Year: 1865

mother ana one little sister live out here


in the cottage, but dare not 90 home -


My mother has cast me off, and | am


homeless, friendless. Do not suppose


that | have done anything disgraceful -


| did not, though | was wrong. / have


always been a proud girl, ma'am, and a


God fearing one, / trust But an evil


day came upon me, and l am eating its


bitter fruits now"


"Of that you shall tell me more pres


emily. Here is Mary with your tea," |


said, as the girl came in. "Eat first and


talk afterwards"


! That she might appcasc her hunger


unrcstrained, l saw the tray placed on


q little table, which Mary drew near the


chair: then went TO my desk and busted


myself with some papers until she had


finished. She ate wit the avidity of


partial starvation, as | could sec by fur


tive glanccs; but did not seem to no


ticc her until she had finished, when
went back and resumed my seat.


"Now will you tell me of your troub-
les, and if can help you p asked kind
/ ly.


'Indccd | will, madam," she replied
quickly, "though [ have no right to ask
help at your hands. My story is easily
told and you will believe Inc that
speak the truth in all | say to you.
did not seek this charity and Kindness,
AMI cannot bear to think that you may
doubt me-"


SEQ on"


1--WE had not lived here long before |
went way. My father died little while
after he took the cottage, and we were
strangers from Il foreign land. England
was our home, and we were not quite SO
poor there as we were here, though we
never knew much else than poverty. Af-
ter my father died, went out into the
country to service, leaving mother and
my little sister at home, but coming home
once a month to see them and bring them
my wages.


81 had been there four months when
gentleman came to visit the family and
have a hunting match with the young son
OF my master, a youth Of about twenty
and it was not long before he betrayed
fancy for me that made me feel proud
and happy, he was SO noble looking and
so gentle. At first it was only in looks,
and word now and then when he had Il
chance to speak to me without being
o"erlcard but after n time he wrote
pretty little notes. telling me that he loved
me, which | had known all the time but
then l grew very shy and kept out of his
way as much as possible, because it did
not appear as ii any good could come Of
grand young mans attachment for an
humble girl like me.


''When he saw that | Stunned him. he
got desperate, and watched me every
where until he found Il chance to speak
TO me. Then he said he would marry
me, and | should go far away and live in
fine house all my own, where he would
make me very happy. lie said | was
pretty and sensible, and with Il little study
and polishing could make as fine a lady
as anybody. | ought to have known bet
ter, madam, but | loved him, and all his
fair promises turned my head | ran
away from my place and met him accord
lng TO agreement at a spot where found
carriage waiting for me. 1t had been
arranged that h. was to start home on a
certain day, and nv masters carriape
conveyed him to the depot before the
time for the train to start. But when he
got there, he sent the coachman back and
jumped into hack TO drive TO the place
where | was to meet him. AS soon as |
reached it, we drove off in another direc
ton and travelled nearly all day before
we came TO the house where he said we
were to stop and be married.


'Once there, grew uneasy. 1t was
not pleasant looking place, and | was
afraid TO enter the house-dark, dismal
and vallainouS looking as it was. ASH
put my foot in the doorway, | began to
feel that he was trying to deceive me, for
! knew that this was mean little way
side inn, and net the house OF poor min
lster, as he had represented it, who. he
said, would be glad TO perform the ccre-
mony and keep the secret until such a
time as he had permission to reveal it.


''lle had me shown up stairs to Il little
room that made my heart ache to look at |
1t, so gloomy it was. Then when the
servant went down, began to look about
for means Of escape, for did not intend
to let HIM thial that could be so wholly
deceived as he imagined | was


''One window overlooked a little back
porch, and while stood looking down.
two men came out upon it and began TO
talk. fancy one was the landlord the
other was my lover, and what they said
made my blood run cold. Then knew
that the man | loved was unworthy any
true woman's affection, and from the pain
it cost me to know he was false, sprang
fierce and bitter anger. There seemed no
means OF escape, but resolved to outwit
Kim, and | did it. While he stood there
talking, | descended the stairs scflly and
looked around for some safe means of ex-
it from the house without being seem
On each side of the hall were little
rooms, evidently parlor and sleeping
rooms, and the doors at both rear and
'front.' were guarded-the landlord and my
over at one, and group of servants at
he other. What to do | did not know.
out was desperate and sprang into
Dom on the right side of the hall, which ,