The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1877-03-23

dyce, and taxed him with it. Steve
said nothing. but he only shook his
head and looked gravely at me when
praised him. lie never said worse
about Mr.. Fordyee than that he did not
believe in him. Stexe objected to my
intimacy with him on rather general |
grounds, aud / answered IN such an i'll |
tempered manner that Steve, not Icing |
ice, but flint, struck fire and retorted |
angrily for the first time m all our ac-
quaintance. The. result was serious
coolness.. Steve apologized for his part
the next day, but listened eoolly and
retained my anger. 49,
] 1iirted with Dir. Fordyce more des-
rerately than ever after that, but the
affair had really lost all it's relish tor
me. | went recklessly on in my foolish I
course, till Mr.. Fordyee in so many
words asked me to marry. him. | do
not know what it was about the mani
that all at once struck me as insincere.
I knew that he did not mean what he
said and yet he wore a very love-like.
air, and Ire would have clasped and
1 kissed me if | had not shruuk swiftly
away. nss
/ answered him, however, as though
he had spoken sincerely, and told mm,
what do not often acknowledge, was
engaged to Steve Iashley. No man
likes to hear "No''from woman's lips
when even hts petition is an idle one.
i For the first time | saw Mr.. Fordyce's
face distorted WITH a sneer of mingled
] anger and dislike, and knew that my
poor Steve's strange feeling toward Mr.
/ Fordyce was reciprocated by that gen.
tleman with equal intensity.
One night there was party ct Steve 8
fathers. It was Mariail's birthday.
Mr. Fordyce took me over about eight
O'Clock, 1t was gay party. We had
dancing, which we do not always have,
and the music and supper were good.
/ danced with Steve several times, and,
being in good spirits, found it rather
ditficul: to maintain the distance ] had
lately adopted toward him. His eyes,
too, had such a soft, tender light in
them, AMI his lips such brightness.
"Come into the garden a moment,
Bell,'' he whispered to me at the close
of dance; 81 have something to say
to you )" ard for the life of me could
not say no.
When we were in the bright noonlit
garden, he stopped where cfump oi
lilac bushes hid us from the house, and
drew from his bosom a roll of notes.
tsI shall finish paying for our house
tomorrow, DEAR" he said in voiee
: that excessive happiness made tremu.
lous. 81 drew the money from the
: bank te-day-twenty-f hundred dol
= lars. All, how have worked for thi:
hour :"
I should have been harder than {
milestone it had not forgotten all my
$ foolish anger at that moment, if / had
7 not melted rather from my coldness
tor was as glad as he was, and ]
3 dropped my head on his shoulder there
in the moonlight, and cried happy
: happy, rernorseless tears.
sSteve," | said, 'tyou will let nj
keep the money till morning. | shall
T think have dreamed if you don't"
); Sieve laughed, but let me have m.
e way. Al, what foolish wtim it was
: Few women would have dared to TAX
/ charge of such a sum of money an
n fewer men would have permitted then
: But Steve knew it was as safe, to a
y common calculation, with me as wit
u himself.
As we turned toward the house for
J single instant | thought / saw th
g shadow of man across our path; bu
e looking back, ] saw nothing but ii
4 lilac bushes tossing in the summer al
IS "What's the matter?" said Steve
u noticing my backward gaze.
N 81 thought saw The figure Of a ma
IN crossing the path replied.
1e "Nonsense,' - said he; aud we wei
a. indoors.
Well, Steve and were the happie
le pair there thatnigllt; and Mr.. Fofdyt
ef saw, and could not quite keep his ey,
:. from saying that he hated MS both f
VI it, or l fancied so. e
n The party broke up at Il o'clock
an that was late for us, and AIr. Fordyc
y having brought me there, took n
81 home. On the way he told me of a
y other robbery that had taken place Il
So night before at one of the hotels.
ne person had been robbed of $500, viii,
sls he had just received at the bank. Pc
'es haps it was that story that made m
ic- tired as was, bestow some thought {
's' . hiding place tor Steve's money.
=. pondered very seriously as Itook dow
pt my hair and arranged for the. nigh
nc then with laugh at my own ingenui
as / tucked the roll OF notes in my luxu
gu ant tresses, and drew net over C.. ho
an an all in place. ] was asleep almost.
ai an soon as my head touched the pillow.
y. IN ] ought to have slept .soundly a
.s' dreamed happy dreams, but | did d
'ds Some counter influence seemed to ruf
my sIumbers and awoke.
ea Some one was in my room. ] knt
m oIh it as we'll as though could see, a
use the room was too dark for that. The
~. was no sound either, but for all tha
@ .ne knew was not alone. i tried
icll scream to raise my voice. / was troz
oh with terror. / never once thought
na the money, or robbers, or anything Il
wy wy | know of. was only frightened
sel that could not move hand or foot,
ens make noise. ] don't know but
ase stopped breathing. I can't. .remcmI
slS ~ yet how cold I felt, though the nj.
ise was warm.
~ Suddenly. without the warning o