Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-12-26

| MT. sutherland, ne remained Stanu1nS
before Mr.. Halliday's door. What had
the young man meant by this emphatic
| repetition of his former suggestion
That he would be quiet also and not
speak of what he had that night seen
Why, then But to the hope thus Civ
en- this honest hearted gentleman would
| yield no quarter, and, seeing duty be-
fore him, a duty he dare not shirk, he
brought his emotions, violent as they
were. into complete and absolute sub
| lection and, opening Mr.. Halliday's
door, entered the house. They were
old neighbors, and ceremony was ig-
nored between them.
| Finding the hall empty and the par
lor door open, he walked Immediately
into the latter room. The sight that
met his eyes never left his memory.
Agnes, his little Agnes, whom he had
always loved and whom he had vainly
longed to call by the endearing name
of daughter, sat with her face toward
him, looking up at Frederick. That
young gentleman had just spoken to
her, or she had just received something
from his hand, for her own was held
out, and her expression was one Of
| gratitude and acceptance. She was
not beautiful girl, but she had q
beautiful look, and at this moment 1t
was exalted by feeling the old gen.
tleman had once longed, but now
dreaded inexpressibly, to see there.
What could it mean? Why did she
show interest, devotion, passion al
most, at this especial moment Of her
life, when in all the years that had
gone by, and when it was the dearest
wish of his heart to see these two
| united, she had never betrayed in all
| their intercourse anything but distrust,
If not an uneasy dislike? 1t was one
of the contradictions Of our mysterious
human nature, and at this crisis and in
this moment of secret heartbreak and
miserable doubt it made the old gentle
actual despair.
The next moment Agnes had risen,
and they We're both facing him.
Good evening, Agnes"
Mr.. Sutherland forced himself to
speak lightly.
"Ah, Frederick, do find you here?"
The latter question had more Of con-
straint in it.
Frederick, with slight flush suf-
fusing his cheek, which had been only
too pale until now, acknowledged his
fathers greeting with smile In which
that father was surprised to see a
faint shade of relief If not of joy. Then
he backed toward the door.
II was just leaving" said he. II
was the bearer of a message to Miss
Halliday" He had always called her
Agnes before.
Mr.. Sutherland, who had found his
faculties confused by the expression he
had surprised on the young girls face,
answered with divided attention:
"And have message to give you.
Wait outside on the porch for me,
Frederick, till exchange word with
our little friend here"
Agnes, who had thrust something she
held into box that lay beside her on q
table, turned, with confused blush, to
listen.
Mr.. Sutherland waited till Frederick
had stepped into the hall Then he
drew Agnes to one side and remorse.
lessly, persistently, raised her face to.
ward him till she was forced to meet
his benevolent but searching regard.
DO you know" he whispered In
what he endeavored to make banter.
ing tone, how very few days it is
since that unhappy boy yonder con-
fessed his love for young lady whose
name cannot bring myself to utter in
your presence"
The intent was kind, but the effect
was unexpectedly cruel. With droop
of her head and hurried gasp which
conveyed mixture Of entreaty and
reproach Agnes drew back in vague
endeavor to hide her sudden uneasi-
ness. He saw his mistake and let his
hands drop.
Don't, my DEAR" he whispered. II
had no idea 1t would hurt you to hear
this. You have always seemed indif-
ferent, hard even, toward my scape-
grace son. And this was right, for
for What could he say, how express
one-tenth of that with which his breast
was laboring? He could not, he dared
not, SO ended, as we have intimated, by
a confused stammering.
Agnes, who had never before seen
this object Of her lifelong admiration
under any serious emotion, felt an i'm
pulse of remorse, as If she herself had
been guilty of occasioning him embar-
rassment. Plucking up her courage,
she wistfully eyed him.
"Did you imagine" she murmured,
that needed any warning against
Frederick, who has never honored me
with his regard, as he has the young
lady you cannot mention? Pm afraid
you don't know me, Mr.. Sutherland,
Notwithstanding have sat on your
knee and sometimes plucked at your
beard in my infantile insistence upon
attention"
81 am afraid don't know you," he
answered. 81 feel that know nobody
now, not even my son."
He had hoped she would look up at
this, but she did not.
VIII my llIlle Blrl IuluK me very GU
rious and very impertinent if / ask her
what my son Frederick was saying to
her when came into the room?"
She looked up now and with visible
candor answered him Immediately and
to the point.
Frederick is In trouble, Mr.. Suther-
land. He has felt the need of friend
who could appreciate this, and he has
asked me to be that friend. Besides,
he brought me a packet of letters
which he entreated me to keep for him.
took them, Mr.. Sutherland, and
will keep them, as he asked me to do,
safe from everybody's inspection, even
my own"
oh, why had he questioned her? He
did not want to know of these letters;
he did want to know that Frederick
possessed anything which he was
afraid to retain in his own possession.
my son did wrong" said he, "to con-
fide anything to your care which he did
not desire to retain in his own home.
feel that ought to see these letters,