The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-02-21

father said, Janet. Are you to com,
to the ball ?"
eyes, Mr.. Hardwicke, papa says
may"
"Ah, that's delightful. Lillian want
you, and so does my mother; and III
sure you'll enjoy it Janet"
"oh, yes, know l SHALL" she an
swered, simply and frankly.
The young man looked down at thu
sweet, girlish face, his eyes full o.
tender admiration.
"She is such simple, unpretendinG
little thing" he thought; "I'd sooner
win her for my wife than the grandest
lady In the world"
"Pm sure you'll have a nice ever. ng"
he said aloud; "and shall come for you
early; be ready in good time, and,
Janet" he added, his voice a tride un-
steady, Zone of these days want you
to go to the Hall for good. / love you,
dear, and want you to be my wife. viii
your"
The hand on his arm trembled, the
bright head dropped
''Haye you no answer for me, Janet ?"
"You must ask papa, Mr.. hard
wicke."
"And if papa says yes, what then +?
Oh, Janet, do you care for me at all {?
Look up, and let me read my answer
in your eyes,"
The soft, brown eyes looked up at
him in the autumn moonlight; he read
his answer, and was content.
Janet went home, with the firstlove-
kiss of her pure life warm upon her
lips.
She was too happy to sleep. She sat
on the steps, watching the moon sink
ing down toward the dim western hills,
and listening to the murmur ofthe pine
trees, long after her father and Margery
were in bed. A step on the gravel
startled her. She leaped to her feet
with a suppressed cry.
"Hush Janet, Hush! it's me
Ralph"
"Oh, Ralph you?"
The intruder was pale, haggard and
wild-eyed, and his garments thread
bare. He was Janets brother. Mr..
Arbuthnot's only son the son who had
broken his fathers heart, and made
himself an alien and an outlaw. Yet,
despite his evil ways Janet's tender
heart loved and pitied him. She put
her arms about his neck, and kissed his
haggard face.
Poor Ralph, how i'll you look What
is the trouble now?"
He laughed hard sort of laugh,
"tThe old trouble. I've had awful i'll
luck, Janet. The cards have gone
against me of late. I'm done for. l
must get out of the country before the
week ends"
'tOh Ralph! and you will not give
up cards? And you want money!"
"That's it, Janet. Pm a scoundrel
to come to you in my trouble; but
couldn't see any other way"
"You shall have all I've got Ralph"
"Your a good girl Janet; you always
were. | shan't forget you. But you
won't tell the governor that Pm in an
other scrape?"
mo, Ralph; it would break poor
papa's heart. Wait here, and Pll get
the money"
He sat down under the rose vines; a
man whose feet had trod the down
ward road for years; son whose
name was a forbidden word in his
fathers house. Janet brought the con-
tents Of the silver bowl and put it in
his hands.
"This is every cent possess, Ralph"
"It won't do; want at least twenty |
dollars more"
She looked at him in dire distress,
81 can't ask papa, Ralph, without
telling him you were here"
"No, no; you mustn't go to him.
Can't you get it somehow, Janet? You
were always so clever"
Her troubled eyes frightened.
"Can you come again? On Friday
shall get the money for the altar-cloth
l am embroidering."
eyes, will come on Friday night. |
You are good child, Janet, and Pm
rascal to take your earnings. Good
night, Janet"
She clung to him, her tears falling
fast.
Oh, Ralph look up yonder at poor
mammals grave. Ralph, Ralph, won't
you do better"
"I'll try, Janet; will 'pon honor"
he replied, with emotion. "Good-
night"
Through the rest of the week Janet
worked steadily at her altar-cloth,
silent and thoughtful.
81 shan't get the pink corals or go to
the ball, papa, Please don't ask me
why" was all she said.
And respecting her trouble, and per-
haps suspecting her secret, her father
asked no more questions.
The night oft the ball came. A glorious
night, the sky like sapphire, full
moon hanging over the Blue mountains.
Janet had finished the altar-cloth, and
had the money in her pocket. She
thought of the pretty pink corals, and
though she was willing to give them
up for Ralph's sake, yet her girlish
tears fell like rain.
She sat under the rose-vines as the
twilight fell, and watched the prepara-
tions at Hardwicke Hall. Lights began