The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-12-18

falls madly in love with a woman, he
likes to imagine her as near perfection
as possible.
Miss Smiths manner changed also.
She discovered the parsons secret be-
fore itwas many days old. She was
still pleased to see him, but she avoided
all reference to her sins.
Once he questioned her about her
past life. For a moment she went
deadly pale, then the color rushed to
her cheeks, and she stammered out a
remark which turned the conversation
Miss Smith saw that the Rev. Charles
Grosvenor was at her mercy. 1t was
only question of time when he would
make the avowal. Should she encour-
age him, or discourage his secret, and
stop it while there was yet timer
In her difficulty she laid the case be-
fore her mother, and asked her advice.
The old lady was frightened out of
her wits. She dare not think about
such a thing. she said. OF course it
would be the making of her if she could
marry a clergyman; but how could it
be doneP He would have to know the
history of her life first, and then:
"And then he wouldn't have me-"
answered the girl, passionately.
"Of course not, my dear, said Mrs.
Smith, "at least should think not"
"Shall tell him? Shall l confess
all the next time he comes?"
Again Mrs. Smith was frightened.
She does not like to think what the re-
suit of that confession will be. They've
managed at last TO find spot where
they can live quietly and unknown.
why must all the miserable story be
brought up again? go - - %
4 Miss Smith failing to get any practi-
cal advice from her mother, thinks the
matter over quietly by herself, and by
the time she sees her admirer again
she settled on her course of action.
She meets him in the field that leads
to the church.
1t is bright summer morning, and
they pause by stile to look at the
yellow and red of the far stretching
fields.
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor COM
mences by talking about nature, and
gradually comes down talking about
himself-his aims and prospects in life.
Little by little the conversation slides
into the groove he wished, and in five
minutes his hand and fortune have been
laid at the feet of the lady listener.
He hadn't meant to be so abrupt, he
had meant to keen his secret a little
LONGER. but it had slipped ont accident-
ally among the poetry and domestic
details, and he was yery Glad it was
over.
Miss Smith was of course very much
surprised. The curate had caught her
hand as his accents grew more impas-
stoned. She allowed him to retain it
till he had finished, then drew it gently
away.
"Mr. Grosyenor. she said. ouietly.
81 will answer YOU fairly and frankly.
Before YOU made me such an offer YOU
should have ascertained to whom you
were speaking"
"You do not know who or what 1
am"
Il know that YOU are an angel"
Miss Smiths lip curled slightly, but
her voice trembled as she answered.:
"As YOU have gone SO fer it is only
right YOU should know something about
NE. NV name is not Smith. That is
a false name"
"A false namer' the parson gasped.
Dear me! why do you want false
namep"
Listen, and will tell you. Did you
ever hear of q terrible crime for which
two men and two women were con-
demned to deathp 1t was called 'mys-
terry at first. But when the facts came
to light it was called murder One
man starved his wife to death. and the
other people helped him. He wanted
younger woman was one of the ac-
cused."
remember the case" stammered
the curate. "It was very awful; but
l don't see what you've got to do with
it" ',,g ..-.s--. ..-''s = .r...
The perspiration stood on his brow,
and he began to mop it with his pocket
handkerchief. He half expected to hear
that Miss Smith was a relative of one
of the criminals.
"You remember continued the
girl, speaking rapidly now and without
emotion, s'that all four were condemned
to death, but the Young girl was at the
last moment granted free pardon and
allowed to return to the world and her
friends" .l,,.
Yes" gasped the clergyman, 4"
remember; but what has all this busi-
ness to do with vonP''
"This," answered the lady whom he
had lust made an offer of marriage; 81
was the oirI that allowed the murdered
woman's husband to love mel was
the girl for whose sake the murder was
committed-I was the girl who was
condemned to be hanged by the neck
and then granted a free pardon! l
ann" -a
CI TIL d.. rL..1o, f,~o,
venor had reeled hack AGAINST the stile
and closed his ewes.
.rExcnse mo y he muttered. ga lit
tie faintness that's all"
He nnljed himself tooetber. stam-
mered a little, coughed, and for a min.
ute seemed at a loss what to saw.
She broke the silence first.
"I have told you now the secret OF
my life. 1 am here with my mother,