Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-06-08

in her nature that she never took cold, least
Of all now.
,'God help me I" shs thought Tiny heart is
gone out of me. / shall never be young
again, though am 50 strong shall live a
great many years. Poor, silly moth Why
did 70 near the candle to burn my wings
Could not sec what Paul Morgan was-a
splendid man, indeed, but with just that same
fascination Ia his manner toward every wo. |
man? His voice was always low, and so |
tender in its modulations. The touch OF his |
hand was different from any other persons.
Nature had made him SO, how could be help
t7 And I, what fool have been had
expected him to risk me to be his wife-he
has asked me to waltz with him.
No matter how late Agatha kept watch
that night. She did not show 1t the next
morning. When Paul Morgan met her ct
breakfast her cheek was as cool, her eye ss
clear as ever, She was just as carefully
dressed. And he-he had been q man OF
the world too long to hang out flag Of dis
tress at his masthead.
It was full tide that day at eleven, and at
halEpasG ten they all went TO battle. There
was a long line of them, as they stood upon
the beech, preparatory to walking iato the
surf They were arranged, gentlemen and
ladies alternately, with a gentleman at one
end of the line and Agatha Churchill at the
other. Morgan was between Jeanette RAN
dali and Marian Arms. They went on gayiy,
breasting billoW after billow.
At last came tenth wave, mightier than
all. In desperate, bFaYado, excitement, or
carelessness Of flife-Iknog not what-Agatha
drew her hand from her companions and
stood up against it alone Then there was
shrek, not from her lips though, The m.
dertoW had caught her and was bearing her
outward. Morgan saw her scarlet bathing
dress floating beyond him. he snatohed his
hands from the frightened girls who clung to
him. He pushed ont after Agatha. he
was bold, strong smimmer. He made bis
mightiest strokes. He caught her by her
long black hair. Then he dew his arm
round the 1.-THE, slender waist and pushed
back with her yaliantly. It was task for
such sinews and muscles as his. A strength
less Hercuiean could not have achieVed it,
He laid her on the shore at length, high Out
of reach Of the waves, and sank himself Ut
terlV exhausted beside her. Had Agatha
heard, when she thought she was drowning
his strong cry
"Agstha, soul of my.sOul, Imuat save you
or perish !"
At any rate, when she came back to con.
sciousness she knew that he loved her.
That afternoon be was admitted to the little
sitting room which she and her mother shar
ed together. Mrs Churchill wisely went oul
and left them alone. How lovely Agatha was
so pale, and yet with the wondrous ligh
breaking like full sea-tide into her grea
,, grey eyes, and the strang lines Of feeling
; quivering round her hexile mouth. She htC
!. never before seemed so charming, even Il
him. All the trifing, all the assumed indit
, ference, all the kauteur was gone from hi
: manner now; all the coidness from hers
They had stood that day in the presence o
death. All that was false and conventions
!, had been rent away. Only the true and res
: remained. The imperious Miss Churchill
: was gentle as child Morgan bent over an
= kissed the hand she gave him.
\ ''You have saved my life, she said. "HOV
! can thank your 5l
> aBy giving me what most want"
"And that is p
= "Yourself Agatha-the only woman eve
n loved-wiIhout whom life is not worth th
price of living"
4 aBut have great many faults"
81 know it. So have L We have bot
lived too long in an artificial atmosphere
have kent ourselves wholly unspotted iroI
n the world. We will begin our reform tt
+ gether, to-day"
+ "And you will love me as am, faults an
an?"
70 aAs Iowa my own soul. Do you lOI
a me, Agatha2''
"Let my life tell you"
of "The life which you give me- do 20
nol?'
a "You have saved it" she answered softly
/ ''It is yours, to keep or reject"
20 "Belovedl may God deal with me as
. with you"
- That night their lgagement was mat
- knorn to the dwellers at Sachem's HeaI
- There were congratulations, and comment
and pleasant prophecies Only Jeannet
: Randall and Marian Arms had each seer
~ to keep. But the touch of pain had triC
~ them as gold is tried by fire. The GROWN
n hatred was transmitted to a tenderness neitl
- er of them had ever felt for each other b
- fsre. The sorrow they bore together and
- silence was a bond neither would care
A. break.
- The experience would not hurt them
~ The love they had thought so real had on
a stirred the outer surface of their hearts. ]
"A blighting made their natures but deeper al
: truer. Their day would come for them to
by and by, with its full radiance.
Agatha Churchilrs was when she marri'
he Paul Morgan.