The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-14
Since you will have it. l said.

that l repented of my cruelty, ard forgot my
anger. -......-.s 4
= do not mean that Alice, cried You
look i'll and pale. Believe me, ] was only jest,
ing .a .5...,.... ...s
L can bear il, Francis. There is nothing
on this earth that caEnot be borne iu one way
or another.
She turned and left the room, quietly and
sadly. The sunshine faded just then, and on
" white pale light came through the win
dow. SO connected it with her sorrow, that
Ito this day can never see the golden radi-
ance come and go across my path. without the
same sharp. krife-iike pang that felt then, as
The door closed behind her,.
Alice became weaker and grew really I'LL
tour TO the continent was strongly recon-
mended hy the doctors as the likelest means
Of restoration. 1t was impossible for me TO
go; but some friends of ours, one Mr. and
Mrs. Warrener, with young daughter. were
going to Italy for six months. and it was ar
ranged that Alice should accompany them
thither.
They remained abroad nine months instead
of six People wondered and joked about
my wife's deserving m e; but Only laughed
and said shsuld soon go after her if she re.
NAMED away much longer, and they thought
still we we're model couple. Bat. bad they
seen me sitting in my office. at night. over AL
ices letters from abroad, they would have
known what a gulf had opened between us
two. 1 read those letters over and over again,
with aching throbs going through my heart
at every word. They were full of incident
and interest, and people called them beautiful
who had not seen the mixture of ~omanly
passion and childlike pIayfulness il her char,
acter that had seen, and which was to see
no more.
/ At last she returned. I came home tired
enough. one evening, to ind letter lying on
my table, informing me that she would cross
to Dover on the morrow. i went down to
Dover to meet her. Our estraneement had
worn deep into my heart. She had loved me
! once, she should love me again
was worn, haggard. took a bath and
made careful toilet afier my hurried journey.
As was taking my last look in tie glass, the
hotel waiter came 10 tell me they mad arrived
followed him, more nervous than / had
ever been before in my life. Warrener grasp
led my hands as l opened the door, and Mrs
Warrener-bless her kind heart !--burst out
crying. ...=
!, oh, my dear Frank! 1 am SO glad to see
!, you. And we have brought you your Alice
home SO we'll
) Next moment she entered, little King
, Charles spaniel frisking about her feet.
!, htd her in my arms at once, but it was not un-
til she kissed me that l knew how cold and
pale she was.
: Alice. are you i'll 2 asked holding her
, away from me- and looking into her face,
; Her eyes met niue, but their old light was
; quite gone.
Not in the least i'll, Frank she said qnet.
lily. But yorPmnst remember / have not seen
you for niue months and you startle me lit.
] tie.
? My household fairy had fed. ard could
? only mourn that should never look upon her
sweet young face again. 1t was another AL
. ice. this | had slain my own Alice and moth
r ing could rearimate her.
was like one in dream all through the
day; and, when we came home, ] could not
n wake. l lad made many changes in the
d house. aud all for her. took her through
} the rooms on the day after our return, aud
u showed her the improvements. She was
II pleased with the furniture; she admired the
=, pictures and the conservatory; and seemed de
lighted with the little gem Of boudoir whicl
n ! had pleased myself by designing expressly
p for her. She thanked me. too No longel
,r ago Than year she would have danced thro
the rooms, uttering thousand pretty littl'
exclamations of wonder and delight, and
& should have heen nearly smothered with kiss
n. es. and called a dear old bear, or some suci
fit name at the end; all of which would hav
d been very silly. but also very delightful.
e think l bore it for a month; but on
of morning, as ] sat at my solitary breakfast; 70
ne Alice took that meal in her room now-th
bitter sense of wrong and unhappines and de
Mt sertion came over me SO strongly that I wen
Te up to her room. 55a s, @
- Are you busy 2 / asked, as she laid dow
ID her pen and looked around.
Il Not too busy to talk to you, she said.
lis 'Ace, how long are we to live this life
i'll She changed color. o..ys g-l-=.
sa What life, Frank p .a....s
to The one we are now living. It is not th
Mt happy, loving life we used to live You ar
not mine as entirely and lovingly as you wer
# ouce. l1 'ta 'Hi - s'
ID II know it, And she sighed and locke
nd drearily at me. ..r ~, -.i.a. es.4
to why cannot the old days come back again
lie If made terrible mistoke can you neve
forgive it? thought it was foolish for us |
he love each other as we did-at least, TO sho,
it as we did-bnt 1 have found now, iha
,st love is earth's true wisdom.
Il. She smiled sadly. ao ~ s1is9s -
I. Give me back that love, Alice, which
would not have. Oh, give me back the los
h. sunshine. is s-.. @ fu sa..
Irose from my seat and stood beside he
,st but she drew back and shook her head.
n Frank, don't ask me for that
ir. Il shall know how to value it no ", dear A
do ice.' aelt 2s.l''s ,'..N. 1'..
"That may be, but have it not to give 20,
. my poor Frank" ~ ~ ads i
1 clasped her TO my beart. The passion i
that heart might almost have brought bac
-, life TO the dead Int she did moi move Sh