Litchfield enquirer., 1868-03-12
asked me to tell her how much I loved

 | her.
 During the evening she never again re- ferred to Frank or her conduct in hurrying | off with him, and in talking over our pros 1 poets and plans of an early wedding l al most forgot the circumstance which hu,i troubled me, and very glad was to forget ' 1t. After we had sat thus for nearly an hour she suddenly rose up and said to me. i "'John you must go now. I am very sor " to dismiss you, but am very sick, and must go to bed.'
 ! Il took my hat with many expressions of regret at my carelessness in not sooner percelvlng how much she needed rest, and accusing myself of selfshness in detaining her thus long,
 "'No, John,' she said; let me think you forget to go because you love me-. And did love her. All philosophy which teaches that selfish and debaSed na- lures can not love truly is false-false l tell you! know how debased I was-I know how passionately I loved that wo- mani
 1 Il turned in the midst of protestation of this love to go, and bidding her good- night, opened the door as the street-bel rang, and admitted-that man! had rath- CT have seen at that moment any other be- lng-natural or super -naturaI-fur his com ing turned my cup of happiness into gall. He came Tn with bow to me-.l bow as If 1 had been the servant who answered the bell; he spoke to her, and saw him press her hand. And as l, lowing, walked out of the house, he and she entered the parlor With what seemed to me most unseemly haste
 "You will have to imagine my feelings hope you can not; but l can not describe them. Mingled jealousy and hatred of hun, and suspicion of ner, haunted my brain. l did not go home. crossed sneaked-to the opposite side of the street, and from behind tree I watched the house.
 i 'Laura and he did not remain many minutes Ill the parlor. They left it, and ,' minute after l could plainly see them in the room above-the room which 1 knew was her slttlng-room. Then I did not re- fleet that 1t Was also her mothers sitting room-l was too jealous to reflect 80 coolly did have the sense to remain, however, and did not rush frantically to my home and fret my heart out at her deceit. Ikept cool-determined to wait until he was gone if staid there till would have said till morning, but the reflection appalled, me. 1 --oAA AAO "''o SoAS3 A "ouiu uPOA0loA her with her inconsistency
 ''He remained in the house about five minutes-not more. When he came out, her mother, not Laura, was with him; and l they hurried away before I could think to follow them. was too rejoiced to see him leave the house with the mother to think of any thing else. Istarted home feeling much consoled in mind. Evidently the mother had been again called out to see the sick friend.
 ''The sick friend? My suspicious mind dwelt on that phrase. Who was the sick friend? Evidently some relation of Franks you would suppose; but had never heard him speak of brothers or sisters, and knew his parents were dead. And what ailed her? Laura had merely alluded to her Under ordinary circumstances would she not have told me all about her? I recalled instances without number when she had talked, as most young women do, of simi lar minor domestic topics. Why had she avoided this subject? It was very suspi cious. I distinctly remember to this day how hesitated to employ the word suspi- cious. In all my degradation knew fully how contemptible was even to myself. I was ashamed of nature I made no at tempt to correct, and apologized for it's po-