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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2982, 15 January 1881, Page 5 (Supplement)

to speak calmly. " This is folly—worse than folly—and you have taken an unfair advantage of me. Please leave me a few moments to myself that I may recover composure to appear before your father." "If you wish ifc I will go out by this side door and take a turn in the yard till I have mastered the rapture of knowing that our betrothal is now complete. After this, Agnes, you will never deny that you love me." " Go—go—that is all I ask now! ' I am shamed through all my nature ' to think that I could so have betrayed myself, knowing, too, what I know as to the uncertainty of the future." " One thing is as certain as that there is a God in Heaven, and, that is, that if I live you ehall be my wife, and my family shall gladly accept you as such," he solemnly said, as he moved slowly away from her. With some effort Agnes recovered sufficient outward composure to enable her to enter the parlor and be presented to Judge Chilton. She had intended to be very proud and stately in her manner toward him, but somehow the only feeling she had now was that she must conciliate him, and try to make the best impression she could upon Harry's father. With his son's kisses yet thrilling on her lips; with the consciousness in her heart that this impetuous boy-lover had moved her soul to its depths, and forced from her the acknowledgment that his affection was returned, she could not do otherwise than attempt to render herself charming in the eyes of the man who held her destiny in the hollow of his hand. The judge came forward to greet her with a beaming expression of interest, which surprised as much as it pleased her. He took her hand, and, gazing in her agitated face, said : " You are like your mother, young lady, and lam glad of that. Only resemble her in nobility of soul, and uprightness of dealing with your fellow mortals, and all must go well with you. Yet why should I admonish you thus, when I have just been listening to a story which proves to me that you possess the highest qualities bestowed upon your sex, in addition to a degree of courage not often given to one of them." Agnes blushed beautifully. "Oh! mamma has been telling you of my late doings at G-lendale, I suppose. I fear that I took a great deal on myself, and no doubt many have judged me harshly; but I did it all for the best, and if my dear Kate is saved from the danger that threatens her even yet, I shall think myself more than repaid." " You are a heroine, my dear—a heroine. Uot one woman in a thousand would have played the spirited and unselfish part that you have cairied on so bravely till a bad man was unmasked. Nor is that all; the ■way yoxx have taken your fate in your own hands, and come to the mother from whom you have so long been held apart, deserves the highest commendation."

"race of her manner, spoke as loudly in hei* favor as her spirit and determination in what she had lately accomplished at Glendale. He turned to Mrs Wentworth, and asked:

" What do you say to this ? In his anxiety to propitiate me, Harry seems to forget that you have a choice in the disposal of your daughter."

Before she could reply, Harry flew to her side, seized her hand, and eagerly said :

"From you I never dreamed of opposition, for you have always estimated me far above my deserts. You once said you wished you had such a son. It is my desire to become one to you, and I believe that you will not refuse me the precious gift I ask —the hand of your peerless child." " If the decision rested with me, Harry, I should say that my highest aspirations for the happiness and well-being of Agnes would be satisfied with her union with you ; but I repeat what my daughter has already said —she cannot enter any family by which she will not be welcomed as an acquisition, and it is your parents who must decide this vital question for you." " Vital, indeed," repeated the young lover, with vehemence ; " how vital, neither of you seem to understand." Then, turning to his father, he went on : " You hear, sir. What have you now to say ?" The judge, carried away by the impulse of the moment, and really moved to the depths of his kindly heart, took the hands of the two who stood before him awaiting the sentence he might pronounce, and giavely said: " I will make an agreement with you, my children. True love is a thing too sacred to be trifled with, and I believe I have found it between you. If genuine, it can bear crosses and trials, and the trial I subject you to is, to be separated for two years, with the liberty of writing occasionally to each other. Within three weeks of this time Harry leaves for Heidelberg ; and you, Agnes, must be placed under masters who will complete your education in this country. To your entreaties I concede this nivich. If you are faithful to each other through this ordeal, and at the end of your probation still claim that your highest hopes of happiness are centered in a union between you, I will no longer withhold my consent, and I can guarantee that of my wife to anything I approve."

