Year: 1866

girls, but all their attentions came to moth
ing. / feared it might be so with Fred t.
vans, and warned him accordingly. but
Fred said he d ''have her if he tried all his
life ;" that without her life was naught to
him - that ''she was the only living being
who had ever awakened an emotion in his
breast, etc. After that had said no more,
but closely observed the lovers, and soon
came to the conclusion that Fred was by no
means disagreeable to her. Things went on
in this way without any definite result until
Fred received a sudden summons home on
account of his mether's illness. When he
came back to renew his visit he insisted up
on staying at Oakville hotel rather than wear
out his welcome at our house, and finding
remonstrance unavailing, there he went
The landlord (honest old Downsbury-l
wonder if he yet livesl gave Fred, at my
suggestion, his best bedroom, mo 20 Il
am particular in mentioning the number
He shall have No 20, said Downsbury.
ANY friend of yours, Master Augustus,
shall have the best | have to give as long as
| am landlord. = 1t was pleasant room,
looking out on the distant hills and the
beautiful winding branch of the Bac&water;
but what cared Fred for scenery? he was
in the hands of blind god, and could not
even see as far as his nose, except In the dl-
rection of Bellies cottage. L used to go
over to Fred's room and smoke my cigar,
while he, poor wretch, eXpatlated on his
sufferings, doubts, and solicitudes. Did she
love him that.was the question that dis
turbed every moment of his lite, aud to
which, with the closest reasoning, he could


not bring himself a satisfactory reply.
Sometimes ne thought word or sign set
tied the point beyond doubt in his favor
at others he fancied he read coolness and
| ,pl, IN In
| of uncertainty he dared not press the ques-
! ton lest nasty step might bring him to
| grief.


At Fred $ earnest solicitation promised


to sound Belle as to her sentiments, If


favorable opportunity presented itself, or at


any rate to let her know, in an indirect way,


that Fred was languishing in distress on her


account, and thus give herno excuse for un-


necessarily prolonging his misery. 1t so


happened, however, that my services were


not called into requisition. Belle Bronson,


because of the sudden arrival at her house
of some country cousins, was obliged to give


up her room-her mothers cottage being
small one-and te occupy for single night


room at the hotel. We would cheerfully
have offered her guests accommodation at
our house, but we were in the same predlca-


ment, An agricultural fair in the village
| had brought many strangers into the place,
and our own guests were so numerous that
had given up my room to two OF them,
| and had intended asking Fred Evans to let
me pass the night with him.


For this purpose | went to the hotel at a


late hour, and proceeded at once to Fred s
| room but to my surprise found no one there.
| did not even notice that his trunks were
| gone, or suspect the fact which afterward
| became apparent, that ito oblige some lady
th h. L. III ord
expressed it, Fred had consented to give up
No 20' and occupy small room in the
rear of the building. The gas being turned
up took book to await his return, and
hearing at last what appeared to be steps
approaching the room, and supposEHg 1t to
be Fred, In momentary impulse to play a
joke upon him | slipped under the bed, a
large, and high one, intending to initiate a
cat (of which animal knew he had a de-
testation) so soon as he entered the room
The door opened, and was on the point of
indulging in my ventriloquial faculty by
giving long drawn mieow, when from my
hiding place | beheld Belle Bronson take
quiet possession of the apartment


My astonishment was SO great, and the
sense of modification so intense, that did
not, as | should have done, make myself
Immediately known to her. Thus the op-
portunity for discovery and explanation was
lost. L dared not move hair, but hoped
sincerely that some excuse might take her
out of the room for moment, and so taclll-
tate may escape. She, however locked the
door, removed the key, and, as L knew by
the sound prepared TO retire. Finally she
kneeled down beside the bed, and clasping
her hands and bowling her head (so fearfully
near to mine that | could hear the soft
words in my very ear she offered up her
evening prayer In manner so full Of feel
ing, and with such sweet accents OF woman
ly tenderness and devotion, that felt as If
she was an angel bending over the yIlest of
mortals The prayer went to my heart but
one portion of it went through it and held
of surprise and my deep emotion as when L
heard her utter these words: BLESS my
dear mother, sisters, and friends; bless all
around me, and, O God bless him love,
augustus Erergreea and shower down thy
mercies over him. Amen. ''Ah, Angus
tus, said my divinity to herself, as she arose
from her devotional attitude, If you but
knew that | named your very name IN my
prayers, you would be less indifferent to
me |"


If I breathed short before, after this my
breath nearly deserted me entirely, and
verify thought that the beating OF my heart
would abetray me. Belle, pure as an angel
TO me then, and white as snow fake. pro-
ceeded to turn off the gas and get into bed.
l felt her soft pressure over my head, and
shrunk closer and closer to the hard floor
upon which / was extended. What thoughts
rushed through my brain Above me lay a
young and unsophisticated girl wholly un-
conscious that the one she loved lay so close
ly to her, and who had for the first time
been made aware of her interest in him, by