The daily gazette., 1877-02-20

dio not know that you were bea +
ing secret burdens, uncle, {" said Cecil.
Let me help you. Do you need
'rhe pastor glanced at thu, two bank
notes on his desk. edi - jfNo9 III
| mo. dear, il is not any fear of
poverty that troubles me,n he said.
gentiy. II feel strangely weak
realize Tonight that / am GROWING
OLD. Imsy not live another wear. and
there are things you ought to knew. I
Will Tell them to yeu now. Cscil. this
handsome English lord asked me to-
oay Tor my consent to address YOU ss
your suit0r." gnJYoalI ~ r!sl1 =
, The girl blushed and paled, and her
Eyes @ glowed with q swift and dazzling
-etiWhat did you ssy, uncle p Sbs
Whispered, after D. little pause a hhr
!. babe him iwaita year. o Ilt0ld him
'nag you were too youngt0 Marty
Hesloves mel He loves mer Cecil
said to- herself softly, her glorious
young beauty radiant as stan! "And
be is coming back, next yeari Oh, 'un-
Gle, am the happiest girl in. MI sthe
world to night" II. -, ao.,,,I-
The old pastor sighed and Istroked
her hair with q shaking hand A great
struggle was going ON within him, AT
last q look of decision settled upon his
careworn features, and with his trem-
bling hand resting on Cecirs head he
told her her history as far ne lhe knew
Iit. He also informed her that he had
told it to Lord Glenham, and that it
lseemed to make him loyelher all the
Imore. He then handed her the letter
from her unknown guardian.o closed
his eyes and leaned back Id his chair.
His face looked singularly worn and
sorrowful IN the dim light,yand there
was q weariness In the dropping fea-
lures that told of extreme physical
weakness No one marked the rapid
change of exprqssion in the young
face at his knee, the passionate anguish
In the sweet eyes, the tense lines about
the lovely mouth, the bitterness, hor.
ror, and despair indicated In all her
perfect features. -,tf3 sfe'ig nav .
TIE letter fell at last from Cecils
hand, and the bright head dropped to
the pastors knee, while Cecil gave
way to . burst of passionate weep
ng, e. ...f, nj ar,,,e,1 sdt rriIaWs al n
"My ohild," said the old scholar,
arousing himself with his former be-
wiidered expression, "hush, dear, you
pain me. I would have kept this from
you It I had dared. Lord Glenham
may come back. Goodness, beauty,
and genius are of more value than an
cestry. Put the letter in your pocket.
II may prove clew some day" -'' .
|. BE took from the desk small packet
~ hInh ha nn0nad frUfflffH4 Ig.A G44
I my good wife wrote out the his.
tory or your coming here" he said.
'fand here 1t is. We both signed it.
A nd the good wife, who was clever
with her pencil, made that night, after
your guardians departures a sketch of
his face. Here it is. 1t can perhaps
do you NO good, but as the man might
have been your father, we preserved it
fer you !poo .sl a.l 'oml4 3 !91
Cecil seized the paper eagerly. and
stared at the picture with great, de-
vouring eyes. | - ~
1t represented a young man with
fail, English face; a heavy, cruel
mouth small blue eyes, the left one
having q peculiar droop and witha
large mole on the left cheek, The face
was hard, cold, and unpleasant, and
Cecil shHddered as she studied itr, feel
ing a quick sense of repulsion toward
it. .,. -.......
''Do you think he was my fathers"
she asked. .' o' ---
''The good wife thought not. But
he might have been. Men can be- very
cruel to their own flesh and blood
when they are supremely selfish. Keep
the picture, dear. And now, Cecil,
we must say goodnight. -l =
Cecil knelt down beside him, and he
laid his hands on her head and blessed
her. Then he embraced her tenderly,
rs she rose, and dismissed her.
The old pastor leaned back In his
chair. His long, scanty locks fell
around his venerable face, and his
eyelids dropped wearily.
"Poor little Cecill" he said to him
self, yet without seeming to realize his
words. ~ seem to have the gift of
second-sight tonight: A terrible fu-
Lure yawns before her. Poor little
oneI God shield her!" ,,--i d.
When morning dawned, he still sat
in his easy-chair, but his head was
thrown back, the gentle smile was fro
zen on his features, which were rigid
as marble. -.. .sf.-7 g.
The old pastor had gene to join his
good wife. He was dead, and Cecil
Rose was left alone in the world to
meet the terrible perils in store for
ler! .....,... ...- -.
The grief of Cecil, when, the next
she discovered the old pastor
lifting dead in his chair. was indes-
She felt that she was now
indeed alone, and without a guide in
he world. But old Gretchen, and
IL the neighbors comforted her, and
" the time the funeral ceremonies
lad ended, and the affairsof the pas
or's estate had been settled, she had
ecovered her usual elasticity ofspirits
ed had resolved upon her course,
which was to go to England, accom-
panied by Gretchen, and see if she
ould not find some trace of her
amily. As they set out, old Gretchen,
ooking back at the forest-village
through her tears, muttered t.-9'