"' A Daniel come to judgment.' That is a better decision than yo\i ever delivered from the bench, father, and your decision is worthy of the highest judicial honors. No higher court will have to sit on our case, for we gladly accept the terms. Is it not so, my dearest Agnes ? We are sure of oiirselves."

" Yes —we accept Judge Chilton's terms with gratitude, and. the test he offers will proye to him that we are worthy of confidence. I am very ignorant and unformed, and I shall be glad of two year's study to lit me to be a worthy helpmate to you, Harry. Since your father has conceded so much, we must do our part bravely, and well." " Admirably spoken,"* said the judge, as

" " A fact which proves that .fate is too strong for us all, sir," was the demure reply. " Neither had I any idea of what was in store for me when we talked together on the way to the Grove. My good angel interposed in my behalf, I suppose, and arranged that we should both be taken by storm by the sweetest and dearest and loveliest of girls. I do hope you are not repenting already, father."

"It is you who will have the greatest cause to repent, I fear," said the judge, ruefully. " Bad blood—badjblood on one side which can't be neutralised by good on the other, may crop up in your children if it is kept down in the mother." Harry laughed loud and long; then, quieting himself down, he slyly said : " With the training one grandfather will give to those mythical children of mine, the evil inherited from the other can surely be overcome. Don't you think so ?" " Well —yes, there is something in that; and, after all, Agnes is a most tempting little woman. I hope we can trust to her fidelity. She will have many temptations in the next two years, for she's the kind of girl to attract lovers, and her mother has made a fortune at her business."

Harry's face • fell, but he brightened up and said:

" I'll trust her, sir. Let the lovers come ; if she can't remain true to me through such temptation as that she would hardly be worth the devotion of a man's life. But she's stauncb, sir; she has let me hold her in my arms and kiss her again and again, and she is not the girl to let any man do that but the one she means to marry."

" Upon my word you made good use of the time you were together to kiss and make up, though you looked as if you were going to be hanged when you started in the house in search of her."

" I dare say I telt like it, too ; but I did not find her in the parlor, and I had time to pull myself together. I went into the glasshouse, where she was walking among the flowers, expecting to find the rose of beauty I had left at Glendale ; in place of that, I found a pale lily that seemed drooping on its stalk ; and, as soon as I looked in her face, I saw, in a flash, that if I chose I was master of the situation."

" Conceited young dog! What then ? Of course, you were struck all of a heap yourself." " Well, I dare say I was to some extent, but she met me so deprecatingly —seemed so anxious to explain—that I coxild do nothing less than forgive her at once. I just rushed in with all my force, told her how dearly I loved her, and—well—you know the end—l kissed her, and declared to her that no other woman should ever be my wife. Soul looked into soul at that moment, sir, and Agnes Wilder is mine in spirit, as much as she will be, in fact, after the clergyman ha 3 spoken his word over us. I can, and do, trust her."

" That is all well enough, but what will your mother say to this precipitate engagement ?"

" She will say and think whatever you bid

again, and some passionate love verses addressed to her. My dear, was he aware that in the young lady lie was going to call on he would find Agnes Wilder ? "

" ~No^— but.he found it out as soon as he got there, and—well it's no use to go around the bush, but that son of yours, Mrs Chilton, has a will of his own, and somehow he always gets the better of me when we come in collision."

She amused-

looked astonished, and a little

" You don't mean that you have given up your theories at the first attack, and capitulated to the young people ? Really, Judge, that seems impossible."

" What would you think if I bold you it was not only possible, but true ? " and he looked deprecatingly at her.

" I must think that some extraordinary spell has been thrown over you which you found it impossible to resist."

