Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-03-16
voice within, and thinking a friend
might have returned with Agnes.

sionate appeal, to which she lnyolun-
tarily listened.
spare me, oh merciful Lord!' the
girl cried, distractedly, and between
heart-wrung sobs which seemed to
shake her to the center "Oh! take
away the temptation-oh; forgive me!
Father in heaven, forgive me!-and
help me, help me to be right-at this
time, at this time of all others-when
[ am alone, alone in the world-oh,
Godi give me strength, and help mel
She prayed in the very frenzy Of de-
spair, and with the dread OF some inn
pending danger evidently upon her.
Nelly shranl from intrusion at such a
moment, and withdrew; though she
afterwards repented the delicacy, and
it was very long ere sheforgaYe herself
for not having waived all nicer consld-
erations in that for the girls des-
olate condition.
She returned to her own room, made
up her fire, and prepared the refresh
ing cup Of tea; for it was getting to-
wards evening, and the chill rain was
beginning to fall now; she made such
little additions to the meal as were
within her means, and once more de-
scended the stairs. The door stood
ajar-Nelly tapped lightly, then pushed
it open. The room was empty, with
the exception Of the press bedstead,
which was let down, and on the mat
tress each separate article of the bed
furniture neatly folded; on the top lay
a note, which, as Nelly went forward
wondering, and seeking some traces Of
her triend-she saw was addressed to
herself. She took it up, wondering
more, but still expecting to hear or
see Agnes appear. But, no, every
scrap of anything else had been re-
moved; true, there had been no more
than a tolerably- sized bundle would
contain, for the workboard, even, had
been removed by the undertaken
man, and accepted by him as part
payment Of the funeral debt.
A strange dread took possession Of
her mind as she took the note, and
went slowly up the stairs to her own
room; where, having lighted a
candle, she read its contents:-
DEAR Mrs. FRANKLEN-You must for
give me for going away without bidding
you goodbye; indeed, | cannot A dread
full trouble has come upon me lately, and
it would beno good telling you, for you
could not help me iii it, and | know what
you would say. | know that | am very
wrong and wicked, and try to help it. |
have prayed, and struggled very hard
against wrong thoughts; please donot think
hardly OF me, for mean to do right, please
God. Kiss dear little Ida for me; | could
not bear to see her again, and say good-by!
Will you tell Mrs Smith that | have left
the bedstead and the best Of the clothes for
the rent? She said one day she would not
mind taking them, and | have no money
hardly.
Goodbye and God bless you, and thank
you for all your kindness.
'tAGSEsn
The letter was not easy to decipher;
tears had blotted it as it was written;
and, before it was read through, other
tears were falling on the half-eligible
words.
ooh, dear, dear!ii had but knownW
exclaimed Nelly, as she made out the
sad sense OF this melancholy farewell.
"Why haunt she come to me? why
didn't she tell me her trouble, poor,
dear, poor, poor girl? What can it be,
| Wonder-What can it be?"
But there was no answer to help
her to a solution of the mystery, save
that she might make of the moaning
wind, which sent the rain sharply
against the WiEdoW-panes, and made
wanderer who might have been now
sitting by that warm fire, and easing
her mind by the confidence of her sor-
rows to friend.
Nelly lost no time in making Mrs.
Smith aware Of the circumstance. The
landlady FASTENED to inspect the de-
post in question, and was apparently
satisfied that she should be at least
no loser by the default Of cash. She
did not, to any extent, share Nelys
uneasiness ''The young woman was
always odd" she thought, land held
herself like above other folks, which
never was no good to nobody as h; !
to make their way in the worI,
Whether there was anything coming
to her now, through the death Of the
old man, and that she might be gone
down to look after it. But, anyway,
the bedstead was as good to her as
the money, and Just the thing as she
was wanting for her Bob and Bill, and
she would hardly have got such one
for the twelve shillin's, let alone the
quilt and that"
So talked interested greed, while
humble friendship sincerely mourned
the abrupt disunion from her some
time acquaintance; for, though now
far more accustomed to the life and
habits around her, Nelly had ever
entertained g, special regard for the
one who had smoothed the first rough
nesses of her hard destiny to her, and
given her welcome where she had none
to call her friend; and the disappear
ance of Agnes struck to her heart with
something of the keenness Of old
events.
"She cannot have been very long
gone" Nelly said, interrupting the
landladys panegyric on the bedstead.
II was down here not twenty minutes
ago, and then | heard her in theroom.
I shall run up the court and look
about; if she is to be seen, III have
her back, poor thing!'
"You might as we'll look for a neddle