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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1885)
THE WEST SHORE. 51 world, and she belonged to one of the first families in the county. I was not blind to the affection I had inspired; the father had no suspicions. He would have thought it impossible for his dnughtor to stoop go low. I was con scious of a struggle in my heart, but thought over my father's dying words, and the example of Tommy, and conquered Neither by word nor sign did I show Maud how dear she was to me. I had to exercise the utmost control over myself, and the effort cost me much pain. I hesitated about resigning my position, whon my pupil fell ill. His sickness became serious dangerous. Then I volunteered to sit with him and nurse hiin night and day. I knew what was necessary. Ho must be fod with boef tea every twenty minutes. Everything depended on tins, and the nurses could not be relied on. For throo wooks I was. with the poor child. Had he boon ray own 1 oould not have done more for him. I saved his life. Tho doc tor said so. No soonor was he out of clangor than I broke down. I had overstrainod myBolf, and was attacked with nervous fever. They thought it advisable to move me to a neighboring cottage. My illness, following so closely on that of ray pupil, was more than tho sonants could stand. They rebollod; and the housokoopor sug gested the change to my employer, who gave his consent, with the proviso that I should be supplied from the house with everything wanted. 80 I was taken to tho cottago; there to be nursod; and the host port wiuo, boof toa and crapes were sent from the house for my consumption. The farmer drank the port; his wifo, who was nursing, found the boof toa nutritious; and hor children groatly enjoyed the grapes. The stalks of tho latter woro, how. ever, always put on a white plate at my bedside, together with the few skins and pips that could bo roscued I think that at last some suspicion that I was not well treated entered Maud's mind; for she brought me grapoa herself, and insisted on my taking the wine and extract of meat from her own hand. As I got bottor, sho visited me more frequently, kopt a posy of flowers always fresh near my seat in the latticed window, road to mo, talked to mo, and brightened my convalescence with hor sunny presence. One day, as she rose to loavo, and extended hor hand to me, her eyes met mine, and then, unablo to control hor emotions, she burst into tears. "What is the matter, doar Miss Maud?" I asked My heart sank. I drcadod what would follow, and yet I felt a secret, a wicked, joy at tho explanation. " I am so sorry for you; and it seems so ungrateful in no. after vour noblo solf-dovotion to my darling brother. T Irnnw that he owes his lifo to you, and am ready to sink into the ground for shame when I think how little care we have taken of you in return, rapa ewes noi 11 nt I can thiuk of nothing else. lie says that the larra er's wife is a worthy person, and attends to you very tindlv: but then-she has seven children to look after also, and she cannot dovote hor undivided attention to you. Oh, Mr. Flopjohn! it ought not to be; and you-ao ,uA-m irouerou-o houorable-I fool -I fool-that my whole life would bo too little repayment for all you have done for us! " I was overcome also. For a moment I orgot Tommy, everything, and olnspod beautiful Maud to my heart. "Noblo, gonorous, horoio soul!" I said "Robert," she whispered, "you have lovod mo. I know it, though you did everything to oonooul your pas sion. I also have lovod you, as I revoro your principles. I can do no bettor than intrust my future to one so upright" "But your father?" I Btammered. " My father will not consent," ho said " But I have rty thousand dollars of my own, which, nt four and a half per cent, amounts to eighteen hundred dollars per annum. Suroly wo can livo ami love and bo happy on that! We will run away together and got married, and thon return and throw ourselves on papa's generosity. Ho is proud, but kind and forgiving. Ho would not give consent, but he will auoopt thou7 nmmili" I hold hor lunula and looked into hor oyos. I oould not speak. BI10 said: "I will return to-morrow, and we will make our plans together." We kissed, and she do-parted I could not sleep that night Hero was the sweetest most charming girl in tho world -a girl with 110,000, with high family connections and the bluest of blue blood in hor veins ready to throw herself into my arms. I tossod on my bod Toward morning I becaino calmer. I thought of Tommy. Then I rose from my bed, dressed, put my poor traps together into a bundle, and nt early laybroak, boforo any 0110 was stirring, left tho house. I fled tho temptation to do what I know Tommy would have scorned to do. As in tho cold morning air I walked away, I thought how Harry would havo noted if placed in my position. Ho would not have nursed the sick boy, oallod thereto by no obligation. Then the boy would havo died and Maud havo Men the heiross of a great fortune. Harry would not havo run away alone, but run away with tho heiress, and reconciled himself with the father-in-law, and suuooodud to tho estate. I sighed, and felt in my pocket and found only six dollars and twenty, five conk there. I had left without drawing my quarto's salary. 13 ut if light in purse, I was also light in con science I was treading the paths of virtuo under the guidanco of Tommy. The next placo whero I found a situation was in the family of a woll-to-do farmer, who had amassed suflluiont money to think of bringing up his boys to hu gontloumi. I had considerable trouble with these urchins. They wore wayward undisciplined ami overflowing with ani mal spirit. Indeed, I doubt much whether they had in them any other spirit than animal spirit. At least I never lit on tho symptoms. They were very full of blood; their lips and cheeks swollen, and looking ready to burst' They hated books and loved and smelt of dogs. They had no power of concentrating their thoughts; I should have almost said they had not tho faculty of thinking. They wero wholly destitute of tho moral sonso. I tried to apixtul to their consciences they had none; to tho