" That is just it; I have been taken captive by a siren, and had my consent beguiled out of me to a sort of engagement between those two young people. Where Harry is concerned I am an old fool, Margaret, and that is the truth. The lad has set his heart on Agnes, so what was the use of opposition ? "

The wife replied, with a half smile

"I always acquiesce in your decisions, dear, because I have faith in both your good feeling and good judgment. I have never spoken of it before, because I know no good of the man, but Robert Wilder is a distant cousin of mine, and if there is the taint of bad blood in this young girl I share it with her in some degree."

" Related to you! Hob Wilder! That is a revelation—and you are my model woman!''

" Thank you; and this young girl may be another, in spite of her father's recklessness. Drink has made him what he is. The Wilders are a gay, impulsive race, but no man belonging to it lias disgraced hinself by drunkenness except this one."

" Then you are really pleased at the facility -with /which I have yielded to the wishes of the young people, Margaret ? "

"I am satisfied, if you are. I have seen that something had gone wrong with Harry, and I meant to make him confess to me today ; but this sets things right, I suppose. He'll give up his European studies now and settle down here with his wife ? "

"By no means. The Wilder is only accepted on trial, and we shall have time to ■judge if she ia worthy of our boy. He goes to Germany for two years, as we had already Settled, and Agnes pursues her studies under masters. She is barely seventeen, and the most finished little fascinator you ever encountered. Yovi must go and visit her this afternoon, Margaret, and you will see for yourself why I yielded so easily."

Mr? Chilton looked a little disappointed. She had hoped to keep her darling son at home through this sudden change in his prospects ; but she dutifully said : " sfou are right, I dare say : it will be best not to hurry matters, and I shall like to

detained a clay or two Dy illness, wnen ne told me what had brought him there, it produced such a reaction that I was able to set out for Baltimore the next day, and I am now as well and etrong as I ever was in my life. I felt that I must see you before going away again, so I came out here at once, and the coach is to stop at the cross roads for me as it passes this afternoon. Harry has just been telling me that you have heard the whole story of the infamy that has been carried on at Q-lendale, and you will not be surprised at my anxiety to get there as soon as possible, and claim the bride who has been so nearly separated from me tor ever." " My dear boy, I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have lost no time in getting back, for I will not conceal from you that I think Miss Forrester is in a critical position in Mr Manners's house. She should have left it with Judkins, but her kindness of heart led her to remain with the old serpent she believed to be dying of heart disease. It may be so, but she has life enough in her yet to plot mischief —aye, and carry it out too." "What can you mean?" asked Grey, growing suddenly pale. "Judkins thought Kate quite safe at G-lendale till he could get back. Rufus Manners had left the place, and it was thought lie would hardly venture to return for some time. Have you any later news from there ?" " No —not later, but more circumstantial. From what I learned this morning through the mother of Agnes Wilder, your cousin— Mrs Wentworth, you know —I fear that Manners will attempt any villainy which will enable him to secure the heiress of Glendale as his wife. The sooner yen get there the better for her; and I advise you to go armed and prepared for resistance. Desperate men do desperate things sometimes." Grey grasped his hand in a clutch of steel and breathlessly asked : "What have you heard? What danger menaces my betrothed ? There is something, I know, or you would not speak tliU3." " Let Harry tell you what Agnes lias doubtless told him in all its details, and then you will understand my fears." The little girls had left their play, and were listening, open-mouthed, but their father put them out of the room and closed the door, leaving Karry at liberty to give a minute account of what had occurred at Glendale, omitting the theft of the codicil, though Agnes had described the attempt to destroy it. AVhen he was through, Grey feverishly said : " Kate is certainly in danger, and I am two days' journey from her. I must not stop on the way. When the coacli stops for the night, I will get horses and press on without stopping. Will you come with me, Harry ? I may need other assistance than Judkins's."

Harry hated to lose this time away from A gnes, when he was to remain so short a time near her, but it wag to rescue her friend, and he promptly replied :

agony became temDie ; ail pnoe anu reserve were thrown aside, an j she rushed into the cabin of a lady near her and begged, for the love of heaven, for spirits of some kind. She must have suffered intensely ; but she grew gradually better, and was able to meet her brother at Liverpool with, something like a cheerful countenance.