The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-04-27

and spoke my name followed him up
the otairu, through din passage, into .
room chastc il its arnointnents, but filed
with light AZ suit and pure % il even the
glorious day without had been refined by
passage through some rare medium In my
state Of mind, could hardly comprehend
the objects before me At . glance. But I
knew that ! was in an artists studio Ben
ton was silent, but my eye selected at once
the prominent painting in the apartment
looked, and was struck with . st Of SILVER
ing. 1t was the portrait Of my bride-my
darling Jane | was dumb l could not
have spoken had it been to save my life
have no idea how long | had stood thus,
when Mr. b, approached me. and took my
unresisting hand. Mr. Kennedy, said he with
. choking sound in his throat, i knew Of no
proper way for me to contribute to the hap
piness Of one whom have loved as 4 can
never love another.e xcept by doing pleas
ure to the man whom she has honored by
her love thought it would be pleasant to
you to have portrait Of your wife as she
appeared in her bridal attire; and ut my go
licitation she has been here a number Of
times to sit for her picture. Her friend Miss
Stephens has been here with her, and your
servant had just passed from sight when
you came up with the package containing
her dress. i'll have done wrong, forgive
| me; but thought it would make you all so
happy
As he closed these words, uttered with
honest emotion, every one Of which went like
q dagger to my heart, found strength to
lift my eyes to his. The big tears were
hanging upon his eyelids, and his face, in
that exquisite light, was as beautiful as if it
had been the face Of an angel. We looked
ut one another a moment, and then moved
by comm On impulse, threw ourselves into
one another's arms, and cried sir-cried
like two babies
0 nv God! Tom, that was the hardest
thing that ever happened to me. | waskifl-
ed-killed by magnanimity too great for
my mean heart to fathom. seized him by
the arm at last led him down stairs, and
took the way to my own house. You know
my impulses and you know could not stop
until had made clean breast Of it.
went straight to my house kissed Jane q
dozen times, told the whole story. and made
myself ridiculous Poor Jane! She was
ashamed of me, and do not think she has
got over it yet
And Benton l suggested
Benton remained, and drank tea, with us,
in accordance with my earnest wishes, and
sent the picture home the next day; but he
has not been here since. doubt whether
he will ever come again. The fact is your
friend Fred Kennedy never felt so humble
as he has since that dar, and have wonder
ed how Jane, who knew us both well, could
have made the choice she did between US e
/ so have l. most emphatically respond
, ed
We'll, now / am bothered to know what
to do with Benton. He is too proud to re-
ceive any favors from me- l cannot offer
him money; cannot offer him anything
tell you what I've been thinking about,
and you shall tell me how it strikes YOU
You see what fellow | am. l shall tear
myself all to pieces in few years, and l
have brought myself to this. Before die,
l will make a solemn request ofJane to mar
~ Benton for a second husband.
AT this moment Mrs. Fred Kennedy APP
peared her checks flushed to vermillion
with the effect of the cold evening air.
did not wonder at the ennobling influence of
such pure beauty as hers upon Benton's
sensitive mind. Fred introduced me, and
somehow We all found ourselves before the
portrait ut once.
I've told Tom all about it, said Fred to
his wife.
Mrs Kennedy gave him look of wound
ed reproach and then said to me, in a way
which spoke volumes. You know Fred
Fred has become humble man. and bids
fair to put off the day of Mr.. Benton's hap
piness to very indefinite future. Besides
mis- family has been increased to that degree
that it would be doubtful whether the artist
would be willing to take the bereayed Mrs.
Kennedy with the "incumbrances." Still,
have no doubt that Fred's imaginary sac
rifice has served its purpose in restoring in
acme degree his self raSnacf