The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-09-07

have come to be better acquainted with
you
"Now / want you to remain with me
and tighten my sorrow by your pres
ence. l am a gloomy, sad. disap-
pointed woman, but my heart is not en-
tirely dried up. You can bring back to
1t some OF its youthful feeling and win
from it great deal Of the love and
light that have 30 long been shut up
within. You can make me much hap
pier than I've been for years. and
want you to stay. 1t Is for my sake
ask It, and not for yours, for believe
all the happiness and benefit will be
mine"
stayed. I realized that however
Mrs. Lawton might be disposed to view
the matter, was giving but a poor re-
turn for the blessings she bestowed on
me, and exerted myself in every pos
sible way to enhance her pleasure. l
talked with her, read to her, and per-
formed thousand little services that l
thought would tend TO bring her taste
Of enjoyment. I fattered myself with
the belief that my efforts to augment
her pleasure were not vain. was
certain that she grew lighter OF heart,
and that day by day she gained new
relish for life. Her face lost much
of its rigidity, and the cold look melted
out of her eyes. Sometimes she chatted
quite gayly, and now andthen q soft
smile played over her features.
noted all these signs Of increasing
happiness with the greatest pleasure,
for / loved my benefactress with my
whole heart and 1t made me happy to
see her happy. Every light or shadow
that played over her face had its effect
on my heart, for my sympathies were
30 woven into her life that I enjoyed or
suffered what she did.
Two years lived with Mrs Lawton
They were years full Of quiet peace and
contentment, although they failed to
bring me that perfect happiness l should
have known but for my disappointed
love. / still remembered viii Hanley
and grieved that he did not love me.
During all that two years heard
nothing Of any of those ! had known
previously. At first / apprehended
some trouble from Mr.. Bernard, for /
feared he would seek me out, but in
time became quite easy on that point
when weeks ran into months and !
heard nothing Of him. BY Mrs. Law
toms advice wrote one letter TO Mrs.
Cornell, telling her I had left Mr.. Ber-
nards service, and the town, and that
was comfortably situated In a distant
place, but could not, for good reasons,
give my address. So had no news OF
the Cornells, though often called them
To mind and longed to write to them.
I am free to confess, reader, that !
often felt that ! was not giving the
Cornells the proper treatment, by hid
ing away from them after their con-
duct to ME. l thought their generosity
and uniform kindness demanded my
perfect confidence, and II seemed TO me
was doing them a great injustice by
withholding II. But Mrs. Lawton per
suaded me 10 act as did, urging that
my safety demanded strict silence on
my part, and was willing TO be gov
erned by her. ! sometimes wished u
hear from Charles Cornell, and fro
quently wondered what he was think
ing OF me, and whether or not he hat
married. OF course his action In thii
last respect could be Of no interest u
me, since did not love him and had re
jected his suit, yet for some cause l tool
an interest in II, and hoped with all my
heart that he had not married.
Ihad made few acquaintances In my
new home, and no particular friends
aside from Mrs. Lawton- We seldom
had visitors-never, In fact, save an oc
casional call from some village ma.ron
who came chiefly out Of curiosity TO SCI
, the inside Of the great mansion, or IL
the hope cf discovering food for gossip
lived on literature, making friends o
the characters in story books, and wa
|, satisfied.
But at the end Of my second year u
the house II was announced that W.
were TO have visitor. Mrs. Lawton'
nephew was coming TO see her, SO sh'
told me, and we made preparations u
receive him. She told me nothing abou
her nephew, not even his name, bu
' simply announced that on certain da.
he was coming. asked no questions
> feeling little concern in the matter, an
little dreaming of the great surpris
there was in store for me.
n