun to think that he was an enemy all
the time. =
Come with me- said Jameson, after
moments thought, rising with his fine
face full of determination ts If Agnes
viii give me the right, viii make him
do it if / have to thrash him from door
to door,
We went out, and took cab at the
corner of the street in which Agnes
was living. Scarcely had we taken half
dozen PAGES when we found ourselves
face to face with Vassar He had eyi-
IDENTIFY been to see Agnes, and as evident
" was again baffied for his face was
white and fierce, and he scowled at us as
II t,a 1x,f,111I Aov,xa