The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-08-07
WHOLE NUMBER 275

cold, dead weight on my spirits, sense
of loneliness aud coming darkness tho
sun of my life seemed going down, and
l felt it would rise no more If once is
set.
I did not see Warner often when
Isabel was nigh, but once caught his
eye fixed on her as she sat at the harp
singing, as she only could sing, and his
soul ever looked out of his eyes, and
its language was not that of admiration,
but love, overpowering, passionate love.
l could not forget that look. To me,
Warner remitted none of his brotherly
attention if he walked with Isabel, he
gathered for me the light flowers of fall,
or plucked the luscious fruits Of the
season, and came himself to bring them
to me his arm still glided round my
fragile form, and his kiss still fingered
on my lips when l knet in prayer at
night. He was not changed to me, he
4 loved me as he had always done but
another, deeper and higher love had
been wakened in his bosom.
One day my mother slept, and Lillian
watched beside her, while l took my
hat and wandered out into the fields to
seek, by silent murmurings with my
town heart, to still the fever strife that
ate on my soul as consuming fre.
wandered far from the house, into the
silence of the forest, and stopped at last
in secluded nook, where little stream
from a neighboring farm went softly
murmuring over a rocky bed, here and
there broken into tiny waterfalls, that
fell with delicious softncss on my aching
heart, bidding the- waves ofpassion, be
still. And as l sat there, seeking
calmly to look into the future, and re-
coucile myself to the trials knew it
had in store for me, l heard voices, aud
soon they came near to me. saw the
Hutter of Isabel's common scarf that
she wore over her muslin dress, for the
day was cool, though calm.
Come and sit here, said Warner
pointing to low ledge of rock not many
! feet from me, though 1 was concealed
from thcw by giant tree. l did not,
for could not, move to 20 away but l
sat there and held my very breath, lest
| should lose one word of that long in
terview. l heard Warner Gray pour
forth all the kept up feelings of bis soul
in the impassioned language of heart
breathing cloquencc, and saw Isabel's
great, dark eyes upturned to his, and
never saw I, in human orbs, anything
half so mournful | saw her lips culver
with agony; l knew that misery was
griping hard on her heart cords, and
then her beautiful head sank slowly on
his shoulder, aud his arm encircled her,
and he kissed her again and again, while
hor pallid face rested there as notion
less as the face of the dead. She start.
ed up at last Could it be she, my
queenly Isabel?
Gone was every trace of human
pride from her countenance deep self
adherence was mirrored in every line
of her speaking countenance the GRIM
son torrent suffused her cheeks, her
brow, her neck the long lashes veiled
her eyes, and slowly from under the
finged lids great tears came dropping
off her face. He sought to wipe them
away, but she shrunk from him shud-
deringly.
sOh, Warner, Warner she ex-
claimed. what have done! Alice,
Alice, my poor Alice = l was mad,
knew not what l did but see all now.
Hate me, despise me, Warner Gray
have tempted you to a great siu.-
Thank God that it is not too late for re-
pentence.
Warner Gray spaks not, moved not,
he bowed his head between his hands,
and sat there as notionless as the rock
beneath him. And left them there
together, and glided noiselessly away.
Then awoke in me all the power and
might of my long cherished love tor
Warner Gray. What, was l to stand IN
the way of his happiness had my life
been asked that his might be made by
its sacrigce free from all sorrow, would
have given it gladly as it was gave
all I could, all that made life desirable