Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-15
A CONVICT'S SISTER.

nv lite can share with no one. Leu me
go my way and you yours, for we could
never be happy with q cloud of mystery
between u.s.
''In other words you refuse me!''
There was quick resentment in Alfred
Graves tone, for the refusal of the woman
he loved to be his wife sent a blow at
once to his heart and vanity. He was not
Il conceited man, but when he offered his
hand to his sisters governess he certainly
did not expect a refusal. There had been
many meetings before he spoke, and in
some of them he had thought Hester STREET
tons face betrayed her love for him in
spite of the cold manner that was habit
ual to her. M..z
Scarcely a man to measure his own
merits by the lesgth of his purse, Alfred
Graves could not quite forget that he was
the owner Of fine estate in the country,
several houses in town and five thousand
II year, while Hester Stretton. was his sis
ter's coyerness. She had come to Mrs.
Evans from female seminary, with let
ters OF introduction; had proved herself
trustworthy with children; and no one
had any desire to pry into her private
affairs during the whole of the first two
years.
Mrs. Evans considered her a treasure,
and the children were much attached to
her and progressed rapidly.
Then Alfred came back from abroad,
and his sister, offering him the hospi-
tality OF her house at Guildford, sudden
ly made several discoveries. First, she
found out that although the family had
thought and spoken Of her brother as an
old bachelor, after all at forty he looked
Younger than some men under thirty.
Next, that Hester Strctton, though she
was reserved, was wonderfully far, and
could converse with Alfred long after the
topics were quite beyond the elder lady's
comprehension.
The old, old story progressed, day after
day, and she could find no good reason
for sending Hester away, and surely
Alfred was not to be turned from her
house. Mrs. Evans was constantly devls-
ing schemes for shutting Hester in the
school-room, for sending her long errands
and employing her time in needlework.
But if Alfred would lounge into the
school.room and insist on hearing his
nephews and nieces recite long poems
while he made pencil sketches of Hester's
profile; if he would join her just as she
started on the long errands, and was
seized with the desire to read in the very
room where the needlcwork was in pro-
gress, what could prudent sister do
more?
It was some comfort that the 'infatua-
tion," as Mrs. Evans mentally termed it,
was all on one side; that the pale face
never flushed at his coming, or the
soft, dark orbs never wooed him to her
side But Mrs. Evans could not believe
it possible for Alfred to offer his hand
and fortune to any woman and be re-
fused. So she fretted secretly, while
Alfred wooed patiently, till on the sum-
mcr morning when he found Hester in
the garden, for a wonder, free from the
attendance of a juvenile Evans, and made
his declaration in explicit terms.
And without one flush. Of her white
cheeks-if possible, even paler than
usual, Miss Stretton had told him there
was secret in her life that kept her out
side the ranks Of happy married women
Still he pleaded, till she owned it was
no crime or fault Of her own that separ-
ated them; and again he urged his suit
only to meet the repetition of her declar-
alton.
''In other words, you refuse me-" he
said, with angry emphasis.
oo1or A1ehol tI,on c,,nr uo,4o -,
face, for there was keen pain as we'll as
resentment in Alfred's tone For the
first time she touched his arm, lifting
her soft, dark orbs to his own. There
was thrill in her voice as she said
steadily, but in low tones: because
love you, Alfred II had no affection
for you I would put my hand in yours
and share your wealth, for my life 0
lrutlgeTy is weary burden to me- Blu
love you, and 50 bid you 60 from M
and seek to forget me IN happie
SMILE
Something in her tone and face awe.
her lover from any demonstration Q
pleasure at her frank confession. II
prisoned the little white hand she ha,
placed upon his arm and said: "Confd
in mo then. Tell me your secret or,
you will, keep it, and rest assured / viii
never try to surprise it."
II cannot. Nothing but death can fire
me, and your life is too useful, too noble
to DC spent in waiting for me. Forge
me, Alfred.
She was gone before he could sa
more, and he knew her decision wa
final. Mrs. Evans delight at her broth
er's escape was certainly tempered by in
. dignation that Hester had dared refus
him.
"Whom on earth did she expect t
marry the matron thought
But Hester, bordering over it all, az
cepted the pain as one more sorrow in he
Swallowed life, and made no moan, look
ed for no sympathy.
1t was hard to see the face that ha
been ever full of sympathy and tender
ness turned coldly away; hard to hear Il,
children wonder "why Uncle Alfred ne,
er came to see them any more" but tn
routine of duty filled each day and the1
was a certainty soon of release from tn
monotony Of teaching.
October was midway on her COLDER
tinted journey across the earth when Mr.
Evans was called upon to find ne
governess. In vain she scoldcd and eve
wept. Hester gave no reason, but st
must go.
TWAS not to spy upon her movemen
that Alfred finding the rOvernesS lea,