Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-05-19

Mrs Wybr0we quicken I'd her rpace and
sa id nothing more till she was safe un-
der Amy Oswestry.s IS wing again.
| The season was ever; London empty
| ing fast; duns pressing; the heat intol-
erable HOwbe it [ abode still in the
Sahara of Burton street. Aunt Medusa
has gone down into kent with the BOod-
| les, having eXtricated from mea promise
TO come down for the September shoot
ing-a promise only intended to keep
| if
The "if" was in Park lane, Lady
! Oswestry had not yet made her move,
| hesitating between Buxton and Linden
bad; as-I was watching the turn of the
SCALE. For with Lady Oswestry would
90 Helen WybIowe. And where Helen
Wybrowe went L meant to follow. 1
| had not spoken yet, though nearly a
month had passed since that day at Full
| ham. [ had marked with white rose.
| She had hardly given me chance. And
| yet she knew, who knew me as | was,
| that | loved her--h ad loved her from
| the very moment our eyes met for the
| first time. And L knew my strange,
wiIlful passionate darling-my Helen,
who was like no Other-I knew she
loved me with the one love of her life.
Oily between her loving me and me
winning her, there was much. Never
theless, ,Ethe mask we both wore, before
each other as before others, was getting
| too sitting to be worn much longer 1t
fell from both of US at last.
had been sitting with her in Lady
| Oswestry's morning room, under the
shelter of the sunshades, among the
| flowers, one day for nearly an hour. My
Lady was, Heaven knowes where; and
we had been alone all the time. Com
monplaces had languished and died.
There had been silence, which those
but which both of US knew must be
broken; and only in one way.
L looked up into her face in its pas
sionate pailor, in her trembling lips
read what made me take her swiftly in
my arms; and then the silence was bro
ken by the sweet sound of herown name
-"Helen"
She shivered, as she had shivered in
that vase. only, this time not with. fear.
And her head, with its diadem of am
Der hair. sank down upon my breast;
and bent mine till my lips touched
hers, and cIung to them. L had won her!
Not yet.
The next moment she had freed her
self.
"Oh, why have you done this ?" she
sobbed--wailed almost.
"Why? Because I love you, Helen.
Because you love me. And because you
and know this is So"
"Yes," she murmered; Eyes; you love
me. Iknew that. I knew it that day
at Fulham. AS no one ever has loved
ever will love me. l know that"
"And you love me, Helen. You knew
that, too"
Eyes; love you!" she cried, passion
atsty. Il know that, too"
"And yet You ask me" began, so
far off my head as to be going to argue
with her.
Because this should never have been.
Ali between US must end here and now"
"In Heavens name, why?" broke in
rather mad with this piece of feminine
cruelty "Why must it?"
Frank" she said ,cooly, now, Frank,
this folly. You know my story. You
cannot marry beggar a. shall be.
Nor you, ce dull parait."
"Selfish and cruel"
Even at that moment I couldn't but
admire that truly feminine retort.
She wentOn
81? Am I thinkin. of myself? And
vet this is my fault. I knew what has
happened must happen. Yes; it is l who
have been selfish. L knew it; and l
ought. Butch! Frank L knew that
you loved me; and my loveless life
seemed so bitter-so hitteri And"
And here she broke down sobbing.
My willful, passionate darling. She
was trying to persuade herself that she
was acting nobly and disinterestedly;
and being noways fitted for such self
martyrdom, was failing signally. She
ought to have nipped this love of mine
in the bud, but lacked the will. And
now she was trying to sacrifice it, and
her own love on the shrine of duty
now when she was my own, when she
had rested her head upon my brest,
when she had given herlips to mine.
Il didn' repeat my folly of attempting
to argue with her. Her hand was strong
enough against me as it was without
such strengthening. L didn't take her
in my arms again and stifie her feeble
special pleading with kisses.
L let her say her say. And then when
she had sunk back into the low, deep
fauteuil, weak and trembling and de-
fenseless again, / knelt beside her; and,
holding fast in mine the little soft white
hand 1 never ment to let go, told how
it must needs fare with me if she had
her way. And | was conquering what
/ knew all along was my own rights
and the violet eyes were full of happy
tears; the words [ looked to hear already
trembling on the full lips that had
grown meek again, when there was a
rustic of woman's draperies; and though
the chia'oscuro of the room, Lady
Oswestry bore down upon us.
Helen rose, aud, before could stay
her, and fled away swiftly upon her feet
leaving me to face My Lady alone. The
which / did as best / might.
For a while Lady Oswestry looked
grave and indicial; then; by degrees,
benignant, but mildly reproachful; when
l took my leave, items arranged between
us that should cometo Park lane early
the next day.
At u frightfully undue hour drove
there. A handsom had just pulled up
at the door; the late occupant was speak
ing to the groom of the chambers in the
hall. was just in time to hear the func-