Year: 1870

1
until Fred received a sudden
summons home on account of
his mothers illness. When he
came back to renew his visit he
insisted upon staying at the
Oakville Hotel rather than wear
out his welcome at our house
and finding remonstrance una
vailing, there he went. The
landlord gave Fred, at my sug-
gestion, his best room, No. 20'
II am particular in mention
ing the number. ..He shall have
No. 20,' said Downbury. ANY
friend of yours, Master Angus
tus, shall have the best room ]
have to give as longs I'm land
lord


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 a
small one-and to-occupy for q
single night room at the hotel.
We would cheerfully have of
fered her guests accommoda-
tion at our house, but we were
in a similar predicument. An
agricultural fair had brought
many strangers into the place,
and our own guests were so nu-
merous that I 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 pro-
ceeded at once to Fred's room,
but to my surprise found no
one there. I did not even no
tice that his trunk was gone, or
suspect the fact, which after
wards became apparent, that TO
oblige some lady guests for the
night only as the landlord ex-
pressed it, Fred had consented
to give up No. 20' and occupy a
small room in the rear of the
building. The gas being turned
up / took a book to await his re-
turn, and hearing at last what
appeared to be steps approach
ing the room, and So posing it
to be Fred, in a momentary i'm
pulse to play a joke upon him l
slipped under the bed, a large
and high one, intending to imi-
tate a cat so soon as he entered
the room. The door opened,
and | was on the point of in
dulging in my ventriloqual fac
ulty by giving long-drawn
miew, when from my hiding
place / beheld Belle Bronson
take quite possessionsof the ap-
partment.


My astonishment was SO great,
and the sense of modification
SO intense, that | did not as l
should have done, make myself
known to her. Thus the OPP
portunity for discovery and ex-
planation was lost. | dare not
move a hair, but hoped sincerely
that some excuse might take her
out of the room for a moment,
and so facilitate my escape
She, however, locked the door,
removed the key, and, as [ knew
by the sound, prepared to re-
tire. Finally she kneeled down
beside the bed, and clasping her
hands and bowling her head $50
fearfully near to mine that [
could hear the soft words in my
very ear,) she offered up her
evening prayer in a manner so
full of feeling, and with such
sweet accents of womanly ten
derness and devotion, that | felt
as if she was an angel bending
over the vilest of mortals.-
That prayer went to my heart !;
but one portion of it went
through it and held it captive.
Never shall ] forget my feelings
of surprise and my deep emo
tions when l heard her utter
these words /: Bless my dear
mother, sisters, and friends
bless all around me, and, o God
bless him l love, Augustus Ev-
ergreen, and shower down thy
mercies over him. Amen


If / breathed short before, af-
ter this my breath seemed to de-
sert me entirely, and | verify
thought that the beating of my
heart would betray me, Belle,
pure as an angel to me then,
and white as a snowflake, pro-
ceeded to turn off the gas and
get into the bed. What
thoughts rushed through my
brain ! Above me lay a young
and unsophisticated girl wholly
unconscious that the one she
loved lay SO closely to her, and
who had for the first time beer
1 made aware Of her interest in