Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-05-04

word. BY the very might of my love I
swear to You that if you will come to me
will Eot touch SO much as the hem of
your garment. But must speak to you"
Agnes had never left her chamber since
the fire. But when Captain Chester enter
ed the library that evening yelled figure
in black rose from the sofa in the far cor
ner of the room and advanced step or
two. just one word escaped the lips OF
each-"Agnes," "Hugh"-as their hands
met for moment.
The gas in the adjoining room was turn
ed low, 80 that only the faintest glimmer
of twilight pervaded the apartment
where they sat. The veil was not needed
as a protection even from the eager eyes
of love but think Agnes wore it less fol
her own sake than for the effect it was
likely to have upon Hugh.
/ She reasoned wisely. At first some
/ nameless dread, some vague and nndefin-
ed terror, seemed to fold Hugh Chester's
senses in its stony clasp. For ten min
utes he sat beside her, himself as silent
as motionless, as statue. The very blood
seemed to freeze in his veins, and the fingers
that were clinched until the blood purpled
beneath the nails were cold as icicles.
But at length the subtitle magnetism OF
her presence, the old familiar spell, began
to exert its wonted power in spite of the
sable robes, the clinging veil, and the
mystery that crouched behind it. He
had said in that supreme hour of their
lives, "You and beauty are one. can
not separate or disconnect you. can not
think of you, Agnes, save as what you
are" But now, with that black veil isol-
ating her and setting her apart from him
in an atmosphere of her own, while it bid
behind its folds he knew not what of
ugliness and deformity, he felt that the
charm was still there, that the sweet
womanliness of the woman exalted itself
in spite of all
He kept his word. He did not touch
so much as the hem of her garment.
But, dropping on one knee beside her. his
lips were at last unsealed. The enforced
calm in which Agnes had wrapped her
self was broken, and her slight form
swayed to and fro like "a reed shaken by
the wind"
stop stopl" she cried at last; "your
words torture me beyond endurance.
For sweet mercy's sake leave me, Hugh,
and go your way"
"But why. my beloved ?" he answered,
gently. "Why should 1 leave you? Ny
place is here"
| "You do not know-you do not under
stsnd-you do not even dresm" she
cried vehemently. "You have not the
slightest idea what you are talking about.
If yeu were to see this poor disfgured
face of mine, Hugh, your pity would
draw you towards me-your manly honor
Il terhf IL % -
have taken, but your love would never
survive the shock. 1t would be stricken
dead"
"Try it and see." he whispered softly.
"Let me look just for one instant upon
the dear face you so defame. l should
find love in your eyes and tenderness up
on your lips, know, and that would con-
| tent me-"
"No, no, I cannot !" she exclaimed pit
eously. 1T would kill me. l should
see the horror in your eyes, however
much you strove to conceal it, and l
should fall dead at yourYfeet. Not that |
care to live, but for your sake, I would
not receive my death stroke from your
hands"
"Then-I will watt" he said in his
strong, manly patience. al do not give
up, Agnes, but bide your time. Some
time you will say to me, L am yours, nv
husband, utterly, at last Till then l
wait"
But" she said, through her tears Il do
not want you to wait. I would not bind
the living to the dead. God has raised q
wall between US, and sealed it with the
seal of His providence. AS I said in my
letter. Hugh, there are divorces to be
had"
divorces Do not speak that word
again, Agnes. Do not pollute your lips
with it. You are my wife, and so help
me God, will be true to you go long as
we both shall live"
There was silence between the pair for
many minutes. Then Captain Chester
spoke again very quietly:
"But meanwhile, Agnes, what will you
do with your life This terrible void has
come into it. How will you fill it up ?"
"If I were Romanist," she said, striv-
ing to emulate his calmness, 81 should
seek some silent cloister, where l might
hide myself for ever. But Professionalism
offers no such refuge to her children. Yet
there is work enough to be done God
has given me wealth, and his poor are
everywhere"
They talked on for another hour, he
brayely putting aside his own anguish
for while, and helping her to order her
life, she giving him the sad joy of know
ing that be was the one human being
upon whom she leaned with an unfalter-
ing trust. Then they psrted-each to
take up the burden of their altered lives
Two years passed. Captain Chester
had won 1aurels meet for the braveet
and the woman who loved him so we'll
that she would not give herself to him
read of his prowess with>a beating heart,
and called him by all the old heroic names
that were not born to die As for her,
she had found her work Hazlehurst
rang with the voices of little children
whose fathers had fallen in battle. With
out the aid of convent vows Agnes had
consecrated herself to the service Of God
and these little ones.
She had thought to wear her veil al
wsys, at home and abroad. Bat it re-
PEELED the children. They were awed by
its seeming mystery and at length shel
laid it aside. Soon she found that her
wan, SCARED, dishgured face was glorifed
in the eyes of those pure, guileless ones
They saw nothing but beauty in the ten
der eyes, the lips that were laden with
blessing, the hands that were swift to n
them good. They loved her; and in tb cir
love the hungry craving OF her heart was
in measure satisfied.
The children were TO have festival.
Hazlehurst was in q state Of ple,4s mt fer
ment and excitement. There was low
Gus hum of preparation all ovcr the house
and through the grounds. A stnging was
to be erected for some tsbleaux, and one
frolicsome urchin had perched himself up
on the gate post to watch for the coming
of the carpenter who was 70 put it mp.
Presently he ran to Agnes, shouting and
clapping his hands.
Him has come him has come !" he
cried, exultingly.
'Sbow the m n into the dining-room,
Katy. The stage is to be put up at the
north end