Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-07-23
from the St. James Magazine.l
A TRU E Low e r.
IN THREE CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER l.
'oFr WITH THE OLD LOVE. "

confidence III lnb OtneI lhct uitdillcu
! ,,as at-hoD3e." he saws, yearningly at
wv was 80 A' awfuIIy reall I'd like to tell you
abont her Elphinstone, If you didn't mind. "
"Do. answers Shafto, soothingly, support
inq him with strong arm, and putting the
pillows straight tenderly, II clumsily i've
thought there was something.
"ilaye you?" asked Dennis, family. "Well,
# isn't much of story. | met her first at a
hall | don't know about her being so Won
derfully pretty but she was unlike all other
girls in the room, and everywhere else. She
made me feel worse than | had ever felt be-
fore and yet wish more to be good-quite
from the first moment. We'll, met her at a
lot more places. | never meant to fall in
love with her, nor to make her love mel
knew | was in debt, and awfully poor, and
fiat couldn't marry for years. When |
Thought there wasn't any danger, ! didn't see
why should go away, and by the time saw
there was, | e0utdat.
"Poor Paddy !" said Shafto, pityingly.
"And she-bless her continued Dennis,
smiling little, with the sublime triumph Of
a true lover, in spite of everything, at the
thought; ''she didn't want me to go. When
spoke to her and told her had meant all
along to do what was right and honorable,
but how my love had got too strong for me,
and must spcak-she spoke too. She told
me she loved me, and that she was gladder
and prouder of it than If I'd been king on
his throne she said we'd wait for each other,
and he constant, and trustful, and true all
onr lives. And - but | needn't tell all
that, sighed Dennis wearily and mourn
fully. Its so bitter now it's all over. Well
we went on loving and hoping and tried
to get my affairs little straight and to find
something TO do at home But | could not,
aud only got worse and worse off-and my
leave was coming to an end, and everything
/ knew what it would he, leaving her with
her people, who would persuade her was a
good-for-nothing scamp, and would try to
make her marry one OF the other men who
liked her; for there were several They
would be there, and encouraged, and far
away, and abused | was jealous, wretched,
and Inundated by being so poor that |
hadn't even right to have heart, it
seemed and | made her miserable, and
even il-my precious one. But still she
bore with me, and tried to comfort me. o
Ephnstone !" asked Dennis, turning his
head sharply, and staring with anxious dila-
ted eyes, ''don't you think God'll reward her
for tiat-lor all the pain in some way ?
Surely answered Shafto in shaken
voice. "Poor little girl Yes?"
Things were in that way, when one day,
Just before was going, by appointment, TO
meet her in the Row | got note from a
cousin of mine, who had not long been mar
red, imploring me to see her instantly, say
ing she would wait in a quiet part of the
Park till came, for it was matter of life
and death to her. | had not moment TO
write to my darling, even ii she'd been at
home to receive note. went of at once
to Nora-nly cousin, and found her awfully
upset Her husband-quite lad-was in AN
awful scrape, one she dared not breathe to
any one but me not even to me, till she had
sworn me TO secrecy. ! gave her the best
advice in my power, (we had always been
tfiends,) and left her. 1t was late, and
thought il would be of no use going to the
Row, though was in sight of it. Ii | only
had Strange, how day, an hour spoils n
mans whole life - though, perhaps, said
Dennis slowly and painfully, "it's better as
it is. went to -four O'Clock tea at my dar-
lmgs house (she'd asked me before) They
wouldn't let me in. | went away angry; but
wrote and asked the reason, and begged her
10 STE me the next day. She wrote back to
say Yes, but in the coolest way. | found
another fellow there when | arrived this put
mt out, and wasn't in temper to receive
meckly her hits at some crime of mine which
! was unconscious of having committed. We
qarrclIed and said hard things to each other
1t came out AT last that she had seen me with
her enough to content her but | was in a
rage and too proud even to defend myself.
said ii she couldn't trust me she didn't love
mt; and she said the want of trust was on
my side. And so we parted, muttered Kill
courcy, with groan, 'like that-angry-for
ever"
didn't you try to make it up?" inquired
Elphinstone, sympathetically, wondering sim
ply at the madness related.
No. returned Kilcourcy, his voice getting
very faint. IL wrote five or six letters, and
tore them up, | thought if she couldn't trust
me she'd he too wretched when was away.
knew | could aeger break it off If | didn't
tlen--if | saw her or heard her voice. And
was an awfully bad match, and had nt
right to spoil her prospects, and make her un
happy besides. People had often told me so
but of course while we two were so perfectly
happy in each other, laughed at them. Now
! saw it all So, to be out of temptation,
lett town: knew should soonbe far enough
III India, for my leave was up
Did she write, or anything?'
One little note it wasn't too warm
but that was an opening. Did you writ
back 7"
Yes. | said we'd better part; that it wa
all hopeless, and couldn't bear things as the,
were any longer, SO | was going away, bu
t''t oilbulu Always uClf dlNt Ila.
ior her happiness. Oh, | was a fool, a COW
ald!' groaned Dennis, between his teeth
But its best for her. She'll marry bette
fellow than am, and one who can give he
home, and not burden her with his bite
troubles.
well"
We'll, then left and came here And it
all over, repeated Kilcourcy, dreamily.
Perhaps not" suggested Ephinston'
eheeringy. perhaps you'll go home whe
you're better off, and find her true after all.
"ol, no, no! !" cried Dennis, passionatell
throwing himself back on the pillow. 81
never 90 home again, nor see her. She mu
ut married by now And as he lay, l.
Wllled at the thought.
AlattO tried hard to comfort him. He ha
momcnary idea of doing something in
pcrunlary way for this hapless pair but De-
ms reiterated declaration that his love love
nm no longer, coupled with the fact that mt
cannot receive these favors at each other
nauls, held him back from even its expire
sion
30, when Dennis, exhausted with talking
mutlered, "No,-I love her, worship he
n1l u never, never see her again!" he WI
Henced, and could only pity him with Il
protecting tenderness which men of his stan
sometimes have for nature with feminil
lolbeS like kilcourcy's, and do his utmost
a','lasc the invalid's physical sufferings.
Dennis fell sound asleep at last; and /
pllllslone left him at early dawn, breatlAl
80 softly that his chest scarcely stirred, al
ChSIlng i'm his wasted hand a little lock,