The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-04-02
NUMBER II.

the deepest sting Of all.
Esther. the nurse, coming in, finds her
prone upon a sofa, crying quietly yet very
bitterly, and, fun OF sympathy. and little
frightened, comes over TO her and smOoths
back tenderly the soft hair from her fore
head.
To this fond and faithful woman. the girl
Will always be her child her uurSling.
w hat is il, my lamb?' she saws bending
down % her with deep concern. What dis
treS~t'S YOU All dag long yOu have been
lrettulg, and now. even a. evening falls upon
US, ind you weeping again! Why Is this,
my precious What has happeuedS'
II Is nothing, says Maud, eyaSively. "A
foolish fancy; and. besides, nv head aches"
Or your heart. perchance. Yet why? He
mas come back 10 you, that young PeHrud-
dock, safe and sound. Your conscience,
therefore, must be free OF offeuSe. Saumarez
mas Doen True 10 his word. and has spared
him; yet in spite of all this, you are openly
unhappy. The boy is alive. II + 1 should
weep for that not yOu2'
Esther says the girl, suddenly, sitting
up, ana confronting her with flushed checks
and angry eyes, You must not speak thus
you snail not; and II you persist in hating
him; | shall learn to hate your
"Ay, that will be my reward no doubt y
mutteTS Esther. bitterly.
Her tone SmiteS her listener 70 the heart.
i was wrong she saws. with COntrltiOn.
hOw could speak 20 You like that?' She
slips warm, soft arm round the wOman'S
neck as she speaks, and Esther, turning,
kisses her little hand with passionate love.
hOW could hate one who has taken care
OF me all my life, and even saved me from
death once, as YOU have told me? But OF
what kind you have not said Death from
starvation, was it?'
NO; from sudden death"
Why have you never told me about that?'
'What?'
You know what mean-that rescue?'
Il shall some day"
why not uOw?'
Il shall wait till they are more sensible"
i do not understand YOU"
Il mean till you have learned TO forget
PenTuddOck, and to love another"
Then l think l shall never hear that
story, says the girl, very simply.
Iutl Does love, think you, last forever?
Time will teach you more than that"
IT would take very long time indeed 10
teach me TO forget Dick"
80 you think now; but when year has
gone by, and he has forgotten YOU, and found
fresh idol, then you will believe in my
words, and then YOU shall hear the story OF
your deliveTance from DEATH
II don't want to hear il - says Maud, will
fully, drawing back from Esther.
She was silent for few moments, and
then asked, IN an anxious tone, Are men
really 80 tickle as you say, nurse9''
FIckle and worse. Cold and crueL'
But not Dick, am very sure" says
Maud with tears in her eyes and voice
He is his fathers son, and viii no doubt
follow in bis father footsteps, nOtwithstand-
ing that his mother was, really and truly, a
saint upon earth
Was she?' eagerly. Then l think he
must be like his mother"
After which she falls 10 weeping again bit
terly. with the little cTumpled note, 50 pre-
ciOus to her, hidden in her small, feyerish
hand
Her tears see+ to drop like molten lead up
on the woman r heart.
She gets up impatiently, and PAGES the
room in restless fashion, stopping at last
close to the chair where her darling sits la
menting.
Do not cry" she says, tapping the hack
Of the chair with nervous fingers. why
will you spoil your eyes and wear away your
heart-strings2 What is il that ails YOU now?
Tel your old Esther
1T Is . hopeless wish saws the girl,
mounfully; But l want To be as other girls
are-l want Ia have a father and a mother of
whom | need not be ashamed. / want to be
born in the same society as-sls Dicks, and
to be his equal. ! don't want money; l only
want to be raised above the finger Of scOrn.
Oh, Esther, come near to me! l must tell il
all 10 You. 1 never knew until today. when
he seemed given back 10 ule from the grave,
how fondly, how truly / love him."
'AlaS-aias! that things should have gone
50 far!' mutteTs Esther. reEretfully.
when / saw him again, and felt ms hands
in mine, great well OF JOY sprung up with
in my heart IL was aS though hC belonged
to me, was mine fOrever-as if nothing could
ever part Us again; yet II is all iu Naiu.'
All is vanity, repeats the woman, dreami-
ly.
Her thoughts scem faT away, lost in dreams
that belong To a curious past.
Tomorrow gOcS on Maud, sadly,
smoothing out the crushed note with tender
fingers, he Is coming b ask me 70 be his
wife, and for the last time 1 shall say no.
After that We shall ne strangers forever, and
how shall l bear il? Oh, how bear it and
HYe?'
Then marry him. il your heart Is 50 set
upon il" says Esther sullenly.
DO you think l would do him such in
justice? And, besides, l would not marry
him against his fathers will. | have stilF'
-scOnfully-'' some pride LETT
'HOw can YOU possibly know that Penrud-
dock would seriously Obiect?'
by this letter, though the thought IS well
disguised. ana by many other things
so, still pToud.' says the woman, scorn-
fully. Yet the day IS fast approaching
when he will be compelled TO lower his
toner
What do YOU say. EstherY' hastily cried
Maud. wondering at those words
Nothing. Never mind me. Yet it kills
me to see You unhappy, when could hell
you
Help mel oh, nurse. II You only could r
says the girl. in deep agitation. kneelina
down before Esther, and leaning her arms
on her knees while gazing with intense earn
estnrsS into the dark visage above her
Sometimes your manner Is 50 strange II
makes me believe YOU are SuppTeSsuE some
thing. Dear nurse-dearest Esther, help me
in this matter il YOU can! Mr. Penruduuck
is coming here tomorrow with Dick. Hell
me 10 meet them. On, do. pray do. 1OJ
could not endure TO see me miserable, L know
help me, then, dear Esther, II only for the
sake Of your own peace. help mel
There X a whole world Of entreaty in the
large blue eyes that gaze upward through 5
vel of tears.
Esther, after q moments hesitation and
fearful struggle with herself, makes a gest
ure as though reSguing something that FOL
years had been sweet 10 her. and, STOPPING
presses her lip, fondly ID haud's white brow
Is she not her own child-dCarer te her thar
anything the world can offer? Shall she not
for her darling. relinguish her pet ScheIne'
Perhaps the time Is come, she says, slow
ly. Tell me, child, Is Gilbert Saumarez II
tOWn?'
Il don't know: but you could ind out
WHY do Won want that dreadful man, nuTsey
with blush and a sludder, as she renem
bers that last meeting with him, in which
Esther had borne a part
Now lie down again, and try to sleep, o
YOU viii be iu q high state OF fever tO-mOr
row. and unit 10 encounter any one say
Esther, with authority. not answering he
question. And -meauingly-'there 1
much before yOu-mOre than you form an
idea Of
III D. Caa4SsssEAE1