The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-12-09
CHAPTER NXNU.


The daylight faded, and the fire
burned low. Loonard's voice broke
upon the stiffness, and it sounded far
away to me, as if it came forth from
the shadows Of the past, as he said,
still clasping my hands, as if afraid
they would be taken from his grasp,
Priscilla don't you think you care a
little BIZ for me, after all?' 1t was
exactly as if he was trying to coax a
child to be friendly, and | felt slight
ly tempted to resent being addressed
in such childish manner, but tonight
a strange spell has possession of me,
and yield | must to its strangely, pc
culiar power, so dragging my hands,
with actual pain, from his Tightening
clasp, and burying my burning face,
hiding the new light in my eyes, in
their depths, murmured so inarticu
lately it must have been unintelligible
except to ears strained to catch the
meaning, 81 believe do, very little
bit, there now," then resisting his eff
forts to detain me, escaped from him
and gliding through the door, brush
ing past father in the hall, | gained
mothers room, and casting myself
across the foot of her bed, again bur-
led my blushing face from view, in
the pillows feathery depths, feeling
decidedly silly, yet withal, with a
pleasantness entirely new, combined
with the Stiffness, rendering it ex-
tremely blissful.
Mother evidently suspected some
Al.
silence, but like wise woman, said
nothing, simply bent and kissed me,
as she placed blanket over me, be-
fore leaving the room.
Then, still hugging my newly-found
happiness, thinking in dreamy, bliss
full sort of way, of the turn affairs had
taken, / did the most unromantic
thing one could have imagined, name
ly, fell into a gentle slumber, undis-
turbed by dreams of any description,
and was only awakened, when Spen-
Ger, designated to admonish the family
Of the approach Of supper, executed
his noted performance on the bell,
which wonderful feat, SO remarkable
for its disturbance, has generally been
productive of a good assembly at meal
times, since there being no cessation
until all put in an appearance, it is a
greater temptation to be prompt, than
to be listener to the prolonged clang
which the clapper sends forth, suffi-
Gent, in its shrillness to have termi-
mated even the slumbers of old Rip
Van Wrinkle, that humorous sluggard
of yore.
When [ descended to the table, with
cheeks highly flushed, and eyes bearing
witness Of my recent benefcent visitor
sleep, I telt most conspicuous, yet nc
one seemed to notice anything as I'M
usual, and finally managed to glide
into my natural state of feelings, SO as
to act and talk, as it the whole tenor oi
my mind had not experienced mos
thorough revolution, and, except to EN-
tirely ignore Leonard's presence, | fin
ished the repast, in the agreeable con
seriousness Of being tie life of the party
and contributing much to the wit of tht
conversation.
Afterward we concluded the evening
in music, and general chatting, where
in the children were accorded the priv
ilege IF largely participating. Ever
Archie, who was present, until he LET
at half-past nine to meet one of thos
hateful engagements of his, seemed t
throw aside all reservation, and in tn
revival of the songs of our childhood
which brought back to him some of hi
old vivacity, appeared to enter int
the spirit of merriment to such dc
gree, that little Belle pronounced he
verdict upon him as being "weal nice.
May such evenings often mark th
new era of my life, and may be ens
bled with another's assistance, to re
claim our wandering brother, an
succeed in the work of his reformatio
at last
At ten o'clock it seemed pretty we
understood, Leonard's and my pos
ton. towards each other; my comics
sion, though slight one, Of cours
meant much to him, and so they OF
by one vanish, upon various pretenc'
while I am gently persuaded, in a
undertone, ''to stay little longer
accompanied by such a a pleadir
look, that being under the new ina'
ence, positively can't resist, the ne
chains bind even stronger, thong
less painfully, than the old ones
perversity and selfwill.
An hour fits into the past, and tt