Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-09-08
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living his physical strength. But no Won
der. for these 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 off coming to Wesmede
and this served Captain Warder Tor al,
other argument against Mr.. VIII, as
knew because was so often with my mas
ter now. He had grown so to depend up
on my always being ready to his call, thai
heard the tales Captain Warder brought
of Mr.. Wills past life; stories whether
true or false, which he simply raked up to
widen the present breach, and which iul-
filed their purpose with cruel success. IL
/ could by any means have discovered
where Mr.. Will was. all this time, | would
myself have written him an entrealy to
return and put an end to this misery; but
l have shown you where those unansweseo
letters lay, and now they had ceased ai'o-
gether.
Never had the Squire let any one look
upon these. and Captain Warders poison
had done its work SO well. that the very
mention of Mr.. Wills name now was
enough to throw my master into state OF
suppressed passion which was most dan
gerous for him in his enfeebled condition.
At last one day-nearly year had passed
since Mr.. Will had followed Miss Agnes
from Wesmede, and though Captain War
der had heard of their marriage, he SAID,
we did not know whether TO believe 1t or
not-lhe Sguire's lawyer came over to EX-
eter, in dog cart, which Captain Warder
had driven in, and spent long day al
Wesmede, closeled with Mr.. Capleton.
whose raised unsteady tones reached me
often as l passed the library door. There
were many surmises among the servants
as to the business in hand, but never had
q doubt at all, and when | went into the
masters room at night Gas | always did
now, inventing some excuse or other just
to see him the last hing, for | pittied him
for the sore companion he had in his un E
quiet conscience, (and he bid me wait tor
few minutes, knew quite well what he
was going to tell me. | guessed right.
Squire Capleton had made new will that
day, disinheriting his only son, and leav-
ing the whole of his property to Captain
Warder, who was to assume the old name
when he took possession of Wesmede. l
stood near my masters chair, listening
while he told me all this, and my lips
seemed glued together; for if any sound
had escaped them then, it would have shut
from me my masters confidence forever.
"You hearP' he questioned sharply,
when he had finished; and thought there
was great eagerness in his sunkcn eyes
"A great eagerness to hear some one say
he had done right.
II hear, SIR" when / could speak quiet
II without exciting him, 'but it signifies
little to any of us. 1t isn't very likely
that we old servants will stay at Wesmede
to see Captain Warder take our young
masters place; or hear old masters name
to make it hated"
He turned to me. and his anger was too
fierce to be more than instantaneous, and
then there dawned upon his poor, weak
face pitiful questioning. 1--WE done
the only thing could have DONE" he
said, his voice rising. You are silly,
prejudiced woman faithful as far as a
woman's nature can go, but silly and pref
udiced. Go to bed"
After that threw away all fear of my
old master, and talked to him daringly,
often and often and often, both OF his son
and Miss Agnes. You see | could do
them no harm then. He had done his
worst. He could not either make them
unhappier or leave them more destitute.
SO bad no longer any fear for the effect of
those words which would rise holly and
anxiously to my lips. Sometimes he was
almost patient with me, and would MUIR
muir the old reply, which he always utter
ed 50 very slowly, II am glad | did it
very glad did it,"
But at other times he would loudly and
fretfully silence me. ordering me from his
presence. Yet-and this was sad even to
me, because it so plainly betrayed his
growing weakDess-he would summon me
again almost Immediately, and presently
would once more repeat the old assurance
which it was 80 plain to see he could not
believe, repeat it as constantly rs he
might.
As the winter closed in, Captain War
der hardly left him. Perhaps even he
could see now that the hardened spirit
was wearing out, as we'll as the thin bent
form, and he feared more than ever to re-
move his influence. Day by day now my
master chung more closely to his old SER
wants, and be fretted so when | left MIN
that got into the habit of bringing my
work aud my accounts to his room quite
duu LHth Vi W NH. ds
ii that had always been part of my days
work !, and bringing him messages from
the tenants; and of getting somehow to
make him feel it natural to listen while he
rested. Then you may be sure let him
feel what his people would think if Ct
never made it when) they were to have
for their master and their landlord,
man whom they had always honestly dis
liked. as they honestly dislked Captain
Warder. But though in time all this grew
natural to US, the Squire would never let
me utter two sentences together of Mr..
Wills return, or for forgiveness OF him
and Miss Agnes. At last this day came
ronnd-Mr. Wills birthday, and the iast
day of that year which had been so
wretched for us all. The Squire had been
SO restless and i'll the day before, that /
had set up in his room all night, and |
noting with what start he
rose from his pillows when let in the
daylight, asking me sharply what day it
was. Standing beside him-and l knew
must have looked as anxious as felt
told him. And then gently led him on
to recall those happy birthdays Mr.. VIII
had always spent at home; going back
even to that one when he had taken bis