The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-09-06


laid at the feet of the lady listener.
He hadn't meant to be so abrupt, he
had meant to keep his secret little
longer, but 1t had slipped out accidentally
among the poetry and domestic details,
and he was very glad it was over.
Miss Smith of course was very much
surprised The cufate had caught her
hand as his accents grew more impas-
passionei. She allowed him to retain it
till he had finished then drew it gently
away.
Mr.. Grosvenor," she said, quietly,
"I will answer you fairly aud frankly.
Before you made me such an offer you
should have ascertained to whom you
were speaking"
What do you mean 2''
You do not know who or what 1
am''
know that you are an angel"
Miss Smiths lip cured slightly, but
her voice trembled as she answered:
"As you have 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 namel'' the parson gasped.-
Dear me why do you want false
name ?"
Listen and will tell you. Did you
ever hear of terrible crime for which
two men and two women were con-
demned to death 1t was called 'mys-
tery' at first. But when the facts came
to light 1t was called murder One
man starved his wife to death, and the
other people helped him. He wanted to
marry younger woman and the young
er woman was one of the accused"
81 remember the case," stammered
the curate. "It was very awful but
don't see what you have got to do with
it,
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 relative of one of
the criminals.
"You remember" continued the girl,
speaking rapidly now and without emo
ton, THAT all four were condemned to
to death, but the young girl was at the
last moment granted a free pardon and
allowed to return to the world and her
friends"
Yes" gasped the clergyman, 81 re-
member but what has all this business
to do with you ?"
This" answered the lady to whom
he had just made an offer of marriage;
I" was the girl that allowed the mur-
dered woman's husband to love mel
was the girl who was condemned to be
hanged by the neck and then granted
free pardon! / am"
She stopped. The Rev. Charles Gros-
venor had reeled back against the stile
and closed his eyes.
Excuse me-" he muttered, IA little
faintness, that's ALL" \
He pulled himself together, stammer-
ed little, coughed, and for minute
seemed at loss what to say.
She broke the silence first.
II have told you now the secret of my
life. 1 am here with my mother, and
here we wish to remain unknown, for
gotten 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;
"and trust"
"That shall keep yours. Rest as
sured of that, Mr.. Grosvenor. l will
forget that anything has happened this
morning beyond the ordinary inter-
change of courtesies between clergyman
and parishoner."
She smiled, bowed and passed on,
He walked back slowly to the church,
muttering to himself, +" What an escape
who'd have thought it 2"
\
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor is still
the curate of Chumleigh, and Miss
Smith and her mother still live at La
burnum Cottage. The parlshoners
however, noticed 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 the
other of his lady visitors.
And old Dame Turvey, who knows
everything about everybody, and is
great authority on village matters, as
sures every one that she can't make it