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Article COUSIN BRIDGET. ← Page 4 of 15 →
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Cousin Bridget.
me open the door , and 1 remained a listener to their conversation . Thank Heaven I . did . Oh ! the villainy of the man whom I had so loved . My guileless sister was quickl y falling in the trap he was laying for her , and as he passed his arm round her waist , and said— ' Come , love , get your hat and cloak ; the carriage is at the end of the shrubbery , '—
God bless me , I think I hear the words now—I spran g forward , and laid my hand on his arm . Agatha screamed , and clung to him ; but with greater strength than I thought I had , I parted them ; and on pain of my instantl y calling my father , I ordered him from the house . He obeyed . I took the trembling half-fainting Agatha to her room , —sat with her during the whole ni g ht . I never reproached hernever even then betrayed my secret , and as faithfully kept hers .
" Six weeks from that date , I came down one morning to find her gone ! The servants were sent in all directions , but without discovering one trace of the unfortunate g irl . All my father ' s indignation was vented on me . It was my want of vi g ilance , —my want of love : but he did not provoke me to betray Agatha . I had promised her I would not .
" My father lived but a twelvemonth after that . I believe it killed him , for his life was wrapped up in her . No trace could be discovered of her ; and when he lost all hope , he took to his bed , from which he never rose ; but with his d ying breath blessed her , not me . " A few weeks after his death , I was told a woman wanted
to speak a word to me of great importance . I went to her , and in the pale and haggard looking being before me , I could scarcely , recognise the once blooming beautiful Agatha . But it was she ! The old story of betrayal , and desertion ; and she had come back to seek and implore a home for herself and child . I need not say , I granted it her . I resigned
all society for her sake , and nursed her with all the care I could . But the blow had been struck home , and she died , and I was left to support the child , for of the father I knew nothing . I did support , and clothe , and educate her , —and in short devoted myself to her entirely . " Much of my father ' s property had died with him , and
he had left many debts ; and of course the g irl had been a great expense to me . She grew to the age of sixteen , and one morning a lawyer ' s letter announced she was the heiress of a fine property . Conscience had touched her father on
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Cousin Bridget.
me open the door , and 1 remained a listener to their conversation . Thank Heaven I . did . Oh ! the villainy of the man whom I had so loved . My guileless sister was quickl y falling in the trap he was laying for her , and as he passed his arm round her waist , and said— ' Come , love , get your hat and cloak ; the carriage is at the end of the shrubbery , '—
God bless me , I think I hear the words now—I spran g forward , and laid my hand on his arm . Agatha screamed , and clung to him ; but with greater strength than I thought I had , I parted them ; and on pain of my instantl y calling my father , I ordered him from the house . He obeyed . I took the trembling half-fainting Agatha to her room , —sat with her during the whole ni g ht . I never reproached hernever even then betrayed my secret , and as faithfully kept hers .
" Six weeks from that date , I came down one morning to find her gone ! The servants were sent in all directions , but without discovering one trace of the unfortunate g irl . All my father ' s indignation was vented on me . It was my want of vi g ilance , —my want of love : but he did not provoke me to betray Agatha . I had promised her I would not .
" My father lived but a twelvemonth after that . I believe it killed him , for his life was wrapped up in her . No trace could be discovered of her ; and when he lost all hope , he took to his bed , from which he never rose ; but with his d ying breath blessed her , not me . " A few weeks after his death , I was told a woman wanted
to speak a word to me of great importance . I went to her , and in the pale and haggard looking being before me , I could scarcely , recognise the once blooming beautiful Agatha . But it was she ! The old story of betrayal , and desertion ; and she had come back to seek and implore a home for herself and child . I need not say , I granted it her . I resigned
all society for her sake , and nursed her with all the care I could . But the blow had been struck home , and she died , and I was left to support the child , for of the father I knew nothing . I did support , and clothe , and educate her , —and in short devoted myself to her entirely . " Much of my father ' s property had died with him , and
he had left many debts ; and of course the g irl had been a great expense to me . She grew to the age of sixteen , and one morning a lawyer ' s letter announced she was the heiress of a fine property . Conscience had touched her father on