River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-01

surprised. The curate had caught her
hand as his accents grew more impas-
stoned. She allowed him to retain il
| till he had finished, then drew it gently
away.
"Mr. Grosvenor," she said quietly,
81 will answer you fairly and frankly.
Before you made me such an offer you
should have ascertained to whom you
were speaking"
What do you mean?"
" You do not know who Cr what
am"
+" know that you are an angel"
Miss Smiths lip curled slightly, but
her v0iSe trembled as she answered:
GAS you lave gone so far it is only
right you should know something about
me. My name is not Smith. That is a
false name"
"a false name," the parson grasped.
Dear mel why do you want false
name?"
"Listen and l viii tell you. Did you
ever hear of q terrible crime for which
two women were condemned2 1t was
called mystery at first. But when
the facts came to light it was called a
murder One man starved his wife
to death, and the other people helped
him. He wanted to marry a younger
woman, and this young woman was one
OF the accused"
81 remember the case" stammered
the cufate. SIT was very awful; but /
don't see what you've got to do with
it."
The Precipitation stood on his brow
and he began to mop it with his pocket
handkerchief, half expecting to hear
that Miss Smith was a relative of one
of the criminals.
"Fou remember" continued the girl,
speaking rapidly now, and without emo
ton, "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 to
her friends"
YES" grasped the clergyman, 81 re-
member, but. what has all this bust
ness to do with your"
This" answered the lady to whom
he had Just made an offer of marriage;
IL u'ss the girl that allowed the muir
dered woman's husband to love me; |
was girl for whose sake the murder
was uSmmitted; was the girl who was
condemned to be hanged by the neck
and then granted free pardon!
am"
She stopped. The Rev. Charles
GrOsyenor had reeled back against the
stile and closed his eyes.
Excuse me-" he muttered; "a little
iaintness, that's all
He pulled himself together, stam-
mered little, coughed. and for q min
ute seemed at a loss what to say.
She broke the silence first.
81 have told you now the secret of
my life. / am here with my mother,
and here wish to remain-unknown
forgotten by the world. We are bound
to live under an assumed name. We
should be hooted and stoned if it were
known who we really are. Will you
keep my secret"
Certainly" stammered the curate;
81 trust"
THAT 1 shall keep yours. Rest as
sured of that, Mr.. Grosvenor. | will
forget that anything has happened this
morning beyond the ordinary inter-
changes of courtesy between clergyman
and parishoner.
She smiled and bowed and passed
on.
He walked back slowly to the church,
muttering to himself: "What an escape
who'd nave thought it p :
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor is still
the curate of Chumleigh, and Miss
Smith and her mother still live at La
burnam cottage. The Pensioners,
however, notice that the visits of the
clergyman to the cottage are few and
far between, and that when he calls he
is generally accompanied by one or
other of his lady visitors.
And old Dame T1rvey, who knows
everything about everybody and is a
great authority on village matters, as
sures every one that she can't make it
out at all, for she was quite sure that
the parson was sweet in that quarter,
and she expected that Miss Smith would
have presided at the parsonage tea
table.
Something must have happened
very unexpected to break it all off, con-
cludes the worthy dame, ''for it was all
altered like in a minute"
Dame Turvey is right for once. What
happened was very unexpected, and 1t
made such an impression on the Rev.
Charles Grosvenor that he will remem-
Der it to the end of his life.