The Morning herald., 1877-08-22

| ALREADY lar away. 2
A few weeks later Miles Bond and
Mr.. Helper were engaged looking over
the private papers, as her executors.
That modest portion of her fortune
which her sons speculations had left
intact she had bequeathed to Agnes.
Presently Miles raised his eyes from the
paper he had been inspecting. "a ras-
cally piece of business" he groaned,
between his teeth. Should he quietly
light his cigar with the paper, bury its
contents in oblivion, and marry Agnes,
and 60 on his way rejoicing? No;
perish the thought. A Bond, Of the
Bonds of Bondholder, who could trace
their lineage to the conqueror! A thou
sand times no! He made desperate
resolve and passed the sheet to Harold.
1t was merely letter from the Late
Mrs. Peverill, setting forth a certain
family matter, which she had deemed
it wise they should know, not as execu-
tors, but as lovers.
"Of course this will not affect your
interest,"" said Harold, filing the paper
away, quite at his ease.
cit might not" sneered Miles, elf
were not Bond, with family credit to
sustain" ...
"And yet," said the other, "Shake-
speare tells us that
"Love is not love which alters q
When it alteration finds"
''Shakespeare be hanged!" quQth the
quondam lover.
The following week, when Mr.. Hell
per dropped in to pay his respects to
pay his respects to Agnes, he found her
watering her beds of mignonettes and
pansies. =
"Oh," she said, presently, and half
shyly, "the oldest thing has happened!
I must tell somebody! How dear grand
mamma would laugh if she were here,
and say, it served me right! l received
note yesterday, (you could hardly
call it billet-dour, though it was from
Miles,) and what do you think?s He
says in it-there, turn your eyes away,
don't look at me so while l tell you-he
begs me to release him from an engage
ment which, upon close examination of
his heart-under the microscope, sup
pose-he finds himself unable to fulfill!
Now, you must know That there nc'c'
was an engagement at all between MS:
he just teased my soul out of me to
marry him, and 1 promised. Only to
think of it! A Peverill, a descendant
of one Rupert Peverill, who figured in
the Crusades, Tilted by Miles Bond! 1t
must be that grandmamma's jointure
disappointed the poor youth. Motto:
Never appoint as your executor the man
whom you wish to marry your heir"
"You don't seem to take the matter
much to heart" said Harold.
"Because my heart wasn't concerned
in it,"
"What under heaven were you think
ing Of, then ?"
81 was thinking whether or no you-
you had changed your mind, Sir:
whether you would ever again dare"
81 dare do all that doth become Il
lover" asseverated Harold, inclining to
the level of her lips. "Will you recon-
slider the question l asked you ye&l
ago, darling!"
And Agnes reconsidered.
Mrs. Helper had been married II year
and better, when it occurred TO her, in
an idle moment, to overhaul grandma
Peverill's papers, now that they were
her own possessions, and when she
heard Harold calling her she went
slowly out to meet him, with one OF
them crushed in her soft hands.
"What have you there, darling?' he
asked.
"And you knew it all the while!'
she answered, irrelevantly; ''you knew
| was not Peverill, descended from
the Crusader; you knew that | had
been adopted from foreign founding
asylum! And yet you loved me! And
yet you married me, Agnes Nobody"
and Mrs. Helper began to cry, and al
lowed herself to be clasped in the arms
of stone cutters son, and found COM
fort in it.
Glove is not love- which alters
When it alteration linda.
said Harold.
"But may be the daughter ola cobb
ler, or pauper, or worse" she sobbed.
"You are my wife, and l love you.'
"Then would rather be your wife