Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-12-08

ton, and calm his agitated feelings
and when, after half-hour no smiled
placidly upon her and babe her good
night. her joy, that she bad succeeded,
dispelled for the time. every cloud with
which reflection upon their reverses
might have overshadowed her innocent
| heart.
Mrs Liston slept not wink that night.
Her mind was filled with plots and con-
| spIracies to make the best of the destruc-
ton which threateneF them. For, to
her, poverty and loss of station were
destruction, or even worse. From
nothing would she have so shrunk with
horror, as from the very fate which
seemed her doom. She had married for
wealth and station-to be deprived OF
them was to be inearthed alive; and
some means were to be devised to secure
herself the position in society to which
she bad been accustomed. No matter
what the sacr6ce-the end was to be at
tanned. She cared comparatively little
for the views Mr.. Liston might enter
tain of her conduct, whether success
should attend her endeavors or no. He
would be unable longer to assist her
to supply her with Injuries and he had
sunk at once into nullity. At break
fast, the next morning, Mr.. Liston's
features bore evidence that to him, too
the night had been one of sleeplessness
and he soon left the house. He had
no sooner gone, than Mrs. Liston array
ed herself for a walk. and hurried to the
residence of Miss Phoebe Marsh, the
maiden aunt of Mr. Philip Laurens
Cords, woman very like herself, and
bent on the union of her favoritc nephew
to Charlotte Liston She was, too,
Mrs. Listens most intimate friend, and
adviser. We leave them together,
where they remained, talking, both at a
time, in mysterious whispers, for four
mortal hours
Charlotte could not fully appreciate
the state of things. Young, loving and
beloved, suffering as yet no evil she
could only regard the future with an
indeinable dread, that had nothing in it
of immediate suffering. But she had
not seen Charles for nearly two whole
days That was grief greater than all
She jumped for joy, however, in the
course of the forenoon, when she re-
ceived note from him. of u few lines,
hastily written, begging her not to think
that he had forgotten her, but to at
tribute his absence to the absoring and
perplexing duties attendant upon the
endeavor to ascertain precisely their posi-
ton, and to settle up their affairs. Mrs.
Liston returned from her walk with a
sombre countenance, but calm and col
lected, and did not utter word to
Charlotte of her feelings in regard to
their calamity, or even advert toi it. Mr..
Lston came home to dinner, and scarce
ly uttered syllable as he hastily swal-
lowed it, and was away again. 1T was
long, tedious afternoon to Charlotte, as
she sat musing in her chamber alone. -
Supper brought no father-and again,
no lover appeared in the evening, to
cheer her loneliness. She began to feel
sorrowful indeed.
Mr.. Liston could not pour ont bis feel
ings into that bosom, which should have
been his comforter and support for
Mrs. Listens advice would have been
based on cold, calculating, selfish policy !;
perhaps bordering on dishonesty; and
he would not deprcss the buoyant mind
of his child, by making her the recipient
of his continual and increasing griefs
He was compelled to smother the fame
within himself, and the very light of
heaven became hateful to him. All he
had possessed was gore, as he had Mt first
surmised; and with an honesty, incum-
bent on all, but rare at the present day,
that it is rewarded with urns, and services
Of plate, he gave up every thing to pay
the debts Of false, deceitful and dis
honorable friends-falsc deceitful, and
dishonorable, in that they had turned
from the legitimate sources Of business,
and in the hope of millions at a throw had
lostl and drawn into the vortex of their
ruin. those who bad trusted in their honor,
and their straight forward dealings
In the meantime, Elliston visited
Charlotte; but less frequently than be-
fore, almost every hour was employed
in attention to the wreck of his affairs
They conyersed freely, at such times, of
the necessary postponement Of their
union, and Elliston seemed to look with
foreboding upon the chances that they
should ever be united. Charlotte, how
ever, preserved her elasticity Of spirits
and endeavored to cheer him, but she
only partially succeeded. A month thus
passed and Charlotte had scarcely spoken
to her father, more than TO exchange
the common greetings Of the day. Hc
was in a continual fever Of agitation. Hc
seemed sometimes 10 be almost Wander