Connecticut western news., 1884-01-16
VOL. XIII.


 Spear"
 The two ladies said no more. Ther hurried away together, and entering grandma's parlor, found there assembled more of the members of the Spear family and friend or two besides.
 Orville had indeed disappeared. Ht had never been home since his visit tC Cornelia, and now the alarmed relatives were anxious to get all the information they could regarding the interview be- tween OrviIe and Cornelia.
 1T had reason to be angry, Mrs. Spear" said Cornelia, proudly; "good reason, and tock of my ring and gave it back and went out of the room. don't know when he went or where. T thought he wouldn't mind 80 much. I believed he had stopped caring about me-"
 He ought to now, at all events" said grandma
 "Me boy is dead, I'm sure. I shall have the pond dragged!' said Mrs. Spear, amidst her tears. ''He left all his money at home. He wouldn't have gone travelling without Q change of clothes. Oh, you wicked girl ?"
 q hope" cried the eldest Miss Spear, "that he'll haunt you l"
 1T could kill you, you hateful thing p cried the youngest Mis- Spear.
 Cornelia had kept up bravely until now; but when her two friends turned upon her thus, she gave Q little scream, and fell over on the sofa. She was in a dead swoon, and the water they sprin. kled in her face did not bring her to.
 Grandma grew frightened.
 "I hope it isn't an attack of heart dis ease," she said. "Poor child she looks as if she were dead"
 "Oh, don't say that p cried the mother.
 They gathered around Cornelia and did all they could for her, and soon she recovered and sat up, but all her pride was gone.
 "Oh, dear oh, dear" she sobbed, ''I wish I had died wish had never come to Oh, Orville Orville what has become of you?"
 "Oh ! oh p moaned the mother.
 "Oh l oh l" moaned the sisters.
 And Cornelia's head fell back again.
 "Emma, get the lavender out of the china closet" said grandma to her daughter. "Quick It's on the corner shelf l"
 Mrs. Rashleigh rushed to the closet.
 ''It won't open," she cried, wildly.
 "It's patent lock-" said grandma; clocks as it shuts. Here's the key And Mrs. RashIeigh flew back to the door, opened it and uttered shriek.
 There on the floor, huddled up under the shelf lay poor Orville Spear. He was white and limp.
 Cornelia sat and stared at him in the most awful way. She thought him dead, but the more experienced matror saw that he was yet living.
 Sally was sent post-haste for the doc. tor; and there, in Mrs. Rashleigh'f drawing-room, he found Cornelia and Or vile lying quite unconscious, like Romeo and Juliet in the scene at the tomb, and the rest of the party in z state of bewilderment and terror past description.
 At last, however. both were conscious and seated in arm- m-chairs, regarded eacl other, while the observers kept silence, and Mir. Orville Spear uttered the first words.
 "Of all confounded fools"
 "Who, dear?" asked his mother.
 "Me," said Orville, regardless o grammar. "Who shut me in?'
 "What were you in the closet for P asked grandma, with a guilty con science.
 "To pick something up that rolled there," said Orville.
 "The ring?" asked Cornelia, fran tically.
 "Yes, the ring" said Mir. Spear "More fool I Some one banged thu door to. I shouted and howled anC kicked, and no one heard me-"
 "Oh, oh, oh, ohr' shrieked Cornelia "I believe you hid there to kill me, fo no other purpose than out of revenge.
 "You banged the door on me-" saic MT. Spear. "A jealous woman would do anything.
 1T banged the door, Orville p saic old Mrs. Rashleigh. 1T! You'd lief everything flying. I just pushed it as passed, and you ought to bless you stars that you are alive, for people don go into the drawing.room, sometimes fo fortnight in this small family. W use the parlor much more, and I ar deaf, and so is old Hepsiba, and yo might have died there. Yes, and you , have killed him, Corneia," added tn old lady, throwing his pretty diamon ring on the floor p
 "Oh p moaned Cornelia. "Oh p 'It wasn't her fault. I was a co1 founded fool all through !" cried OrvillC 1T knew that closet had a spring-locl No; don't blame Cornelia." T shall always blame myself sighed Cornelia. "Oh, how pale yo are p
 "And how pale you are, Cornelia sighed Orville. "Did you really cal when you thought I was dead ?'' ''Ladies," said Grandma Rashleigl ''now that Orville is getting on, let | go into the other room and leave theI f two young folks to talk things over t gether."
 She led the way; the others followe e When the tea-bell rang soon afte Orville and Cornelia came out of u V drawing-room arm-in-arm, and the we' < ding-day was fixed.
 SUINa.-A lawyer of Hallowel, Me