The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-02-07
VOLUME XI.

10 all created beings, nothing more.
From the misery of hopeless poverty
and hopeless love combined, he, at least.
WAS spared.
4 And Agnes Carroll went away Ia her
good fortune with good wishes and "a
warm pressure OF the students hand
+ that WAS all, she. aud all women but his
mother. were mere shadows ON the wall
( She went away and forgot him, for she
WAS Young and life afforded her many
delights: but she measured all men by
the idol Of her girlhood, aud though she
knew that he never cared for her. and
that at last his memory was indifferent
+ to her. yet, strangely, all men short Of
+ her standard, aud eight years after she
was twenty-five and still Agnes Carroll
+ Two days after, when Mr.. Percy Bell
came 90 tell Agnes that his sister Fanny
had come. she told him the story Of the
. stranger she had found ut the gate, and
added that he WAS now dangerously Ill
( Of fever: told him also 10 beg Fanny 10
waive formalities and come and see her.
( There was nothing ON the stranger 5 per
son 10 give the slightest clue 20 his
( identity. and his chances of life were
meagre, indeed. Would Penny Bell like
70 see him?
No, Percy did not care 10 see him.
Very likely he WAS some wandering
scamp, much beneath the notice Of re
spectacle people. Percy Bell said this
in very nice language and IN apolite
tone, emphasized by the pleasant smile
IL the light gray eyes; ami he wondered
very much why Miss Carroll Was so very
naughty Immediately alter and never
offered him her hand at parting. He
did not know that Agnes Carroll had
been ON the watch 10 measure the soul
OF her admirer, and that again her ideal
lifted itself 10 an unapproachable height
above him. He did not know, he never
knew, that after that speech his star set
from the heaven Of Agnes Carroll's
vision.
Perhaps il would be well for her 10
hunt up some beggar. and bestow her
hand and fortune on him Anything to
get rid of her senselass folly about Harry
Morton, who had probably never thought
of her once since their paths had diverg
Ell SO widely; and Agnes struve 70 put
her troublesome thoughts 10 flight by
taking her work 20 the sick mans room
and sitting down by the window, sewed
and read by turns, or talked 10 the nurse
who WAS there, until the shades Of night
came ON and the dinner-bel summoned
her down stairs. That night the doctor
prom ounced his patient out Of danger,
and Agnes went no more u the sick
room; but resumed her old round uf
duties and in her busy life nearly forgot
him. until her uncle introduced the
subject
"My dear, he said, - have been
talking 70 the stranger invalid, and l
find that he is quite gentleman. He
has studied law, and | don't know but
that shall take him into the office Be-
sides, he is from Ashville.
"Ashville !" repeated Agnes, with a
sudden interest. ~ should like 20
know about some OF my friends in Ash
vile. l wish You would ask Tim down
to dinner, uncle, II he has anything TO
wear. Such a looking object
as he was am anxious to see how
much a good bed and care and food have
done for him. II was certainly strange
plight for a gentleman. Has he told
You his story?"
"No he only said that he came from
Ashville, and was in search Unemployment.
he was robbed on the way. and says that
he should doubtless have died had we not
found HIM as we did. | believe / viii
ask him to dinner"
Accordingly, when Agnes came TO the
parlor before dinner, she fonui the
stranger there her uncle was with him,
and as Agnes entered he said
" Nv dear, permit me 20 present Mr..
. Upon my word, he calculated,
" | never asked your name :"
"It is Harry Morton. II may be that
your niece remembers me.
Agnes looked iato his face, and laid
her cod hand In his. She did not re-
member him, for the long beard and un-
kempt locks were gone But, Oh, how
changed Thin and pale he had always
been, but he was ghostly nova mere
shadow of the old-n man.
Agnes had never. in her widest
imaginings, dreamed that her first love
would be cast helpless ani broken down
at her feet she always pictured him as
a rising power in the world, Rs esteemed
and hOnnred for his goodness and talent;
and now he stood before ner failure,
his life-work vet untouched. She drew
her hand away aud, coldly kind, sue
sat down to entertain him.
She went To dinner in a sort Of dream.
and listened 10 the story he told in a
dazed way II was certainly a pitiful (
tale and Mr.. Carroll promised to help
him and he did so by taking him into
his Office as managing clerk, and letting
him sit at his table, aud converse IN his I
parlOr.
And Mr.. Morton was gentlemanly, and
kept his place, never presuming on his
old acquaintance with Agnes-never
seeking to build the old friendship be-
tween them.
Percy Bell and Fanny came to see Agnes (
often. and Agnes returned their visits. !
She was quite as friendly TO Percy B u
now as before the entrance Of Harry F.
Morton upon the scene and that gen F.
tleman's hopes were again IN the ascend- /
ant, and be certainly made an agreeable /
contrast to the ghostlv. hnllow-eTed I
clerk, whom Agnes barely recognized. 1
So affairs went on until Harry Morton
had regained all his original good looks,
and had mai le himself indispensable to
his employer.
One night Agnes gave a large party. /.
II w,ts her twenty sixth birthday, and
she laughingly told her friends that it
was the inaugural ball OF her old-maid- I.
hood, and she meant it to he success.
And "A success it was. Fanny and Percy 4
were there, AMI so WAS Harry Morton.
just before supper Agnes came across |
some gentleman in the shadows Of the I
deserted drawing room, and, tapping /
him on the shonlder. she playfully said: /
4" And whom do / find playing the wall /
flower p
She started back ere the words were
finished, for the gentleman turned a face
of unutterable agony towards her, aud
she saw that it WAS Harry Morton.
"Miss Carroll, he cried, "I love a
lady who is as far above me as yon cold
moon is above us now, and my heart is
breaking"
"Why do you tell me this 2" she said.
retreating haughtily, as he sought to
take her hand.
"Aggie, Aggie - cried Fanny Bell at
the door. Will you show Percy those
engravings you told me about?' And
Agnes hurried off, and Harry Morton
turned to his silent contemplation Of the
cold heavens, Mt the long window.
ITO morrow" he said, 81 leave this
house forever.
1t was three o'clock before the last
guest had departed, and the house was
still. Mr. Carroll had gone to his room
long ago /; but Harry Marion still stood