Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-12-25
CHAPTER TX.
ANNIE'S CONFESSION.

They were all in bed when [ got back that
l.iGht; but as | passed the door Of Armies
room, | fancied l heard the sound OF sob
bin@. | knocked softly, but she made no an
swer; so l concluded that l must have been
mistaken, and that she was asleep.
The next morning she attended at break
fast as usual. She looked q little pale, and
now and again glanced uneasily and rather
questiOnngly at me. When [ rose to go, she
put on her bonnet, saying:
I am going a bit of the way with Hugh,
MOTHER" and then, somewhat to my sur
prise, she came along with me into the road.
When we were fairly away from the houses,
and passing across the moor, she put her
hand on my arm, and said softly:
Hugh, dear Hugh, l have been out before
this morning. | have seen the young mas
ter"
suppose my face darkened OminOusly,
for she hurriedly continued
'Hugh, you must not get angry-indeed,
you must not | did it for the best. l was
afraid. after what happened last night. that
he would dismiss you; and he would have so
done but l have interceded, and now all
will be as it was before"
You have interceded for M ~ | said.
Then you were wrong, Annie; if he wishes
to dismiss me, let him. | have other means
of earning my bread"
For answer to this Annie employed a
stronger medium than wOrdS-She cried.
Now tears always diSarm me; all [ could do
was what did; sOothe my cousin, kiss her
pretty cheek, call myself brute, and avow
that she was the aareSt, sweetest little wO-
man in the world. Under this process, An
ME came round, and smiled sadly up at me
through her tears.
You PROMISE she said, Ito go on just the
same as usual, and to take no notice of what
occurred last night
Il will promise" l said, IF you can show
me the good of it,"
The good of it will depend upon whether
or not you care anything about me!' she re-
piled. Just think, Hugh, if you two quar-
rel again, and you are dismissed, everybody
will know why it all came about-and my
mother and father too. All, Hugh, dear
Hugh, for my sake!'
She folded her little hands over my arm,
and looked up into my face like Supplica-
ting child.
As looked down into her bright eyes,
now fast filling again with tears, the thought
came into my mind TO do what her mother
and father wished me to do. Annie" l
thought OF saying, give me a right to pro-
tCCt you. Leu iilc ColI SSu Vile. duu Will
agree to all you say" But something held
me, and the golden moment passed.
All right Annie" l said; don't worry
yourself, little woman. l won't do a thing
that will hijUre yOlI."
For a couple OF days or so the master kept
away. and things went on at the works pref
" much the same as usual; button the fourth
day he strolled down. He talked good deal
to Johnson, but never addressed one word 10
me. He looked at me, however. and the
look he gave made ME wonder what strange
influence Annie possessed when she could
in luce him TO keep in his employment one
whom he So cordially hated. l. however
to0,l no notice, since had given my promise
to Annie, and an OnlO0ker would never have
guessed that anything sinister was going on.
How long this state OF things might have
lasted, it is impossible to say, but it was most
Unexpectedly and suddenly changed.
One day my aunt, having 4 little shopping
TO Go, and eager perhaps for days outing,
determined to 70 n Falmouth. Size started
of in the morning in John Rudds wagon,
and left my cousin to keep house.
Now, IL had seemed 10 me that Annie had
looked p particularly dull that morning; 81, to-
ward afternoon, l determined 10 take an
hour, and 10 hurry back 10 the cottage to see
how she was getting on.
AS drew near TO the cottage door. l was