The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-03-25

|
words had passed my lips, Harry's honest
blue eyes looked so reproachfully at me,
and he shook his head with such a
mournfully despondent air.
"Its not that sort Of thing, Nelson
he said. "Tou don't understand me
quite. I'm past thirty and never cared
well, old chum. l do care for this one,
and she never can be anything to me. |
can't help feeling it little
"Bat why be SO faint-hearted, my dear
boy If know anything of the ribra-
tions of a woman's voice, there was some
thing tugging at the Signorina's heart. |
strings when she uttered that soft mo |
last night Coquetry, Harry, and noth-
ing mare. Go and see her this morning.
and you II come away the happiest fellow |
in England, I'll be bound"
But Harry did not seem to fnd as much |
encouragement in my view of the matter
as [ had expected. On the contrary, he
passed his hand through his short light
curls uutil they stood fairly on end, and
/ paced up and down the room with an
anxious, disturbed expression on his
handsome face, which surprised and puz-
zlcd me. s.It isn't that, Will; it isn't
that" he said at last. 81 believe that
Angela cares for me. I've lived long
enough to know the signs, you see, and
if she docs not, / am quite certain | could
make her. But there's another draw
back, old cIum-a fearful, insurmount-
able obstacle, which I've often wanted to
| tell you, but never could-l'ma married
already"
] had lived good while in the world,
and soon 17D1ar r,oct of its r,bacae
aspects consequently surprise was rather
an unusual emotion with me; but frankly
confess that was completely stupefed at
Harry's announcement. Confused recoI-
lections of college larks, Mary Ann, the
pretty bar maid at the Blue Posts, of all
the women [ had ever known Harry to
fir with, rushed through my brain, only
to incl ease my bewildcrment. Since we
turned our backs upon Oxford six years
before, Harry and | had hardly been sep
aratcd for day. l had been home for
twelfemonths visit, but Harry had gone
with me, and we had made the tour of
Canada and the United States together.
! During all that time had never heard of
his having an ENHANCEMENT; and if any
one had told me that there was an incl
dent of Harry Fane's life, or even
not familiar, should have repudiated
the idea with disdain. 1t was impossi
BILE to doubt his sanity, and yet for the
moment l almost feared that his reason
was unsettled.
1T can't be true. Harry l said s'you
must be either mad or dreaming
True, my dear fellow wish could
think it was not" he replied. -.In all
I q TO RI RI
accused net was thrown around me, I've
never really felt it until now; but take
another weed, old fellow, and I'll tell you
the tale as briefly and as calmly as | can
''You know, of course that my mother
was Spanish woman, and that | was
born in Cadiz. My fathers estates in
this country had been completely eaten
up by the extravagances of his predeces-
sors, my grandfather having even sold
the entail 10 cover his liabilities. My
mothers family belonged TO the cid
grandees Of Spair, aud were Immensely
rich She ran away with my father,
believe, and there was great row, which
. all ended happily, as the young couple
: were forgiven and taken back by the OUT
ragged parents. was their only child
and, after the accursea custom of that
"
of nv long clothes to my cousin, the
. daughter OF my mothers brother, and
, the heiress of half of Andalusia. Ifthey
had only kept me in Spain, it wouldn't
have significd so much; might have
been respectable old Hidalgo by this
} time, smelling of garlic, and smoking ike
, an old chimney But my father insisted
upon sending me to England when | was
!
have been here almost ever since.
} ''When l was about twenty, and just
. ready for the university, | was sent for to
come home and see my mother, who was
10 dying state. So | went, and found
her bent upon being present at my mar
: riage before she died. My gentle, beau
, tiful motheri ! can sec her now, her
dying eyes raised and looking. into
mine, with that wistful, anxious, i'm
ploring look which belongs only to
those on the borders of the promised
land, and which no man with a spark of
generosity in him could withstand. She
thought she was doing me kindness.
She thought my happiness for life would
be secured if the great estates of the De
Castros were united to our own. Poor
mother If she could see me now!
"Well, consented, of course who
wouldn't ?-and, to make long story
short, We We're married in my. fathers
private chapel in Cadiz, and | have
never seen my wife from that day to
this, and never will again with my own
consent, SO help me Heaven fla divorce
court can be found to dissolve the mar
riage, it shall be done. Do you think
there's any chance? Say something to
cheer me up, old fellow"
''Ihis wife of yours, you haven't
given a fair chance. my dear boy; you
might come to love her in time. As for
a divorce in Spain, and in the Romish
communion too, it is simply impossible.