Litchfield enquirer., 1872-08-29

swift and sharp. But 1t had fallen back upon her own head now. This very morn ing handsome Dan had come back again to Arle, and earned his revenge, too, though he had only meant to clear him self when he told her what chance had brought to light. He had come back her lover, the man who had conquered and sweetened her bitter nature as floth- ing else on earth had power to do--he had come back and found her what she was the wife of man for whom she had l never cared, the wife of the man who had played them both false, and robbed her of the one poor gleam of joy she had | known. She had been hard and wild enough at first, but just now, when she l slipped down upon the doorstep with her back turned to the wretched man within when 1t came upon her that. traitor as he was, she herself had given him the right to take her bright faced lovers place and usurp his tender power-when the fresh sea breeze blew upon her face and stirred her hair, and the warm rare sun | shine touched her, even breeze and sun l shine helped her to the end, 30 that she broke down into 8 sharp, sharp sob, as any other woman might have done, 1 only that the repressed strength of her
 
 and deeper than another woman's would have been.
 "You mought ha' left me that!" she said ''You thought hal left it to mel There are other women as would ha' done 70, there wur no other man on earth as would do me. Yo knowed what my life had been, an how it were hand to hand between other folk an me- Yo knowed how much I cared fur him an what he wur to me. To thought ha' let us be. I nivver harmed ye. Iwouldna harm you so sinful cruel now." -5
 ..Wilt ta listen?'' he asked, laboring as if for breath. 2
 'Aye," she answered him, ssI'll listen, for tha canna hurt me worser- Tn sday fur that's past an gone. gIsf.s.5 e.5 r
 .sWel, said he, 'slisten an I'll try to tell yo- know it.a no use, but I maun say word or two. Happen 70 dinna know I loved yo aw yo're hfe-happen 70 dinna, but it's true. When you wor lit tie lass gatherin' sea-weed on tn sands I watched 70 when wor afeared to speak -afeared lest yo'd gI me sharp answer, fur yo wor ready enow wi 'em, wench. I've watched yo fur hours when wur great lubberly lad, an when 70 gettin' to be woman it wur tn same thing. I watched yo an did yo many turn as yo knowed nOwt about. When 70 wur search in for drift to keep up tn fire after the owd mon deed an left 70 alone, happen 70 nivver guessed as it wor me as heaped little piles f th'' hooks O tn rocks so as yo'd think at tn the tide had left it theer happen yo didn't, but it wor true. I've stayed round tn old house many meet feared summat thought harm 70, an yo know 70 nivyer gave me good word, Meg. An then Dan comm an he made way wi yo as he made way wi aw tn rest men an women an children. He nivver worked an waited as I did-he nivver thowt an prayed as did; everything allus did come easy wi him, an when seed him so ight-hearted an careless about what wor crayin' 1t run me daft an blind. Scent like he couldna cling to it like did, and I begun to fight agen it, an when I heerd about that lass O Barnegats l towd 70, an when I seen yo believed what I dinna believe mysen it run me dafter yet, an I put more to what wor an theer it stands, an if I've earnt a curse, lass, I've gettin' it fnr-fur thowt yo'd been learnin' to care fur me bit sin we wor wed, an God knows I've tried to treat 70 foir an kind f my poor way. It worna Dan Morgan's way, know-his wur better way than mine, tn sun shown on him somehow-but I've done my best an truest sim"
 "Yo've done yo're worst," she said. ''Th' worst 70 could do wor to part us, an 70 did it. If yo'd been half mon yo wouldna ha' been content wi a woman yo'a trapped with sayin' Aye an' who cared less for yo than she did fur tn sand on tn sea-shore. Whats what yo've done sin to what 70 did afore? Yo cannot wipe that out and yo cannot mak me forget. I hate 70, an tn worse becaese I wor be- ginnin' to be content bit. I hate my sen. I ought to ha' knowed" wildly 'ehe would ha' knowed whether I wor true or false, poor chap-ho would ha' know ed." s
 She rocked herself to and fro for min ute, wringing her hands in passion of anguish worse than any words, but min ute later she turned on him all at once.
 "Alls OCT between 70 an me-" she said with fierce heat; edo you know that? If yo wor half a man you would"
 He sat up and stared at her humbly and stupidly. .a L4.s
 ''Eh?" he said at last.
 tTheer's not mon f Arle as is not more to me now than tha art, 1" she said. Some on 'em be honest, an canna say that o'thee. Tha canst get the gone or I'll go mysen Tha knows't me well enow to know I'll ne'er forgie thee for what tha's done. Aye"-with the passion ate hand-wringing again s'but that wun- not undo it. :"
 He rose and came to her, trembling like a man with the ague. . ''You dunnot mean that theer, Meg, " he said slowly. ssYou dunnot mean it word fur word. Think bit. :"
 ''Aye but dc" she answered him, set ting her white teeth, 'tword fur word" 'Think again, wench. ]" And this time he staggered and caught hold of the door, post. ''Is there nowt as Il go agen tn wrong? I've lived vi thee nigh year, an I've loved thee twenty lis there nowt fur me? Aye, lass, dunnot be too hard. Ina was allus harder than most woman kind; try an be bit softer like to'rds tn mon as risked his soul because he war . mon an darena lose thee. Ina laid thy head on my shoulder last neek Aye, lass lass. think O that fur one minnit. : Perhaps she did think of it, for surely she faltered Gttle-what woman would not have faltered at such moment?- but the next. the memory of the sunny, half boyish face she had clung to with SO strong l love, rushed back upon her and struck her to the heart She remembered the days when her life had seemed so full that she had feared her own bliss she remembered the gallant speeches and l ight-hearted wiles, and all at once she I cried out in fierce impassioned voice
 sTu ne'er forgie thee, she said-t1u ne'er forgie thee to tn last day Q my life.
 What for should T? Tha's broke my heart, thou villain-th broke my heart. And the next minute she had pushed past him and rushed into the house. s.,s zs .. For Q minute or SO after she was gone
 the man stood leaning against the dool l with dazed look in his pale face. She meant what she said: he had known hel
 long enough to understand that she nesel forgaye-neyer forgot. Her unbroken will and stubborn strength had held her te
 enmities all her life, and he knew she wa not to be won by such things as won othel