Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-12-18

! from your Wretched father This looks
to me as if he must be very sick-per-
haps dying"
$50 Eleanor thinks, and the noble
child persists in saying that she will go
at once to him. She declares it is her
duty. Poor, poor girl; l see now that
this cOncealment has been very wrong" !"
"Do not fret, my friend; you and
your good husband could not look into
the future. You did as you thought for
the best. So Eleanor has written about
it to Mr.. OgdenP She is a noble Great
ure, and if he is what he ought to be,
it will bring him on the wings of the
wind. p"
The next day a heavily-veiled, girl
ish figure and an old, gray-haired gem
tleman were led through gloomy cor
ridor, and into prison cell.
Eleanor moved as in a dream. She
was dimly aware of long, narrow,
iron bedstead upon which lay q pros
trate, quiet form.
Two gentlemen, doctor and q cler-
gyman, were the only other occupants
of the room. The latter rose as she en-
tered and came forward.
"Is this Miss MooreF" he said, grave
ly. "My child, fear you are too late
your father has been in this uncon-
scious state for hours"
Eleanor gave one long, earnest look
into the pale, drawn face with its
closed eyes.
This then was her father! An icy
hand seemed to clutch her heart. Her
father! and dying thus!
Courage! my brave little Eleanor, "
whispered Mr.. Stearns. With an effort
the girl looked up into her old friends
face, as if to gain strength from his
sympathy; then she went steadily for
ward to the bedside. .....
AS Eleanor gazed down at the face
which still retained many traces of the
manly beauty which had won her
mothers love, and realized that she
was indeed his daughter, all the strength
and nobility of her soul rose to the sur
face. STOPPING she laid her soft hand
upon his cold forehead.
Fatherp' The pitying tone pro-
nouncing that word so sacred, and so
wound around the tenderest fbres of
our human natures, forced tears into
all eyes. "Father, it is Eleanor!-your
daug ghter!-can you not speak to her!'
The call pierced the apathy of death.
The dying mans eyes opened and
fastened upon her face. A wave OF
consciousness swept over his features.
"My childY he exclaimed, brokenly,
"then you did come. God will-bless
YOUR His voice sank, while into his
eyes sprang a look of entreaty as he
tried to finish, but with the words,
My child-forgive-" his breath
failed, and with a long ttuttering sigh,
all was over.
Tender hands led Eleanor from the
sad scene. Several days passed, and
no reply had as yet come from Ralph
Ogden to the letter Eleanor had writ
ten, and in which she had disclosed the
story, the knowledge of which had
brought her such sorrow.
In it she had told him in a few but
tender words the pain it gave her to
look forward to a life unshared by his
presence; but though in her ignorance
of the disgrace upon her name, she
had promised to be his wife, she could
not, knowing all, expect him to take to
his home convict's child. Still an
other trouble wrung the poor girls
heart. Before long the invitations to
the wedding would have to be counter
manded, and then the broken engage
ment would be the comment of all.
She heard in imagination the remarks
which would be passed, and shrank
from the curious words and looks she
knew would follow her wherever she
went.
"Had not you grandma, and my
Bible" she said, despairingly, 81 should
surely die. 1t is almost more than l
can BEAR"
Mrs. Hamilton kissed the quivering
lips; she knew caresses would help
where words might only wound.
Thursday morning arrived, and with
it Ralph Ogden. Instead of the ex-
pected letter he had come himself.
Eleanor received his card, and read the
peneiled request that she would see him,
and tor a moment film came before
her eyes, and all grew dark before her;
then, white as death, but very calm,
she went down into the library, where
he waited her.
She had always known the intense
love of family which had filled the
hearts of all the Ogden race, and of
their pride in name which had never
been sullied by aught dishonorable; and
until a short time before she had
thought she bore a name as stainless
as theirs. Now she knew differently.
The Library door swung back on its
hinges to give entrance to the slender,
dark-robed figure which falteringly
went forward.
A moment passed, and the next
Eleanor found herself clasped in close
embrace.
"My precious Eleanor!' Ralph ex-
claimed in low voice, but with every
word distinct and clear, " if l loved you
when bade you goodbye one long
month ago, worship you now! When
read your letter | lost no time in COM
ing to you; as if anything could make
YOU less dear. to mel and beside, my
darling, all that you wrote in that let
ter knew long ago"
Then Eleanor found her voice: