The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-10-29

! measure. / told him that / could not
love him, that he was brother to me,
4 and no more. But he would take nc
denial, saying he would wait years, il
r l would consent to be his wife at last
that he had waited years, for he had
8 loved me from the first, and many times
J the confession trembled upon his lips,
: but he feared TO risk the story of his
; love till time had destroyed my love for
8 Willie. That night | passed more
wretchedly than any night for years.
| Next day, Mr.. and Mrs. Leland both
} talked to me, saying they loved me as
their own child. Though distressed to
r seem ungratefnl, told them / could
not be his wife /; that had loved Will.
liam Halstead from child, and though
he bad proved false, there was for me
no second love.
l now felt that must leave my pres
ent home, for / could not live under
the same roof with George Leland.
But this they would hear of; George
was going far away with his uncle, and
| must remain and be a daughter to
them, in affection, if not in name. So
it was arranged, and l breathed more
freely when he was gone.
Then things settled back in their old
way, and once more l was happy-no,
not happy; happiness and had parted
long ago; but l was content.
Two years had drifted away in the
by-gone. In :hose years i had learned
much-among other things, to ''suffer
and be strong" was no longer the
sensitive girl who had bartered her
whole life's happiness away for love,
and lost. / was woman now, strong
and self-reliant, with all an outraged
woman's rampant pride TO hold in
check; all her many, memories to ig-
more. / had fought desperate battle
with my own heart, and came off con-
queror. / had entered my room one
night, determined to destroy every
relic of my faithless lover. Then
was to forget him, that was the plan.
| had picture of him and that / had
hung in a large closet in my room, to
keep it from other eyes. 1t was like
many of the old fashioned closets, with
shelves at one side and a window at
the other. There was room for nv
little tables and workstand, aud there
had been wont to dream my dreams.
Now it was different, and for many
long months-ay, years-it had been
closed and locked like the love dream
at my heart, it must see the light no
more. l4b ur -r
On the night in question / unlocked
the door and entered. l had deter
mined to destroy every token of the
wild dream that had brought me so
much misery. The sight of the bright
face hanging there almost maddened
me. The fire light shone full upon it.
At first it seemed to smile down ten
derly upon me, and l thought the beau
tiful lips whispered, "Daring Clare"
Then either my mood changed, or
the picture did, for / could have sworn
the handsome mouth grew naughty,
and the dark eyes flung taunting glances
down upon me, while the words "for-
saken, forsaken," rang in my ear. l
snatched up heavy paper-weigbt, and
thought, when l raised my hand to
strike, the old pleading look seemed
to come into the face; dashed the
weight through the dear eyes / had
once loved, shivering the picture to
atoms. Then there were letters to be
destroyed, and curl of glossy hair,
that had been given to me when
school girl, few faded flowers, and
ruby ring and l destroyed them.
Then flung up the window and sat
down, in the bitter midwinter night,
feeling that wall of ice was built up
between me and the only one I ever
loved. My lip curled scornfully as /
thought of the past. Talk about meek
women, indeed 1 felt that night as
if had the strength of thousand
men. l felt like some triumphant Gen
eral. had won a great victory.
Two more years drifted away. 1t
was my twenty-eighth birthday, and
stood before the mirror robing for
grand reception to be given at the
house of Judge Stamore. l was indif-
ferent as to my toilet generally, caring
little at any time for dress. Why
should 1, when no loving eye would
look upon me Pho father, mother, sis
ter, or brother in all the earth?
But tonight it was different; there