The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-04-12

MIR. Sutnefland made an indehnaOle
gesture, and Sweetwater again disap-
peared, this time not to return, AS for
MI Sutherland, he remained standing
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 rs they
twere, into complete and absolute sub
lection and, opening Mr.. Halliday's
door, entered the house. They were
old neighbors, and ceremony was ig-
Inored 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 h2d just received something
4 from his hand, for her own was held
out, and her expression was one of
gratitude and acceptance !.snl was
not a beautiful :r..,l, bit She lad a
beautiful look, an! at this iaot,ln!.t it
was exalted by a feeling, the old gen.
tleman had once longed. but now
dreaded ine.pressibly, 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
misera BILE doubt it made the old gentle
man shrink, with his first feeling of
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 j find you shere?'
The latter question had more of con-
straint in it.
Frederick, with a slight flush suf-
fusing his cheek, which had been only
too pale until qow, acknowledged his
fathers greeting with a smile in which
that father was surprised to see a
faint shade Of relief if not of JOY Then
he backed toward the door. -
Il was just leaving" said he. 81
was the bearer of 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 a divided attention:
and have message to give you.
Wait outside on the porch for me,
Frederick. till exchange a word with
our little friend here"
Agnes, who had thrust something she
held into box that lay beside her on a
&. table, turned, with confused blush tc
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 il
your presence?"
The intent was kind, but the effect
was unexpectedly cruel. With drooI
OF her head and a hurried gasp which
conveyed a mixture of entreaty ani
reproach Agnes drew back in vague
endeavor to hide her sudden uneasi
ness. He saw his mistake and let hi:
hands drop.
Don't, my DEAR" he whispered. :"
had no idea it would hurt you to hea
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 breas
was laboring? He could not, he daret
not, so ended, as we have intimated, b.
a confused stammering.
Agnes. who had never before see
this object of her lifelong admiration
under any serious emotion, felt an i'm
pulse of remorse, as if she herself ha
been guilty of occasioning him embal
rassment Plucking up her courage
she wistfully eyed him.
did you imagine" she murmuret
-.that l needed any warning agains
frederick, who has never honored N
with his regard, as he has the youn
lady you cannot mention? I'm afrai
you don't know me, Mr.. Sutherland
notwithstanding have sat on you
knee and sometimes plucked at you
beard in my infantile insistence upo
attention"
81 am afraid don't know you" b