The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-12-18

shall go, too"
"Ah! if that could only be; but Mill
would die in India. Wetc came home be
cause the climate was killing her,
"And you will not leave her?'
II promised mamma, before she died
that | never wouldj that if married
should not separate us; that my hom
should be Milly's till she did not need it
answered, faltering under something il
the look of his face that was new to me
Up to this time I had been thinking o
myself, now [ was reminded that I wa
giving pain to him.
He was silent two or three minutes
looking away into the distance. He ha,
taken his hand from my shoulder.
| swell, Hester, said he presently
gravely, not unkindly-but ah! as it seem
ed to me, very coldly-syou have slmpl,
to choose between your sister and myself
You are best able to judge of your sis
ter's claims upon you; of my own; viii
only say that l love you. I never though
or cared much about women till saw
you, SO l am not likely to change m,
liking or forget it. and if you had mar
ried me-but | will not try to plead m,
cause against your sisters. 1t is for yol
to decide and for me to abide by you
decision"
looked desperately up to the smiling
blue heavens, at the calm stream flowing
on its tranquil path to the sea, at all the
sun basking peace around me, and prayed
with prayer SO passionate that it seem.
ed like loud demand that I might no,
be forced into Staying with my own hands
the young happiness Of my life. 81 can
not and will not do it," I said in my
heart; yet knowing at the same time that
| must, and could.
Then Mark spoke again!
"W ould you like little time to con-
slider the matter? | need not leave the
Hollies till tomorrow evening, or, per-
haps, the next day
"No,' l answered-with or without my
own will I never knew 81 know what |
must do. cannot leave Milly."
sAnd Milly cannot go. That decides
it, then. Well, 1 have nothing to say; |
am the last man in the world to try and
persuade any one against their judgment
He rose deliberately, but did not go
for sat still.
"Are you going homer" he asked, after
minute. "Hester, don't look so sad
you are feeling for me-don' do that.
should like to think Of you, when I an
over the seas, as happy as would tried
to have madeyou think of me sometimes
as a friend;I don't expect tosforget you
Hester. Good bye" His hand, as hi
held it out, shook ever so lightly, butt
held mine in firm pressure for an in.
stant Then he let it drop, stopped ant
picked up his gun, whistled his dog
around him, and strobe away again alens
the sea.wall, without once turning tt
look back.
Milly and l were both orphans. Out
father and mother had both died in In
dia, and we were sent home to the care o
our sole relative, my fathers sister, al
elderly maiden lady, living sin lady lik'
poverty at dull little village at Kent
Aunt Dolly died when was seventeen
auI Milly twelve, leaving to us the littl
cottage that had been her home and ours
with everything it contained; no yer,
valuable bequest, ,butall the poor soul hat
to leave; and here Milly and I-no
heiresses, no, but not destitute, neither
continued to live with the dear old ser
want who had been our aunt's faithful
companion and our kind, affectionat
nurse, ever since, fatherless and mother
less, wehad been sent to England.
There were not many people to visit a
Hillstead-the rector, the doctor, an
the family at the Hollies comprised them
I think we were the most intimate at tn
Hollies, for the children there were Mil
| ly's contemporaries, and her sworn admi
rers and friends. l first saw Mark Suth
erland at the Hollies; he was Mr.. Suther
lands cousin, and I heard of him ofte
before [ saw him. He had led viii
adventurous kind Of life, wandering al
over the world, for his simple pleasure,
suppose; since never heard that he ha
any other object in doing so. had form
ed my idea of him; to be sure the realit
was not in the least like 1t. No, quit
otherwise; and yet latter the first FIVE mir
utes, / would not have changed the res
man for the ideal for worlds.
Do not suppose that speculated niue
upon Marks character in those day
such as he was, | loved him, dearly love
him-ah! he would never know ho
dearly, for had | not given him up?
As one in dream | went home as on
lin dream / crawled up the steep vino
ling lawn to our cottage; saw Milly at th
garden gate watching for me; come fyin
out into the lawn to meet me, all her go
den hair streaming straight out benin
her; heard her call me, scold me for be
ling late; my own voice answered; saw an
heard all the familiar sights and SOUND
of every day life, as we do sometimes i
dreams, all made strange land perplexin
| by some dreadful sense of pain an
trouble.
"Het,n said Milly, as We sat at te
i ayou're not eating anything; you loo
pale and glum; you've sat out in tho'
horrible marshes until the sun has mat
you sick. I shall not allow you to {
out again, mind that. =
1 1t pleased Milly to play the elder ST
ter, and I was always content that Il
little one should do what pleased her.
She was my darling, the one thing TIL
my solitary life gave me to love till | sa
Mark. had set my idol long ago. but