The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-06-08

Mary; and, heaven and earth! beside her. with
his arm around her waist, sat Walter Harbury,
This was the end of my agreeable surprise!
This was what | had flown on the wings of
love to see! l stood perfectly speechless, trans
fixed. Walter and Mary remained in exactly
the same position, and neither uttered word.
Il wanted to speak to reproach her, but no voice
came, and in silence l left the room, walked
down the little garden, closed the gate gently
after me, and returned without a word to
/ London"
For few days fled from thought as from
demon Of Mary, and Mary faithless. |
dared not think. The fourth day l blamed
myself as fool for caring about one SO false
and coquettish. The fifth day | fancied had
been too hasty; if l had spoken it might have
been xplained-perhaps it was a mistake
there might be no love between them after all.
The sixth day brought with it letter from
Mary herself Such letter never read before
nor since; fairly wept over it. l had been an
ass, an ignoramus, scoundrel, to suspect her for
a moment; it was clearly an optical delusion. So
[ took my place in the train that very night,
and went down to Wallington."
"Mary met me at the gate, all smiles and
tears, and looking more beautiful than ever.
"It was such a strange behavior" she said ''to
come in and look upon her, and then go away
without one word. She would have thought
it ghost, had not Mr. Harbury, who was in
the same room, saw me too. Had not slept
since for thinking and wondering, and she was
OH SO glad to see me again"
"Of course | was very sorry and penltent,
and Mary behaved beautifully and forgave me
like an angel, ,as she was. ''She never thought, J"
said she, anything of Walter he was just like
a brother, they had known each other from
childhood. As for sitting beside her, he should
never do so again if objected to it, So we
were reconcied and became better friends and
lovers than before, [ was very anxious to be
married now, and resolved to allow as little
time as possible to elapse before | took my
Jewel out of Mr.. Walters reach. All went on
smoothly. and Mary promised me one Sunday
evening to talk the matter over with her mother,
and fix the day for our wedding the next time
came.
81 was TO have gone down on the Sunday,
but from some cause now forget, | had the
Saturday at my disposal and resolved to spend
it with Mary. All that day felt an unusual
oppression on my mind of something that
could not shake off As | neared the cottage
nv presentiment of dread increased The
door was open as | crossed the yestibule |
trembled so that could hardly open the parlor
door; but did open it, and there on the sofa
again sat my Mary, not this time with one oil
Walters arms round her, but both, and hers
hung around his neck with such an embrace as
had never been bestowed upon me. lresolved
it should be no optical illusion this time, so
walked quietly up, and laid my hand upon his
arm. At my touch they started, colored Vlo-
lently and separated. "Mr. Harbury, :" said !,
''you are welcome.
Thank you," said he.
81 shall not interfere, and have nothing fur
ther to. say"
,'Then turning to Mary, said, "Miss Collins
where is your mother?" AS she did not move
or attempt to call her, rang the bell, and de-
sired the servant girl to request her mistress to
come Mrs. Collins entered:
Madam SAID |, ''You and your daughter
have played double game with ME. re-
nounce all my pretensions to her in favor Of
this gentleman-her more favored lover. | will
send you all the letters written by your daugh-
ter to me, and I request that those she has OF
mine may be returned. Ladies, | wish you,
and Mr. Marbury, a very good evening" l
turned and left Rose cottage for ever
'sFor years after that evening terrible load
lay at my heart-a load of love despised hopes
blighted and energies wasted-that seemed
sometimes greater than could bear. Where
ever | went thoughts of Mary followed; she
seemed ever present, so beautiful, so treache-
rous-her very fathlessness helped to render
her more dear. l pitied her SO much-so
young. so false; with her wondrous beauty a
thousand dangers threatened her.
+. at was five years after [ had lost my Mary
five prosperous yearsfor me-that one night
woman was brought into the hospita! OF
which l was chief physician. Hers was very
bad case of consumption prostration and weak
ness, arising from destitution and starvation
The poor creature was SO emaciated and sunken
that the moment [ saw her | knew that there
was no hopes of recovery, and directed all the
attention of the nurse to the tiny shiVering
infant in her arms. The poor mother lay all
night quite unconscious Of what was passing
around In the morning when | came to her
bed in the course of my rounds, there struck
me as being something in her face very familiar
l must have seen it long, long, ago, when and
where could not recolIect"
CAS- took her hand she opened her eyes
and looked long and 1xedly upon me; then she
CACldllIiGu Will lCaI tul PhuSIS' SiieNl ~"
Boulding, go away, go away! Are you come
to haunt me? You torture me! Oh, go away?'
"But [ could not CO.
MARY sit? Can it possibly be Mary Col
lins?"
No." She shricked, II am Mr.. Harbury
wife; how dare you come to my bed side:
Away, away!"
: "She would not be soothod and talhvd ,,ildl,
and loudly until they brought her child. Then
when she looked into its little helpless face, and
watched It's feeble efforts to come to her, she
softened, and with all the mother in her eyes
held out her arms and pressed it to her heart
Perhaps the futtering, irregular pulsalions o
that heart warned her how soon its beating
: would cease for ever, for she turned to me, anC
: with look SO full of humility, of grief anc
} love, said, "Ah Charles forgive me; l wrongec
YOU cruelty, but l have been cruelty punished
/ married him, and my life has been-O villa
a life! But it is over-I am dying now-ht
knows not-deserted- might both die fo
him But M child my little girl you will no
, let her starve? Promise me, Charles
+ Il promised swore | would be fathe-
to the helpless infant lying by her side
''She seemed easy and happy after that ant