The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-08-10
One Day Too Soon.

bosom, and my life seems o long, dreary
waste-a punishment. M M
All, If my sin was great, / was sorely
tempted, and my punishment will only
end with my life
When was 1t l first loved my cousin
Katep 1t might have been when Aunt
Carrie offered her soft cheeks out of
bundle of flannel for my boy-lips to
sskiss the baby.n School holidays were
days to see Kate, and as entered mans
estate my boy-love was only deepened
TO the one absorbing devotion of my
heart.
1 was wealthy, my father having left
me fortune when / was six years old,
that had been nursed carefully by my
conscientious guardian, till It was nearly
trebled in value when 1 came Of age.
Aunt Garry, my mothers sister, had
only the smallest income from her dead
husbands estate, and lived in wee
cottage not far from the great house
that would be my home when choose
TO occupy. Itwas therefore, kindness
on the part of my guardian to consider
nay aunt's home as mine, and to pay a
most liberal board for the privilege. My
own mother had died when was a
baby, and all home affection in my
heart centered in Aunt Carrie and
Cousin Kate. , e...s,t
Yet it never was a brotherly love L
gave Kate after l was old enough to
think Of my own home and future hap
piness. l knew that my beautiful house
would be to me desolate and empty If
Kate refused to share it with me, and
although she laughed at me that l had
made love of her, never ceased to hope
until-ah mel-until Gerard Hopkinson
came to Barton. t,.
Gerard Hopkinson was, without ex-
ception, the handsomest man l ever
saw, and with his stately figure, a noble
face and gentle courtesy of perfect breed
ing, the varied conversation of culti-
waited mind, and the candid expression
of pure heart. Yet Gerard Hopkin-
son was without one dollar in the world,
excepting as clerk in my guardians
manufactory, the Gordon Mills.
/ had been in New Orleans all winter,
visiting my grandmother, who had
written me a most imploring letter,
begging to see me ''once more before
she died." and seeming SO heart broken
whenever proposed to leave her, that l
remained until she died, early in May.
L had left Barton in November, and one
week after my departure Gerard Hop
kinson came from New York to take a
situation in my guardians counting
room.
There was nothing of the snob about
John Gordon, my guardian, and finding
his new clerk to be a gentleman he in
vited him to his own house, and intro
duced him to Barton society. Every
where he met Kate, the belle of Barton
by universal consent. When l came
home in May, Aunt Carrie told me that
Gerard and Kate were engaged.
will not dwell upon what su ffered.
Ny whole life seemed to me blank !;
but 1 had no word or thought of blame
for Kate. had never been able to win
nay answer to my love, but had hoped
against hope that it would come. She
was so young-only eighteen-and 1
thought she did not know what love
meant. Some day, l hope, I would
teach her; but before that day came
Gerard Hopkinson won her whole heart.
hid my pain as best could. was
true to my better nature in those long
summer days that followed my return
to Barton and when tried to win my
rivals friendship there was no hypoc.
risy i'm my heart. Aunt Carrie knew
all, for my heart had been an open book
for her loving eye all my life, and when
we were all together she accepted my
attentions as a matter of course, leaving
the lovers to take care of each other
To Aunt Carrie only i confided my
plan for opening my own house in the
winter, and she consented to come anC
share my home after Kate's marriage.
In October went to New York tc
nerve myself by absence for the we'd
ding, and to purchase many additions
for the modest tronsSeou Aunt CARR,
was making for my cousin. 1t was lik,
thunder clap to me when my guardian
wrote to me that Gerard Hopkinsor
had robbed him
sit was very clever forgery" h
wrote, ''and it had been traced directl.
to Hopkinson. Evans, who has beel
with me thirty years, and has my pei
feet confidence, detected the forgery an
traced 1t up. OF course, Hopkinsol