Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-09

for troubling you with the subject at all;
do you promise p
Certainly. Please be as brief as pos
sible, do not care to walk far"
You donot look able to walk-go back
and let me call for you this evening"" he
said, anxiously. os5
"Thank you, am quite we'll"
Stella you have not forgiven me-you
are like an iceberg, while L"
Will you please come to business, STRIP
she asked, quick flush staining the pal
lor Of her face. f.s.I,... -,
II hardly know how to begin without
you, and yet you said you would
not be offended, and 80 will take YOU at
our word and begin by asking if you are
quite sure your name is Stella Blakey"
He was watching her with fierce intent
ness, and she was taken wholly by sur
prise
You have no right to ask me such q
question:" she cried, sharply, II will not
answer you!" Simple child as if that
was not answer enough, coupled with the
fiery blush she could not restrain.
perhaps have not, out want to ask
you one more question: Why do you not
bear your own name?"
81 have no name, Ralph Anderson, you
know have notw she cried, sternly. 20,
why have you tried to find me outs I had
rather die than have been discovered!"
"Viola! my darling Viola!" he ex-
claimed, rapturously, unheeding her fierce
wall of regret, and with characteristic
impetuosity forgetting everything but the
joyful fact that she was found at last!.
"You shall not tell them, Ralph" she
cried, wrepching her hand from the strong
clasp in which he had caught it. Indeed,
it was strange he had not taken her in
stantly in his arms, instead of simply
clasping her hand; it would have been
much more like him. But he for once re-
membered himself, possibly because it
was policy; he was 80 very anxious to con-
ciliate her, for some reason.
"Do you mean, Viola-ah! isn't that
rlorious?"
"Hush" she cried, looking round in
swift alarm, YOU must not call me that.
Viola is dead. tell you, just as really and
truly dead % if her bones were moulder-
ing to Gust all these years"
"But surely you will come back home,
now?" he asked, pleadingly.
"No, Ralph; and this is what ask Of
YOU, In memory of the old days when I
was an innocent child" vi.
"You are only that now, darling" he
exclaimed. $685."
"Stop!' she interrupted fierceiy. "You
shall not talk to me SO! Let me tell you
what | began to- If you do not swear
upon your honor and manhood TO keep
my secret inviolate from every human be-
ing, unless l give you permission, or a
time comes when shall be beyond car.
ing, then swear that you will never set
eyes on my face again after tonight, if I
have to hide in the bottom of the scar
"Stella-if that is what must call you,
though my heart whispers Viola do
you want to know what betrayed you
more, if possible, than your face?" he
asked, smiling, "because, you see, had
never forgotten the little 'Wildfire' Of
old, and the superb passions she could get
herself into"
81 wish you would never mention those
days again want them SO utterly for
gotten as though they had never been. I
tell you, the child you knew died long
ago-died to every thought, or purpose,
or care, save Onev
She spoke hurriedly, imploringly, as if
she feared for her own strength, and yet
had resolved to die rather than yield to
anything which could draw her from this
one purpose to which she was, with sort
of insanity, sacrificing health, selfrespect,
and perhaps life itself.
IL will not leave You to yourself in this
way" he exclaimed, holly. have right
to your consideration, and you shall listen
to me /"
II will mott" her eyes blazing. "You
saved my life-I did not ask you to do it;
wish-betore Heaven, wish-you had
not done it! l am stranger to you; an
utter and perfect stranger from this day,
ask only to 20 my way,
bitter and deselate as it may be, and that
you 60 yours to honor and happiness. I
don't ever want to see your face, or hear
you speak again !"
"DO you then hate me 80 utterly?" his
voice suddenly falterlng. "I-I thought
Il hoped to be your friend; was so de-
lighted and happy at finding you'll have
lived On this hope SO entirely for the last
few days that-pardon me, l suppose you
despiss my weakness-l cannot command
He turned away, his strong frame trem-
bling, his face white and panied, his lips
very pale, and twitching cOnvulsively,
despite his strongest efforts for selfcon-
troll.
30 Ralph Ralph, don't!" she cried,
sharply, putting out her hand with an ap-
pealing gesture. hate you 0 Father
in heaven, have pity on mer' and with q
low, passionate cry she broke into wild
tempest OF sObs and tears.
Ralph Anderson forgot everything,
then. All the fiery words she had spoken,
all the mystery that surrounded her pres
ent life and purpose; aye, more, he forgot
his tacit engagement to his beautiful
cousin-forgot even her existence, forgot
in hct, everything but this little shrink
ing form and tesr-drenched face, and the
one great fact, which seemed to him at
the moment to swallow up and Overwhelm
everything else, that he l0oed her-loved
her with all the force and passion and i'm
petuosity of his strong nature.
"Viola," he cried, springing to her side,
"in Gods name, listen to me! love you,
child-O heavenl l love you better than
my own sOul-better than heaven itselft
o my darling-my darling"
"Ralph!" hushing her sobs suddenly,
and lifting proud face to his, show dare
you insult me in this ways Not three
days ago / heard your promised wife
making pretty little plans about your
Weddings wedding which might take