The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-10-04


and silent just beyond the threshold
Perhaps the evening shadows hid him,
as her voice suddenly died away in
choking sob, and her head bent forward
on the keys.
Instantly he was by her side. Instant
ly he had raised her head to his breast,
with his long falthless arms clasped
about her
"Aline," he said, "my love, my lovel'
And then uplifting the crimson lips to
his, bent and kissed them.
was busy with my silver, knowing
naught of this, but wondering how /
might unfold to my young mistress my
suspicious, when heard close beside me
low startled cry. glanced up. Miss
Flo was standing on the threshold of the
music room. She had seen ALL She
would have fallen, but that, sprlnging
forward, 1 caught her in my old arms,
as Mr.. Earle came hastily toward us.
forgot his rank and my position, as
l waved him off; but even in my bitter
Indignation against him, felt for what
he suffered when / saw the white look
of misery on his young, handsome face.
Up the broad stairs carried my young
lady to her room and laid her on her
couch. Then her mother came and l
left her, but as l passed through the
room beyond 1 saw lying in the empty
CRATE some torn scraps of paper. Me-
chanically, with servants orderly in
stinct, stopped and picked them up,
when my eye was caught by the mean
ing of single sentence. "The heir of
the adjoining estate"
OF course gentleman" would have
gone no further, but 1 was but mere
servant, with the interests of the family
whom had served more than two score
years over and beyond all else.
carefully carried the little handful of
papers up to my room, and there, bit by
bit, with hard work and infinite spelling,
/ made them almost perfect whole.
"Delay your coming little longer,
dear father" wrote the traitress. "The
fish is already in my net. could laugh
at his weakness were there not such
estate, acres on acres of which 1 can see
from my window as write. L shall be
grand English lady yet, and then who
will taunt me of being the daughter of
circus rider ? We will wipe out that
stain then on my mothers side, and you
shall have your reward for all the sacri-
fees you have made for me-"
Had discovered vein of gold I could
not have gloated more than over these
few words.
All, now indeed, L could avenge my
young lady, and punish her recreant
lover But the time was not yet ripe;
would wait until he had given her his
old and honOred name, and then would
unmask her before she had reaped the
glory, and too late for him to retrieve
the shame.
With this determination, went back
to my duties, but, passing through the
hall, Mr.. Earle's voice, low and yet ex-
cited, caught her ear.
81 have been made mad" he said.
"Aline, forgive me for the wrong have
done you but you must hear the truth.
know now that my feeling toward you
has been the intoxication of your fasci-
nation. Never can 1 wipe from my
memory my darling's white, uncon-
scous face L felt as though I had stab
bed her to the heart, and / knew that
my soul had never wavered in its alle-
glance, though your beauty and your
marvellous power had turned my brain.
Aline, say that you do not love me Do
not make me feel that / have marred
your life, too"
A stifled voice replied, choked with
feeling:
81 cannot, Arthur cannot! Oh, do
not turn from me am doubly helpless
now Flo never will care for you. Let
me teach you the lesson of love for me,
If, indeed, you have not already learned"
1t was not my place-I know that, but
forgot my anger against him in listen
ing to the few manly words which as
sured me his heart was with Flo, and
strode into the room and put the paper
in his hands.
''Read this, Mr.. Arthur" said, bold
ly, 'before you answer her."
There is little more to be told. / my
self closed the hall door next morning
bright and early as the carriage bore
Miss Aline Revere on the first stage of
her journey Londonward. We never
saw or heard from her again.