Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1856-05-01

at rest. and killed the mos, per,inacious
hope
He paused moment. then went on as
calmly as before:
i scquit you Of all 5lame. Mildred; j,
was that acted the unworthy part. TAX
ing unmsnly advantage Of my power to
help your father. and your untried child's
heart. If were not now the only suf.
ferer. could scarcely bear the retrospect:
but am. thank God! As for your faith.
er, our fears magnfed his danger; the
little help was able TO give has re-esiab-
lished his position as firmly as before
He will repay me: you owe me nothing.
have had a wild dream. but am awake
at last--awake enough 10 see il was
FOOLS idea that man like me could win
a young girls heart
He was calm no longer. but he turned
abruptly away to hide his emotion.
Mr.. Lacy, cried, striving to stifle the
conflict of my love. i would fain do
right. l have a deep esteem for you
- broke off. Give me little
time l added, passionateiy renewing
the effort: i shall conquer this love of
mine. will become worthy Of you after
ALL"
Conquer the puress feeling Of wo-
mans heart! Offer yourself sacrifice
to my selishness! No. no, Mildred.
yours is a season of blessedness-minei is
already past. Presently will come back
to you in my old character. and be able
TO say with less difficulty than | do TO.
night, God bless you BOTH l will kiss
you for the las. time
He clasped me in his arms. and kissed
me-, seemingly with more earnestness than
passion. AS the door closed upon him,
strange impulse seized me. / longed
10 call him back. Was it true that did
not love him?
! saw none Of my family that evening,
FOR went al once TO my room. What q
night of misery and conflict passed!
The next morning, Frank came to ms
private sitting room, and knocked for ad-
mittance. He held letter in his hand !;
his fine eyes were suffused with happi.
dess.
Sympa,hize with me, Mildred he
said. i feel too much TO bear it alone -
| have never talked to you about her, for
| could not trust myself with the subject
while doub: remained. Now will tell
you about my darling; she is as worthy
of true mans heart as-as Mr.. Lacy is
of yours. By the way. Mildred, | WINS
very anxious about you tina, night he
came home. for your manner was not
not what, were IN his place. would have
satisfied me; but that is the form a wo-
mans caprice takes with you. have con
cluded. AS for not loving him at bot
tom. don't dare SO to impugn my noble
cousins hear: and understandings
Frank talked so long and earnestly
told me the story OF his love. read me his
letter; but | heard nothing distinctly.
understood nothing fully. One fact ]
grssped. that he wss going 10 leave me
TO morrow-going 10 this darling of his
and tha, if had spark of womanly
sense left / must excite it new. don'i
know how l bore my martyrdom; but
won its crown. Frank bade me good bye
without suspicion of the truth.
ran once more 10 the solitude of my
chamber. felt nbandoned--prostrate
l flung myself on the bed in transport
of despair. Why. had los, ALL Had
been so criminal. that my punishment
was SO heavy? oh. Frank cried, 'hov
| have loved you-what life might have
beenl' Then reflected. If Mr.. Lacy Low
ed me as ! loved my cousin. what a fine
spirit and nature he had shown. what o
rare gift such hearl was Miserable as
| was. it was deeper misery to think
was the cause of his.
| was very i'll alter these events. and
fears for my health quite absorbed any
anger my father might have felt at the
disappointment Of cherished desire, Oh
perhaps Mr.. Lacy. by his representations
had shielded me against it.
When l recovered, people said wa.
very much altered, end so | was. Tn.
! flush Of youth was passed; ! was no
twenty, but nothing of the childishnes'
of few months back was lift. Franl
was married. and Mr.. Lacy we neve
saw--at least never saw him. Disap
pointment had made life an earnest th;nv
to me; and taught by its disciplines. th'
character Of my former lover rose in dig
nifty in my eyes.
| How was it that what had though
would be a lifelong regret-my love fol
my cousin-seemed transient emotion
OF which the traces grew daily feebler'
Had sacrificed my happiness TO pass
ing fancy? Or was it that al my age one
cannot cling to the impossible? Little
signiied The seeming centrariety of my
heart. for the fact remained-if l had
never loved Mr.. Lacy before. | loved HIN
now. thought perpe tunlly of the Incl
dents of our brief engogement--every
word Of endesrment. every look of up.
proval. every embrace. had its hold on
my memory. recalled his opinions.
framing my own stringently by them
and followed his public career SO far as
was able. aided BY my deep knowledge Of
the high principles and motives that ac-
| tuated it.
The feeling grew in silence, till my
former love for Frank wss but child's
dream in comparison. To hear his name
mentioned. and always mentioned in
connection with something honorable
moved me with a strange passion of feel