The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-09-20

"Your father might disinherit you,
Emanuel"
81 care not; that would not kill me.
Madge, you love me; [ know you do;
you must Do you not remember?-
Love is like lightning; it will go where
it is sent Listen Madge !"
A fierce thunder storm had arisen.
The sky was entirely overloaded
now. The lightning played amid the
forest, here, there, everywhere, as 1T
had done not quite a year before
when Emanuel came TO Elmwood.
1T is terrible - said Madge, huski-
ly.
eyes, terrible !" echoed Emanuel, his
eyes glaring widely on her
"Do not fear, Madge; it will only 60
where it is sent" he said smiling faint
! ~ "Madge, have forgotten all my
pride; ! am selfish no longer. Madge,
will you be my wife p
She freed herself from his embrace,
and gazed steadfastly upon his pale,
quivering featurers.
Emanuel | too, am proud; you
know it. Never will l become your
wife until my history is fully learned.
Even, then, much depends upon the
note my father left me. He himself
selected a husband for me; that letter
will reveal his name, and also, hope,
the one which am entitled to bear.
It is my only chance for ever learning
it,
"You are a noble girl, Madge; but
you shall not sacrifice yourself to o
foolish pride. Mine is annihilated,
yours shall be also; it shall not sepa-
rate us. Again he caught her hand,
and pressed it passionately to his lips.
She sprang from him and left the
room; but as she crossed the hall the
house trembled, the lightning had
struck the library wing. Then, for
moment all was still-again the storm
rolled on
Terrified, breathless, Madge hasten
ed back to the room she had Just left.
The floor was covered with splinters;
Emanuel lay stretched upon it. His
eyes once more met hers. He whis-
pered
do you love me, Madge p
cor she groaned, Il do Only
you, dearest, only you p and bending
down she kissed his pale forehead
again and again. He smiled and
murmured:
do not let me die Water !"
She flew for help; water was
brought; he had tainted They dash
ed on pailful after pailful, but he lay
cold, inanimate Carriage wheels
rolled up to the door; it was the gig
of the family physician, who sought
shelter from the storm. Never was
he more needed Every exertion was
made, and at length Emanuel was re-
stored to consciousness. He reached
his hand out to AIadge; she caught it
and kissed it fervently. Emanuel p
"Madge !" was all that either could
say.
1t was a wonderful providence The
lightning had struck wing of the
house, passed lightly over Emanuel's
body as he leaned against the window
frame, ripped the sole from his boot,
run across the floor and descended a
beam leading to the ground, without
igniting a spark.
In few days young Delereux had
entirely recovered from the shock, and
was walking miracle to his friends,
who had, at first, supposed it impos-
slble for HIM to recover He now
eagerly awaited the first Of May, when
Madge might unseal her fathers be-
quest.
The morning came They were
seated at the library table Madge
broke the wax, and read
Emanuel Delereux, my dearest
child, is the man | would wish you to
marry Although / know him as a
proud, wilful boy, he has the germ of
much good within him. He will make
noble, honorable man, truthful,
devoted husband. Yours always, my
/ darling, EMANUEL MORTON"
Smiles illumined both their counter
ances as they read the few first words,
aud Emanuel clasped Madge's hand
still tighter; but as they finished the
short letter, Madge turned away and
wept. 1t was such a disappointment.
She had been almost certain that this
note would reveal the mystery of her
parentage, but there was not one syl-
liable, not one. She leaned her head
against the lattice, unmindful even of
Emanuel's caresses.
"Madge, it can make no difference
in my love, surely not in yours, dear
est ?"
But she still shook her head. She
had declared that she would not mar
ny Emanuel under the present circum-
stances; she would not incur the scorn
of his proud mother. o, she had so
hoped that letter would be q history
to her. The was glad that Emanuel's
was the name written there; but fold
ing her arms closly around his neck,
as on the day when the lightning
stunned him, she moaned wretchedly
farewell, farewell J!
Emanuel threw aside her entwining
arms, hastily paced the room He was
driven almost to despair. His eyes
wildly scanned the very walls for sue
or. Suddenly he approached the bro
ken wainsc6ting where the lightning
had shivered the stout panel.
"Madge, what is this 2" he cried, as