The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-30


control that she Was able to hand
the photograph to Hester across the
tea table and say without tremor
in her voice, "I picked this up on the
floor, Hester, after you were gone
this morning"
The girl took 1t from her eagerly;
she had been in trouble about 1t all
day. wondering where she had lost 1t,
and in a fiutter of relief and embar-
now without a word; but Miss Cur
ney noticed that her cheeks blushed,
and then a roster red surged back
and overhowed them.
The silence between them became
too strained not to be broken.
You did not tell me, Hester, that
Won know" Miss Gurney hesi-
tated. "Is he-a friend Of yours,
dear?"
'Yes, aunt"
"How long have you known him? ?"
mot very long. Not more than
three months"
This explained to Miss Gurney the
change 1t had puzzled her to observe
in Hester lately; her placid, subdued
habit of mind had seemed altogether
disturbed, so that sometimes she
sang for very happiness, with a
strange, new light in her eyes, and
sometimes she was saddened and pre-
occupied with pensive dreamings.
Il hope, Hester" Miss Gurney
forced herself to say in her prim, de-
cisive fashion, "there has been no
no talk of love betwixt you and this
gentleman"
Hester flashed an answering glance
on her and looked down, without
speaking, but the answer was so clear
to Miss Gurney as If it had been put
into actual words.
my dear" she went on, striving
against her increasing agitation, 81
am very, very sorry I wish 1t had
been any other man-."
But, aunt" Hester interrupted,
astonished, you do not know him!"
81 know" Miss Gurney faltered-
ST knew q man so like him-so ex-
actly like him, that the moment l saw
dear 1t is impossible for that man
to bring you anything but misery.
Hard, and false, and cruel-."
''Oh, but, aunt" cried Hester, tear
fully indignant, ''he is not! If you
knew him you could never say that
again"
But why have you never told me
about him?"
II have been wanting to-" Hes
ter flushed again with a pretty shy
ness that appealed irresistibly to all
the tenderness and affection of the
gentle, little old lady's nature. 81
meant to, aunt, but II did not quite
know how to. l meant to show you
his photography only gave it to
me yesterday-and tell you then"
"And of course"-Miss Gurney as
sumed a severity of manner she
found it difficult to maintain-"he
tells you that he loves you?"
'He has asked me to marry him
aunt"
And you fancy that you love
him?"
With this question and her earnest
passionate reply, Hester broke down
utterly. She flung herself on hei
knees, and, covering her face with
her hands, laid it in Miss Gurney'i
lap, and sobbed all her heart ou
thus, as she had done years age
when it had been laden with more
childish griefs.
Miss Gurney herself was scarcely
less agitated.
There, dearie, you mustn't cry so
/ did not mean to be unkind," She
said, her eyes dimmed and her thil
hands shaking as she passed then
caressingly over the fair, bowed head
But l have seen more of the worlC
than you have, dear, and-I hav
never told you yet-the man l lovet
spoilt my life, and made me the poor
broken-spirited creature | am; ant
this portrait is so like what he uset
to be--so exactly like, that ever sine
I saw it / have been dreadlng-oh,
don't know what! | believe I coult
kill him, Hester, if l thought h
would cause you half the suffering
have endured through his. Blu
there, it is too late for me to sa
anything now. If you love him,
know whatever can say would max
no difference. She added presently
in the calm, even tones that wer
habitual to her: you have not toll
me his name, Hester. What is hi
name?"
She had to wait and ask a secon
time before Hester had regained sui
ficient composure to reply.
Richard Harwood," Miss Gurne
repeated mechanically, noddin
thoughtfully, as If she had only bee
confirmed in what she knew already
And where does he live?"
Hester mentioned an address q
Kensington.
He is a gentleman-and rich?
pursued Miss Gurney
Yes; his father is rich"
And does he know how poor W
are?"
"Oh, yes, aunt; he knows I al
working for my living"
How was it you first happened I
meet him?"
He is distantly related to Madam
Faber." Madame Faber was II
fashionable milliner at whose lars
establishment in Oxford Street He
ter had been engaged these la
Twelve months or more. "He can