Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-08-30
W. ID. WALLACH.


THE hINIsrER's swEKrHkARr.
GcoscLuDED.I ...-
Ii was upon Christmas Eve that William
Betsworth started across that lonely path to
ask Of Caroline Graham the question which
had been on his lips 20 long; and As he mark
cd the lamp light growing nearer and bright
er, he thought that thus Il might glow on some
future day, lighted by her hand, from the
window Of his own dear homo. "And the
mesnest hovel, the lowliest hut that could be
built in any uncivilised land, would be home
young minister, With tesr-flled eyes; and
bending his fair head In the bright starlight,
he thanked God who had taught him how to
love.
Jasper had been from homo that evening,
and as William opened the garden gste it
startled him to sec his brother standing on
the threshold, with something unusual in his
bearing and In the expression Of his handsome
face. 1t startled him moro when, lingering.
yet in the shadow, unseen by them, he saw.
Caroline come outinto tho lamp-lit hall and
lay her hand upon hia brothers ann, and his
heart stood still n jasper bent his head above
that hand and kissed Il. They spoke In whis-
pers and he could not hear their words, but
the meaning Of that interview was plain to:
him, or he thought %; and white,E and cold,
and trembling, he leant upon the little gate
post, with deadly fsintness at his heart. He
could not move, even when he saw Jasper
coming rapidly towards him, and 90 they were,
beside each ether in Q moment =. =
"William !" exclaimed Jasper, in confus-'
ed, half-tremulous voice, which yet had a
ring of happiness in its tones-"William, is
this you? Are you going in?' -
''Not now, 1 am not well," William had
Just strength enough to say.
His brother twined his arm around his
waist in boyish fashion. "Come with me,
them" he said, "I have something to tell you
Perhaps you guess what it Is already. I think
every one must know how well love her,
There was fearful struggle in poor Will
liam's breast, but he kept silence, and did not
thrust away the arm that encircIed him
"And so," continued jasper, ssalthoueh I
have been 20 wild and 80 little deserving Of a
pure young heart like hers, have somehow
won 1t, and tonight she gave me the sweet
promise tnat she would be mine; and am
going to lead different life, Will, and study
hard and make both fame and fortune; and
just yet We are to tell no one save her sister
and yourself; and am to 60 to the city and
ccme back to claim her when am what L
should be to be her husband; and then, when
her parents can no longer call me wild and
undeserving, and my own are a. proud of me
as they are now Of ysu, We will tell them all,
and you shall marry us, and We shall all be 30
happy together. Shall We not, Will? 2" - .
And William forced his broken heart to 81
lence, and answered-"Yes" '-s' .
Alone that night he struggled with his
agony, standing In the cold midnight beside
his chamber window, whence he could see the
white stones Of the graveyard rising from the
whittier snow which lay about them, He had
suffered, and he would suffer in silence. He
could not reproaeh either Caroline or Jasper.
How should they guess his secret when hehad
not suspected theirs? And she would be
happy, and his brother would be led to seek Q
purer and holisr life, and his mother would
weep no longer for her youngest born, and
mono should ever know of the cross which had
been laid upon him; and. at the last, the
slumber under those white gravs-stenes would
be the more welcome, and the chains which
bound his heart to earth more easily broken.
And then, as he thought of her in her pure
beauty, the man cast down the martyr, and
sobbing forth-"But thought she loved me!
Oh, my God thought she loved me!' he
fung himself upon the floor, and laid there
until the grave-stones and the white snow
were kissed by the red sunrise, and the blessed
morn Of Christmas dawned once more upon
the world. q n
Jasper was in the city and rsdeeming his
promise to the letter, and William had buried
love and grief In his own breast together
When Jasper wrote to him, he always found o
tiny note, without direction of any kind.
within the envelope. and always handed it,
with few hrief words, to Caroline. But he
went no longer along that road at evsntids,
and sat no more beside her. Their interviews
were few and brief, and her manner to him
had altered 30 far that he half feared she
guessed his secret. It was hard to Keep aloof
from her, but he dared not trust himself 30
soon. And 20 whole long year passed, and
Christmas time came around again, and Jas.
per was coming home upon . visit No one
called him wild now, and he was fast attain
ing place in his profession; and, as he wrote
TO William, the secret would soon be secret
iOnUer - ne ;ttlo
white notes in the letter which brought those
hdings, and William walked over with it to
the Graaam's homestead. As he entered the
cid psrlor he found Caroline sitting beside the
FIRE, and saw that her lashes were wet With
tears. casper will be here Tomorrow. he
said, as he seated himself opposite to her; and
he wondered that the words brought no joy-
Gus sparkle to her soft black eye, and that she
answered In Q iistless manner, and sat still
looking at the fire. Then, as he looked at her,
he saw how thin she had grown, and marked
the pailor OF her fair young cheek, and read
In ner whole mien something that told Of sor-
row crushed down BY strong will, but strug-
CLING yet for mastery.
Are you i'll 2" he asked, almost involunta-
Rip. You look So I did not notice il at
FIRST, but you have altered very much
She grew crimson. Her cheeks, her neck,
and her brow we're sufssed in moment, and
she looked at him with . strange expression of
mingled grief and anger. 81 am we'll, very
well, she said, proudly. "It is strange that
you should think me altered
The young minister arose. "Forgive me-"
he said 81 presumed upon friends priyi-
lege-for we we're friends year ago, Miss
Graham, and shall be even better friends 10.
night than We have ever been"
"a year ago" she murmured, as though
she spoke against her will "a year ago Yes,
it is Christmas time again. had almost for
getten it," Her cheek was whittier now than
the snow without the door, and, startled by
her wild glance and hollow voice, William
Betsrorth sprsng forward just 1t time to save
her from falling to the foor. Senseless and
white she lay, and he placed her in great
armchair and knelt beside her. Such agony
as wrung his heart at that moment had never
tortured II oefors-for in that one cry, in q
sObbing utterance Of his name, In an uncon-
scious clasping Of the arms about his neck, he
had read the truth. She loved him-she; the
pe'Iothed wife Of his absent brother-evsn Is