The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-04-24
A step at her side brought the

n~NNAN~~~
ing her with mingled sorrow and love
Surprise instantly gave way to disap-
pointment, while her eyes fell beneath
the earnest gaze of him whose happi
ness she sadly felt she was about te
| destroy
Have you no word Of greeting for
me, Maud p he asked. " 1t is long
since we met-to me it has been an
age."
Maud would have spoken, but she
knew not how to reply. He asked
for reconciliation, while he besought
her to give him back the love which
had blessed his existence.
"My own dear girl" he continued
lyon will give me back that love ~
Glove !" she repeated, struggling
ia vain for resolution to breathe the
fatal truth, and tell him that she could
never be his.
Her hand was still in his, her eyes
down dropped, and her cheek whittier
than the trembling lily that kissed the
wave at her feet.
eyes Maud said the young man,
"the love that was unchangably bright
between us until no, I will not wrong
20 with the thought. Tt is not in
you to bestow one encouraging look
of fondness on a nameless wanderer
who"
He paused, for Maud lifting her
flashing eyes to his face, her cheeks
bnrning with Indignation, yet her
tongue refused to speak. He partly
understood her look, though he little
imagined the slight and tickle hold
he had on her heart, and in his jeal-
Gus excitement, he was unsparing in
his censures of William.
off yon have aught to say against my
fathers friend, ard the Preserver of
my life, do so to his face" exclaimed
Maud, turning away
"Your fathers friend" he repeat
ed with a look of triumph This
very day your father forbids him his
house, and more, Maud, he continued,
in deep under tonA, " he has said
that on Sunday week we shall be uni
ted I"
His words fell like a death-blow on
poor Maud. She we'll knew the de-
termined spirit of her father, and that
moment she wonld have thrown her.
self on the generosity of Charles, &C.
knowledging all, buc she feared the
effects of his resentment on William.
With breaking heart, she hurried
toward her home, where she longed
to throw herself on her mothers
breast, that unfailing fount of love and
holy sympathy, for there she would
find rest.
Charles was still at her side, nor
did he leave her until he saw her en-
ter the cottage lie then turned away
feeling that he would sooner be her
husband, sharing only her divided
heart, than the possessor of the sole
love Of any woman beside.
A painful scene followed. Sobbing
with anguish on her mothers breast,
Maud besought her father to release
her from the engagement with Charles,
but he was inexorable Yet, while he
reproached her with harsh words, the
first he had ever uttered towards her,
his heart sorrowed for her with all q
fathers fondness.
Foolish girl" he sighed, as she
retired, faint and weary. I" She knows
not how she would WI eek her own and
our happiness by wedding a man she
knows nothing ebout. She will yet
bless her father for what she consid.
ers his cruelty.
While Mary's heart was wrung with
grief and pity for her child, she fell
her husband acted according to The
dictates Of parental prudence. Maud''
lose for William she deemed a feet
ing fancy, and regarding her future
welfare of more moment than a short
lived regret, she passively concurret
with Reuben in the stand he had Ia
ken against his child's inclinations.
Poor Maud. AS she sat in hel
little chamber, she could haar he
father making preparations to go t.
the next market town to get the Ii
cense for the approaching wedding. =
She heard the unweleome voice 0
Charles inquiring tenderly for herself
speaking hopefully Of the coming TIM
and with merry laughter, as if he coult
not restrain his happiness, he depart
ed.
Soon afterwards knock came tt
the door. Her heart seemed to cease
its pulsations as the beloved tones o
William thrilled through her soul. :
She strained her ears to hear hel
father replying that he would talk t.
i him outside. She knew full well tina
he would never cross the threshold
| aoain never he more to her than i