Ellsworth American., 1876-11-30


| them together.
! But still Miss Agnes avoided him when
ever she could; and once when | asked
| her dust for no purpose at AID which of
| her cousins she liked best. the rush of pink
| to her face, and the trembling of her lips
| when she said 'one was all trath and hon
or'-and then failed for words-was proof
enough that she had sounded Captain
wardcr' nature.
Gradually. during these visits OF Captain
Warder to Wesmede there came con
sciousness OF something being wrong. |
don't suppose can make you understand
| for couldn't understand myself, but the
peaceful calm at the old house seemed
rufiied and not only did we see that the
Squire had grown suspicious of his adopted
| daughter, but we noticed that in every
word he uttered Of his absent son his voice
had a fretfulness which had never heard
| in it before. Quite sure felt that Captain
| Warder's influence was etiecting this
| change, but coul d never have fully COM
pretended it if | had not once chanced 10
overhear him speaking unrestrainedy.
| The master had sent for me TO the library
to check some bills for him, and while
did it Captain warder came in. bringing
two foreign letters which he had called for
| in Exeter thinking-so he said-to please
/ his cousin by anticipating next mornings
post. The masters eyes Frightened at
| sight OF his sons hand but with a slow
smile remember thinking IL the ugiiest
smile ever saw-Captain Warder laid up
| on the Squire's letter one addressed in the
/ same hand to Miss Agnes.
'Well?' questioned Mr.. Capleton.
May hear. before | deliver this, OF my
1 cousin Wills health aud welfare" " asked
/ Capt. Warder, putting his arm through the
4 "a. D
/ next room, Miss Agnes letter in one hand.
| didn't pretend TO go on with my figures,
/ for every word they uttered reached me
| through the curtains, and presently un-
| derstood well enough who was making Mr..
/ Wits absence fatal 10 the dear Old home.
/ From that very hour the end followed SO
naturally in spite OF its misery that seem
/ Ell TO have been eNpectin.Sit sill Ju,t as II
/ came.
That very night, when | was sitting
| alone In my room, fancylng the whole
household was In bed. my door was softly
/ opened. and Miss Agnes came in her white
/ dress, far more like ghost than
She came 10, | say lmost without a sound
and dropped upon her knees at my side
/ just a. she might have done II had been
her mother, aud she-broken- hearted.
/ couldn't say word only put my hands
+ upon her soft dark hair and tried To keep
back the tears old women are 40 silly with
their tears.
This /, goodbye. she said presently,
raising her waite face !; aud at that moment
the steadiast light within her eyes was sad
10 see. Goodbye. This dear lite i over
for me-irom tonight
MY dear cried, as | took both her
/ chilly hands Ia mine, what j. It that you
mean, Miss Agnes:
Z Il
whisper at the last word. so no wonder
could not feel sure had heard Alright.
Yet not for anything could ask her again
because | seemed to understand 1t all 80
| well. after those suspicious Of Cap. ard
eI's which had overheard.
i am mgoing-to-morrow.' she whispered
I her wide eyes meeting mine with an uuUt-
tered longing IN them. i am going be-
cause-my uncle has lost-his trust IN me.
He thinks | would ruin his sons life. |
ruin il! | have an old friend who will re-
ceive me-I think. She i poor, bur will
! help her. l-need not be-a burden
| Where i she. Miss Agnes
But no, not by hinting,o or asking,or even
entreating could WIN that Information.
She would not leave me the power OF tell
/ lug Mr.. W III where she was gone.
But tell hum. she whi-pered,v cry softly
4 please tell him-only this one thing; that
kneeing here. just as might have knelt
al my own mothers side. pray that he
will do his father wishes. | shall be
quite hhppy-presently. His father has
been my father, and | have no word 10 say
tonight. or ever, but-God bless him
I don't know whether | answered at all;
| fancy not; but | held her 10 nv breast
/ and-well, never mind that.
i Strange - say, IL was on the very next
morning. just before Miss Agnes left u.s.
that Lord Luxleigh brought his daughter
1 TO Wesmede; then. OF course, | guessed
| that both my master and Captail Warder
had been yesterday aware OF her return.
| was lingering with Miss Agnes In the
/ hall-just making tasks 10 keep me beside
her when the two young ladies met.
was poor judge, of course, but did
think that the trail. sad girl who was go
/ ing alone into the world for the SAKE Of
Mr.. will, was far better worth his love than
the girl who with her foreign voice and
/ dress and manners, was come to win What
my dear was resignng. Quite courtcously
the Squire Introduced his young cousin to
| Miss LuXleigh. but somehow his voice
| sounded all different.
All, how the minutes fed till she was
| gone. then how they crept by Us. bringing
| ms never the music of IA glrlish voice aud
willing step; bringing us even no word
! from the outer world to tell Us of her.
! Though could see that the Squire missed
her more than words could say, he never
| even uttered her name. Captain Wdrder
did wisely not to leave him alone just
then, knowing what the empty rooms
would be for him, after the bright COM
panionship of his adopted daughter. Tne
| intercourse between Luxleigh and Yves.
| mede became very close. Perhaps Miss
| LuXlegh enjoyed the Squre's perpetual
narratives of his sons projections, and per-
haps adulatIon of every Kind was welcome
| 10 her. ln any case she came very fire.
quently TO Wesmede, and 20 aided Captain
Warder's attempt to Keep Mr. Capleton
| from being solitary.
So the time went on till Mr. wills return
or course know nothing of what passed
in that first interview between the father
and son, but happened to meet nv y ouug
master on the stairs just afterwards. and
he passed me without word or glance,
his eyes burning, aud his lips drawn tight
| upon his teeth. Later OH, when | was tir-
| ed of hearing him pacing TO and fro in
his room, l ventured quietly in 10 him,
to give him the welcome I'D always given
In old times when he had come home from
school or college. AT first | thought tie
| was going to turn away from me, but
quiet suddenly Gas he remembered that
| us scSict lay III uly htcplHSJ he tuIHcu
and greeted me. 1t was good while
though. lbeiore trusted myself to give
him Miss Agnes. message, and almost as
soon as ever had repeated it-he, stand
ing in utter stiffness to listen-the door
opened, and Captain Warder came in with
his greeting; greeting far too loud and
cordial TO be quiet honest from him.
Mr. Will looked down with silent con-
tempt upon his cousins outstreched hand,
then he turned to me as If he were not
even aware that anyone else stood there.
old friend he said 4 am going away
again, 10 fetch my cousin Agnes back to
Wesmede; so you see l must answer your
welcome by another goodbye
was looking straight into Captain War
der's face, but could not find out wheth-
er his surprise was real or feigned Your
father found himself deceived in Agnes
Capleton. he said, and naturally he will
never consent to her return here
Shall ever forget my young masters
fierce reply, or the savage gloom OF Gap
tain Warde-'s face when he left the room