Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-12
CHAPTER v.
HoRRIBLEl HoRRIBLE!l

HoRRIBLEl HoRRIBLE!l
 Mrs. Brown lived but a little distance from our house, and the neighborhood being in the country and sparsely set tied, there was a great deal of passing and repassing between the two fami- lies. Mrs. Brown was a visitor at our place every week, and sometimes more frequently, and William Hanley often came with her, so that he and E..d opportunities to become better ac- quainted, and the friendship we had formed on so short an acquaintance broadened and deepened week by week.
 My sister formed a great liking for my new friend, and, he being five years her senior, treated her much as he would baby, betting her and giving her little presents, but never showing her the interest he did me. Mary was quick to notice the distinction he made between us, and feeling that had no right to be liked best, even by one per son, she grew jealous, and pouted and complained, and often went to her mother to pour out words of reproach against me.
 My stepmother was not at all pleased to have the elegant city lad show a pref erence for me, but she had no means of controlling his tastes, and so her only resource was to vent her displeas- ure on my unlucky head, which she did at every opportunity, making my life more of a burden than ever it had been.
 'I am not to blame for Will liking me-" once ventured to urge in vindica- tion of myself when my stepmother was soundly abusing me for being fav- ored by him above her daughter. q don't make him like me, and can't help it if he does think the most of me-
 "Yes you can help it," my stepmoth- CT snapped out spitefully. "If you wasn't always putting yourself in his way and forcing yourself on him, he wouldn't take so much notice of you. I've watched you when he was here, and I've been perfectly ashamed of you when saw how you put your self forward to demand his attentions. shudder for Mary's reputation when you are grown up, for know you will disgrace her. I never saw such a for ward, shameless creature as you are. Never.''
 was too young, then, to understand the meaning of my stepmother's words, but they troubled me deeply, notwith- standing. I knew. that their import, whatever their meaning, was to mis- represent and libel me, and that I was | thus persecuted because l had succeed ed in gaining the esteem of one person out of all knew.
 remember I thought it very hard that l could not have this one friend without him being grudged to me, when
 my sister had the attentions and love of everyone else. thought that with all she had, might be allowed the pleas [ ure of one friendship uncoveted, and | for the first time in my life l was ! slightly inclined to contend for my ' rights. Not that did contend in the | least, by word or act, but simply that I | felt the inclination.
 From that day my stepmother took ! every precaution she could to keep Will Hanley and l separated. She never ! permitted me to go to Mrs. Browns if she could prevent it, and she was usu- | ally prepared to do that, and when
 Will came to our house she managed very well, by one device and another, to keep me out of his company, general ! ly sending me to the kitchen to assist Aunt Mary, there to remain hour after
 hour, though Aunt Mary declared she
 did not need me and would rather have
 me out of the way.
 | Will and contrived, however, to
 spend great many hours together, and
 he plainly showed that he retained a
 preference for my company over that o1
 my sister; and many were the we'll
 meant compliments he paid to my char.
 acter and personal appearance. True
 to his promise, he always spoke of my
 hair as auburn or golden locks, and he
 never failed to address me as Agnes ol
 Aggie. He was so kiEd, and so consid
 crate of my feelings, that grew to love
 him more and more as the days, nassed