The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-03-27
A NOBLE REVENGE.

sort one - l0tteu TO DC exceedingly
careful. almost over-cautious. as one
may say. / think you will lind your
salary quite correct as ta the amount. y
Mrs. Carter the smooth-voiced and
gracious 'proprietress" of the Minerva
Academy for Young Ladies'. smiled as
sweetly as IL she were not cutting of
poor Agnes Ethereges dependence for
daily bread. as she laid the money on
the teaeheFTss lap.
y understand. Agnes said. grow
ing quite white. and with a strange
quNer in her voice MIR. Lundie has
been talking to yon.
Mrs. Carter pursed ua her lips.
II am mos at liberty to give the
mime of my Informant She said
piimiy. .'but the proniptitnde with
which you guess at the name of n pos
sfble suggeSter certainly would give
tie idea that You were prepared for
some such accusation.
Agnes rose up welrily. OF what
use were defense. argument. pleadingp
Did not Hugh T.undfs's vengeance fol-
low her everywhe9e. blighting her
every prospect? Fad he not said to
her with green. glittering light in
those cruel eyes OF his, II will vet conn
pei you to be my wife2N
No, he could not do that. She
might starve; she might suffer for the
actual neeessarieS Of life; she might
even be driven TO throw herself, some
of these stormy nights. snto the black.
chilly abyss Of the cruel river. to find
oblivion for good and al; but she
never would marry him.
This was the third situation OF which
his subtle schemings had deprived her.
She was alone and helpless in the
world; he was strong aud powerful.
Why was il that one human creature
had power TO exert such evil influence
over another2
She went home. with dull, fixed
lonk in her eyes. and deadly white
Eess on her cheeks. What could she
do now2 For she was weak and
young, and slender. and perilously
beautiful. and the world was so relent-
less aud cruel.
Agnes Etherege was working out
the problem that many other human
souls struggle through; and how do
we know how many sink eternally in
the strife. and never are heard of
mores
The 'a.iss6usse lodging where she kept
!. Ier-z INK. and which she dignified by
the title II home ilsla never before
seemed - high up aud difficult of ac-
cess but when Siis. opened the door
sic started back with a low cry. 1t
was no longer dark. chill aud Silent
Lights burned on the nantel, and a
great fire OF high-heaped Goals roared
up the chimney. while a siIrewd-faced,
little old man. brown aud keen, with
gllttering eyes. like human squirrel.
sat spreading his hands over the blaze.
.Ahln He looked up with a nod.
You are Agnes. 1 suppose? You
don't know me OF course?
No. sir. r said Agnes. half expect
ing to see the whole scene melt and
dissolve. ike the fabrication of en-
ehantmenf; Il do not
Well don't know how You
should. said the old man. I'm your
Uncle Tobit. I've come home to live.
Hindostan's a very nice climate. but
It's little shaky when one has passed
ones 60th year. Tn going into the
banking business. | want you to keep
house for me. Yes. I know; YOU al
ways supposed / was dead out in the
east / let your mother think SO. l
was wild chap in my day. and no
particular credit to any of my rela-
tives; and when I had a decent record
to show her, why. she was dead.
That's all over and gone-no use cry
ing over split milk Come =
And Mr.. Daniel Tobit rose up and
seized a yellow alpaca umbrella. which
apparently constituted his sole stock of
baggage.
Are you ready? 1 can have a fly
At the door in five minutes"
But, uncle"
The old man chuckled.
Say It again. it sounds good
uncleir
Where are we going unele?' asked
Agnes. her heart beginning TO warm
strangely toward this eccentric old
man.
To my agents. He has hired
house for me somewhere and furnished
it with something. / dare say it will
do well enough as long as the roof
don't leak and the cellars aren't DAMP
And Agnes Etherege, feeling as if
she were in !. dream. allowed herself
TO be led away from the old room and
the old life, and the drearily brooding
shadows of the past.
Uncle Daniel Tobit loaded her with
luxaries-hung her with Jewels as if
she had been a giittering eastern idol,
and anticipated her slightest wish
Agnes had no more loneliness and
penury now-yet the one thing over
which she most rejoiced was the COM
plete severing of aught resem bling a
link between her new life and her old.
Hugh Luafiie did not know where
she was now. He could never track
her to this haven of peace. The Lord
Phad at last provided for this poor, lit
tie shorn Lamb!
Yet withui. she had sort of shud-
dering horror of him stiIl. Once
when he passed within few feet of
her carriage window as she sat oppo-
site a Regent street shop, waiting for
her uncle. she sank back, white and
trembling. among the warm cushions,
as if the shadow of some evil spirits
wing had fallen ucross her.
Is il wicked she asked herself,
10 hate him?n
And once as she sat, all furs, and
silks. and jewels, In her uncle's private
Office at the bank. she saw the face
pass the little curtained window.
Uncle she faltered, what is that?''
IL don't know what you mean,
child said the little brown-visaged
capitalist.
The man with the blue necktie and
the reddish nustache-there, just be-
yond the desk"
A new clerk. believe, said Uncle
Iobit- Reduced gentleman-sickly
wife necessitous circumstances all
that sort Of trash. Name of Lundie.
Now. my dear. await your COM
mands. !"