Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-10-26
n. G., October 20, 1868.

nat FlSut nave you, Else UcvOnS
lover, to the past or mssS Be content
with your own joy. 1t r9uld be pi-
quaint enough without the sal of enhanc-
ing it by contrast with my saisery.'
The mention of Alice n2szn struck
pang, sword-keen, to his + art He was
not bad man nay, he sFas perhaps
better than most men. re respected
his plighted word-he loveJ Alice. Still
he had not strength emo gh to escape
from the baleful spell whic vas closing
round him.
Yonr miseryl' he erie DO you
whom all the werid enyies kaov what
misery means Tell me<1esein know
Again that long, reproacI ilook from
out those amber eyes.
Howard, for shame! u must not,
you shall not torture lHe n0F when all
the ties between US are oss2. Dc you
think | would have parted @,sh you in
anger that LAST time if [ had pot thought
your love was strong enough bring you
back :? We were both wrons rve ought
to have forgiven each otheiv but why
talk of Fit? You are bette. stf; and I
perhaps ! sTn not punished 10 severely
for the. share of blame that sas mine
Thoughts swan through !. brains de-
hrloasiy. She, his youth hove, loved
hlm-was suffering for hin had loved
him oil the while. He loc~4d at, her,
more beautiful than ever in -ser sorrow,
her tenderness. After all, Wa not the
old love the true love? !.
If were free'-he begen
OF what use would be frto-esn = she
interrupted him passionately. You were
free five years.
But l did not see you. Ca, Georgiel
This is cruel. Yon should ha ]. come be-
fore, or not at al.'
Just then steps crushed t1s1sad near
them. Around a sudden an in the
winding path came Mary q tett, with
Alice, his Alice, clinging to la ssrm.
We heard few worlds could net
help it, Miss Everett said, va eyes of
stern rebuke, leading. her frief Il oy.
Howard Theme cursed his as he
saw ais lite loves pale iaz za.:1.sAs
the shadow of death. He ks-sK how his
heart was-saw what brief madness had
possessed him. He would have given
half the universe 10 be able to 20 to Al
ices side and tell her the truth. But he
dared not approach her. For the first
time in his life he felt like coward. He
stood and watched her, silently, as she
meved away-his darling, whon he had
been mad enough to lose Then he turn.
ed; with look in his eye that made
Georgiana Ash tremble.
am free now and, as you said, oi
what use is freedom? p
Neither spoke again until his cold good
by, when he had gone up the path with
| her to the house-door..
| Then he rushed back into the thicl
shrubbery, among the rocks across t.
the sea. He was almost wild enough t
bury all-Wrong, sorrow, shame-il
| those treacherous waters. He knew hi
| fate was sealed. There would be n
hope for him. Alice was not unforgiv
ing but she was true, and claimed trut
% woman, and would accept no divide
heart. Explain as he would, he kne'
she would never believe him or under
stand him. She never could know ho
it all came; and if he offered explains
tions, she would believe that only homo
only sorrow for her, held him and thos
mad moments could never be atone
for.
: Just then he turned He was stan
, ing in the very nook where they hs
:: gathered the blue flowers Some other
/ their sisters, were nodding in the cleft
> lie gathered bunch and laid them car
= iully in pocket-book, which he carri,
in his breast.
: They shall 60 with me into 9th
SCENES be said, his sad eyes kindlil
. again with the gleam of a new rssoly
! i have held back from giving my L
TO my country because Alices love ma
the Offering too costly. Now will 4
=. 1t will be better for me if | die
r He found a note on his table when
went home, and in it these words onl
n Be merciful enough not to write
q me, or ask to see me. 1t would be of
a use. What l heard, what l saw, c
never be explained out of memory.
> forgive you. do not think you me.
d false. When you told me you loved
n ] believed you thought so. l shall
n away tonight, and leave you to the Il
20 you have found again
a He obeyed her made ne useless
to tempts at explanation, and watched fr
x his window to see her so away wit
n, calmness more terrible and despair
G. than any passion of agony.
'S Later in the evening came anot
tn note; from Miss Ash this time. 1t
worded, oh! So skillfully ); begging
NJ pardsn telling him how innocent
res was of wrong design; blameless of q
rything but the love and sorrow