The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-12-21

IellAlLuS me VI some one i nave seen
. before, perhaps it was in my dreams" !"
"Etsy only answered perhaps"
She sat on the veTandah one night
. waiting for Agnes and her father
They were to leave for New York the
next day, and there was 2 great ache
at Etsy's heart.
Mr.. PeytOn stepped through the low
window and stood beside her. He
merely bowed his head. She never
spOke-she dared not.
"GOu are sad tonight, Mrs. Willis.
Are you sorry to leave Niagara ~
For the life of her she could not
have answered him, but without
waiting for one he sat down by her
side.
81, too, am sad Tonight, but my
sadness has a deeper meaning than
yours. AT my heart are tugginglove,
remOrse, regret, and a wretched quar-
reling with fate. wish I dare lay
bare my heart to you, for my soul is
famishing for human sympathy"
"GOu may"
"And you will not think less of me
because | have sinned and suffered%'
''I will not"
'Five years ago-nay 1 must begin
I further back. Ten years ago 1 knew
and loved a young girl. She was Il
loving child, tender-hearted and win
ming. She won my heart ere knew
I it, and asked her to be my wife. She
consented, and, when we parted, hung
around my neck and wept so bitterly
that 1 found it very hard to leave. /
went back to Germany, and after
wards carried with me all over the
continent the memory of that beauti-
full face, and more than it, the memo
ry Of the gentle, loving heart. I re-
turned five years later to find a cold
hearted, naughty woman, who repeII- |
ed my tenderness, and threw back |
upon my aching heart the true love / |
would have felt for her, if she had but I
been tender and patient. But must |
be just found the lady so changed /
in personal appearance that I did not /
know her at first, and doubtless my
manner seemed cold to her, for was |
mourning for my dear, my beautiful. !
Etsy, and could not believe this pale /
cold woman she.
1--WE were married within the hour /
of my arrival, and though at first my |
soul sickened, did strive before God l
to five her my love, but 1 verify be-
lieve she hated me, for she grew cold .
and disdainful every day, till, mad
with sorrow and regret, / left my
home to wander discOnsolate and sad
all over the earth. Twice, remember
ing that she was my wife, l wrote
begging her to join me, for 1 could
not bear TO return to the Grange,
where all know my sad history, but
she haughtily refused saying in herlast
letter that she fancied our paths would
be happiest far apart.
"You, too, have known sorrow, Mrs.
Willis but it is better to mourn for the
dead than the living"
Lionel PeytOn loved the weeper, ,and
it required all his honor and manhood,
all his self control, to keep from taking
her in his arms and telling her So
He did not, for all the pleadings of his
heart, but continued:
''Later met with one, who before
I was aware 6fit, crept into my heart
"a beautiful, regal woman, with a
passionate tropical nature entirely
suited to mine. loved that woman,
but dared not tell her so; my honor
forbade it, and yet love her! o, my
God, thou knowest it all r'
As the white lips grew calmer he
said:
"To-night, for all battling, this wild
love is clamOring to be heard; all thu
anguish and regret, all the harder to
bear because unspOken. / thought 1
must speak or die, but when the
storm was at its height great calm
came over my spirit, and something.
like Gods great pity, fell upon my
tempted soul, and once more 1 was
able TO overcome. ] have come to say
goodbye Essie. There is only one
course for me to pursue. L must re-
join my poor wife, and, if she is will
ling to receive the prOdigal, try and
make her happy"
"Did you love her so much, this
beautiful woman OF whom you spoke
better than any beauty of Italy or {
Spain, or any one you met in your
wanderings
His face flushed, then paled.
"Better than any woman on earth
better than anything but my honor
and my God" and he held with an
iron grasp, the spall white hand he
had taken in his.
Glove her! ah, it would be heaven
to be always>by her side; to watch the
flash and CLEAN of those proud eyes, {
and the shining of the black hair, {
and the proud throat, rs white as
snow"
'Itmust have been very hard to give !
her up?'
'It was hard. What should you :
have done so circumstanced ?'' +;
AZ would have been true to my (
honor and my God, as you were" 4;
"God bless you, Essie. Now we (
must part. (
Z sic had been meTciless, bet the ]
heart craved all she could
hear of the love she bore for her. But +,
the strain had been too great, and as (
she arose to go, she faltered, and ,
would have fallen had he not caught {
her in bis arms. He seated her again
and brought goblet of water.
"You know who the woman is, Es- (
sic that is so dear to me-" (
HI have known it from the first"
"And you still advise me 20 return
to my wife >"
81 do" 4
"And if she will not receive me?" ;
"Then return to Europe and work
for the good of others, and for Gods
glory"
ne uIEN llGE tAuSt 10 his llt3tIt-
"This once let me hold you here /
and now farewell1'
A moment more and she was alone,
and Lionel PeytOn was wildly pacing
his chamber floor, with broken words
of prayer upon his lips.
A week from that time found Etsy
at the Grange, where she found let
ter awaiting her, announcing the ar
rival of her husband on the following
night.
80, Etsy, if you only loved Lionep'
said the disappointed mother.
"Perhaps l may, mother. Perhaps
he may find me worthy to be loved"
He came at seven o'clock. The
long drawing-rOOm was lighted in
honor of his return, and the servants,
at least with bright new suits and
faces, showed the joy at his
return.
He was shown into the reception
room, while uncleCatO went tOapprise
Miss Etsy.
He returned in a few moments, say
ing she would see him in the drawing
room.
Lionel bit his lip, and followed the
old servant with proud step.
"At least she might have been here
to welcome me-" he thought. /.
Under the brilliant gas-light stood
that beautiful Essie he was trying to
forget. 4
Again-must he again battle with
his spirit to keep down that mad love
which haunted him every hour. What
conld have brought this beauty to the
Grange.
She sprang to meet him.
20, Lionel, am so glad.n II
And, bending back her beautiful
head, she held u2 her lips for kiss.
AZ cannot, Essis-I dare not. l
am glad, and yet sorry, that we have
met" II
But she fettered him with her
white arms, and drew his face close TO /
hers.
"LioneI, if you will take me, am
yours, for am Etsy PeytOn."
The strOng man reeled, and would