New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-16

the two young ladies met. was poo
Judge, of course. but I did think thai tn
frail, sad girl, who was going alone into tn
world for the sake of Mr.. Will, was IA
better worth his love than the girl who
with her foreign voice and dress and man
n srs. was come to win what my dear wa
resigning. Quite c0urteously the Squir'
Leigh, but somehow, his voice sounded al
different.
Alb. how the minutes fed till she wal
gone, then how they crept bv US, bringing
us never the music of a girlish voice sn(
willing step; bringing us even no wore
from the outer world to tell US of her
Though could see that the Squire missed
sven uttered her name. Captain Warden
did wisely not to leave him alone just then
knowing what the empty rooms would be
for him, after the bright ccmpanionship o.
his adopted daughter. The intercourse be
tween Luxleigh and Wesmede became very
close Perhaps Miss Luxleigh enjoyed the
Squire's perpetual narratives OF his sons
PROJECTIONS, and perhaps adulation Of every
kind was welcome to her. In any case she
came very frequently to Wesmede, and &c
| aided Captain Warder's attempt to keep
| Mr.. CapletOn from being solitary.
So the time went Oh till Mr.. Wills return
! Of course l know nothing of what passed
! in that first interview between the father
and son, bu, happened to meet my young
| master ON the stairs just afterward, and he
| passed me without word or glance, his
| eyes burning and his lips drawn tight upon
! his teeth. Later on, when l was tired OF
hearing him pacing to and fro in lis room, l
ventured quietly in 20 him, to give him the
| welcome I'd always given in old times,
when he had come home from school or
| college. At first I thought he was going to
| turn away from me. but quite suddenly las
if he remembered that his secret lay in my
keepine) he turned and greeted me- 1t was
good while, though, before l trusted my
self to give him Mise Agnes's message, and
almost as soon as ever l had repeated it
he, standing in utter stiffness to listen-the
door opened and Captain Warder came in
with his greeting; greeting far too loud
and cordial to be quite honest for him.
Mr.. Will looked down with silent con-
tempt upon bis cousin g outstretched hand,
then he turned to me as if he were not even
aware that any one else stood there. 'Old
triend' he said, Il am going away again, to
fetch my cousin Agnes back to Wesmede;
80 you see l must answer your welcome by
another good-by.
was looking straight into Captain Ward
er's face. but could not find out whether
his surprise was real or teigned. 'YOur
father found him self deceived in Agnes Ca
pletOn,' he said, land naturally he will
never consent to her return here"
Shall l ever forget my young masters
fierce reply, or the savage gloom Of Captain
Warder's face when ne left the room'
Mr.. Will had long interview with bis
afterward, when he came to see if could
help him by the taintest clue to Miss Agnes
present home, understood that my master
had said if he could not return to marry
Miss Luxleigh he need never return at ALL
and had strictly forbidden him to bring
Miss Agnes to Wesmede. From that-even
without being told could guess that Cap
tain Warder had been present at the inter
view, in spite Of Mr.. Willis earnest wish to
see his father alone; but did not wonder
the father should fear trusting to himself
this refusal of his con g anxious prayer.
Not for months after Mr.. Willis depart
ure did the Squire betray any symptom of
having taken to heart the defeat of his
scheme or the absence of his son; and so
the people grew to say he didn't care, and
that Captain Warder was as coed as any
con to him; but knew better. Sometimes,
wandering to his door late in the night to
be sure that all was we'll, would hear the
old man weeping like girl: and a year
afterward l found those letters of Mr.. Willis,
which were never answered, worn to
shreds, as century could not have worn
them had they lain in the Squires desk in.
stead of-where they did lie.
As time went on. and the old Squire's
strength and spirit gradually failed him, he
grew to lean more. and more upon me; a
sure sign that his hard resolves were out
living his physical strength. But no won
der, iOr those resolves were constantly |
prOpped by crafty words and deeds of ap- |
parent devotion from the one enemy of all |
his good and kindly impulses. just as if |
she understood the state Of the case, Miss |
Luxleigh left of coming to Wesmede; and |
this served Captain Warder for another |!
argument against Mr. Will, as knew, be- |
cause l was so often with my master now. |
He had grown so to depend upon my always |
being ready to his call, that l heard the
.ales Captain Warder brought of Mr.. Wills
past life; stories, whether true or false,
which he had simply raked up to widen the
present breach, and which fulfilled their
purpose with cruel success If could by
any means have discovered where Mr.. Will
vas. all this time, l would myself have
Written him an entreaty to return and put
IN end to this misery: but have shown
7Ou where those unanswered letters lay.
md now they had ceased altogether. Never
lad the Squire let any one look upon those,
md Captain Warder's poison had done its
york so we'll, that the very mention Of Mr..
Wills name now was enough to throw my
master into state of suppressed passion
which was most dangerous for him in his
nfeebled condition. At last, one day
early year had passed since Mr.. viii
ollOwed Mics Agnes from Wesmede, and
bough Captain Warder heard of their mar
iage, he said, we did not know whether to
elieve it or not-the Squire's lawyer came
yer from Exeter, in a dog cart, which Cap
ain Warder had driven in, and spent day
t Wesmede closeted with Mr.. Capleton,
hose raised unsteady tones reached me as
passed the library door There were many
lrmises among the servants as to the bust
ess in hand, but l never had doubt at all;
I'D when l went into the masters room at |
light las | always did now, inventing some
Kcuse or other just to see him the last
ling, for pitied him for the sore compan-
N he had in his unquiet cOnscience), and
Q bid me wait few minutes, knew quite |
ell what he was going to tell me. My guess
as right. Squire Capleton had made a new
i'll that day, dsinheriting his only son, and
'aving the whole OF his property to Cap
In Warder. who was to assume the old
anne when he took possession of Wesmede. '
stood near my masters chair, listening | ;
lille he told me all this, and my lips {
emed glued together for if any sound had
capped them just then, it would have been
CRY of anger which would have shut out i
ON me my masters confidence forever. S
You hear" he questioned sharply, when t
J had finished; and thought there was b
eat eagerness in his sunken eyes-a great
gerness to hear some one say he had done b
,ht. g
Il hear, sir" said, when could speak
ietly and without exciting him, "but it b
.nifes little to any of us. 1t isn't very g
ely We old servants will stay at Wesmede
see Captain Warder take our young t
aster's place; or bear our old masters fl
lme to make it hated n
He turned to me. but his anger was too t.
rec to be more than instantaneous, and a
81 there dawned upon his poor. weak a
,e pitiful questioning. i've donethe only o