The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-04-24
AGNES.
@come, Miss Agnes, or your lunch'll be cold

room her face took on an anxious expression.
a. she saw the bowed young head, and heard
the snothered sobs of the mistress of whom
she was so unselfishly fond.
What is il, dear? Did the letter bring bad
news? Tell me all about it, and maybe the
telling of your troubled make it easier to bear"
Agnes raised her head and looked at
Mrs. Willard in a dazed sort Of way for an in
slant Then, with an effort, she controlled
herself sufficiently to speak and unburden her
mind of the sad truth which pressed 30 heavi-
ly upon it.
We'll soon be without q home, Mrs. Will
lard. The money that papa left mo is all lost.
The letter is to mo-"
well, Miss Agnes, you have your cousin
Ernest to look to. He will take care OF you"
A rimsonn flush chased away the girls pal
lor.
"Hush, Mrs. Willard! Don't speak to me of
him again; he is married. Tho news came this
morning."
"8ad luck to him, and he engaged to you. He
is a black hearted"
mo, Mrs. Willard; he's only tickle and
thoughtless. He fell desperately in love with
the pretty young thing he has married, and
s A"'' "AS aho"uy ~ L all Slau
he found out the nature of his liking for me
before instead of after our union had taken
place. He had a cousinly feeling for me, that
was ALL"
Agnes spoke with a silent dignity which ST.
fenced her listener at once.
"Well, come and have your lunch now. l
broiled a bit of chicken for you, and L hope ii will
taste good Sitting here and fretting won't mend
things a bit"
She succeeded m coaxing Agnes into the
dining room, and poured her a cup of fragrant
Mocha, lad the morning paper beside her plate
and then left her alone.
Agnes slipped the coffee and tasted the chick
on. Then She glanced over the columns of the
newspaper
An advertisement attracted her attention. 1t
was this:
WANTED, Q housekeoper. She must be ac-
tive and Sood-tempered, as well as competent
to direct the domestics under her particular
charge
81 will have to earnmv living now" thought
Agnes, with a sigh; "and l kept house for
papa, so why can't | for some one else? A t any
rate will answer this advertisement and find
out what KIND OF duties are required"
She wrote a note and sent it to the address
given.
The following day brought a reply from MI.
Durant, requesting her to call at the writer's
house, giving its number and the name Of the
street.
After a long walk she reached the place.
1t was quite an imposing looking structure.
"A carnage was drawn up before it, and a
nyeried footman ran up the steps and gave a
tremendous pull at the door bell, glancmg at
Agnes curiously as he did so.
A servant came to the door.
Agnes gave him her card. and he moved
noiselessly away, returning to say, please
Miss, walk into tho library
A gentleman was seated at a writing table,
he turned his head as Agnes entered, care
lessiy at first, then curiously. His eyes were
very dark and bright, and their expression was
one of unmistakable surprise.
u hope you will pardon me- said he, 'for
saying your youth is agairs: you"
Agnes tried to make her voice steady as she
answered, but in spite of her efforts it trem-
blcd.
81 never had any trouble with our own SER
wants, sir, so thought might manage other
peoples; but | see my mistake"
i mus. AGAIN ask pardon for intrlding, my
you selected this particular kind of employ
ment."
at was a sudden impulse which led me to
answer your notice. Poor papa has been gone
from mea whole year, and now l have just
heard that all the money he left is lost. /
must earn my living some way"
81 like your spirit Tho taking of such a
responsible place as that of the directing spirit
OF my household machinery wouldno be feast
BILE; but ] have an invalid aunt who is about
TO part with her cOmpanlon-a lady who has
come into small property lately, and does not
need the position amy longer. If you succeed
in making a favorable impression upon the old
lady, who is rather queer in her way, 1t will 10
: much easier employment than that OF a house
keeper. l will conduct you toher, and see how
the plan is likely to succeed"
Agnes modest face at once attracted the in
vallds fancy and she was engaged to take the
place on the following week.
She fulfilled hor duties every day, and after
several months became very much attached TO
her, and she had every reason to make her
journey through life as happy as it could be
while enduring 80 much pain.
her death came suddenly, and was such q
shock to the kind young care-takcr that at
first 1t put all other thoughts out of her mind.
Then she awoke to the knowledge that she
must leave the hospitablo home that had shell
tered her. When she broached the matter to
MIR; Durant, however, he would not listen to it,
and to her great surprise supplemented his re-
fusal with an offer Of marriage.
II never thought to put trust in woman
again" he said; ''but | have learned to like to
see you about this lonesome old house. You
are still on the sunny side of life, and l am for
ty; but i will try to make you happy. Do not
answer me now. Think of what | have said,
and give me my reply o -morrow at this time"
Surprised and bcwildered at tho sudden prop
osition, Agnes withdrew from Mr.. Durants
presence.
WAS there such a thing as true love in the
world?" she questioned herself-"that is IN a
mans hcart:"
Her own sad ex perience taughther to answer,
sNo."
She did not love Mr.. Durant, but she was
conscious of a feeling of respect and admira-
ton for him.
He had not professed to love her.
Itwould be purely friendly union and was it
not the trucst kind of marriage after all?
Thus she reasoned her CONSCIENTIOUS scru-
pies, and at last made up her mind to tell Mr..
Durant that if he would take her for his wife
knowing that her heart had once received q
hl@,y ,,It11N hal r,,,.,. 11-, -,
and to accept friendship and respect instead,
she would be to him a true and faithful com
panion throughout life's journey.
MI. Dnrant was pleased with her candor, and
after n brief delay they were married.
The young wife proved like a ray of sun
shine in the grand old house. Every room
showed tokens of the change thathad been in
nugurated with Its new mistress; and, besto
all, Agnes learned to love her husband, not
with the romantic devotion which had char.
acterized the first love, and had ended so
disastrously, but with a calm, enduring affec-
ton, which was far better calculated to make
its object happy.
One morning while looking over some old
fashioned daguerrcotypes packed away in lie
drawer of an old cabinet, Agnes came upon
ali oxquisitely painted miniature of a young
The artist had depicted the sweet face.
curving the delicate lips. dimpling the pink
cheeks, and laughing roguishly out of the eyes
rs blue as this tlaX-fiower blossom.
AgEes fastened with her new found treas
ure to the library, her husbands ~favorite
haunt.
She held up the picture toward him.
"See what / have found! What n shame for
such a beautiful face to be hid away in "a place
which is SO seldom visited"
Mr.. Durant glanced up with a preoccupied
look. but as his eye rested on the picture, with
Il sudden darkening of his usually calm face.
and with a lowering brow, ie caught it from
Agnes and threw it across the room.
Then seeing by his wife's pallor that he had
startled her, he Gained himself by q supreme
effort, and said: SIT is through your igno-
rance Of my past, Agnes, that you have given