The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-10-30

bis brows in vain effort to remember
anything about It. BE couldn't. Il
was very strange. He fancied be knew
the writing, but yet could not tell
whose it Was-eertainly net his OVID
nor recollect anything about the pack
ct. He considered little and then
said, "You had better take it to her,"
He took a pen and wrote on the COZ.
er "Ceca has just. found this among
my old papers. I have 90 idea how or
when it came into my possession, Meth.
er can l make out the hand, though it
doesn't seem altogether strange. Per.
haps you can solve the mystery"
Ill. ITS MESSAGE AFTER MANY
DAYS.
It was in verse, as Franks valentines
had always been ; halting, snd with
queer rhymes and changes of measure.
It WAS full Of the. half:humorous ten
derness Of quiet friendship ; and it
ended with a hope that she would make
"eld Hugh" happier than his drst wife
did; that was if she accepted him;
and with demand for her congra,ula.
tions upon bis own approaching mar.
riage; since be was "the hsppies. f<l-
low allve,' and couldn't keep tn. ns-s
from her, though it was a secret from
all beside.
And the evening grew old; the
white fecked sky turned colder, and
the moon came out. But Lady Rsia.
ban sat with this voice of the dead ia
her hand, motionless full of humflis.
tlon and remorse. Aud she Was think
ing of many years of bitterness s.0d
SORROW and pride; and Of hea7J tas.
ri6ce to a myth, tor she had neser
loved bin. And her husband-1ho.i
she did loVe-whom she had wsonsed
how was she to atone to himl
By and by the door opened and Co.
oil stole in. And she saw Lady Rsin.
hams face turned toward the window
With the moonbeams lighting it, snd
thought she had never seen anything
so beautiful in her life.
"Mamma," she said softly, "why
don't you come down? We are wait.
iog. papa and l ard it's cold ue
here"
~ vii! come," said Lady Rainbsm :,
but her volo7 was strange. Cecil knelt
beside the chair and drew her mothers
arm round her neck.
GLOW cold you are! Dear msmms,
is anything the matter? Cannot /
comfort you?''
Lady Rainham bent down ,pd held
her 10 close embrace.
my darling, sou always do. eau
not tell whether want comfort noH or
not. | am going down to your father,
aud Cecil, 1 must go alone ; 4; h.ze
something to say" : 9>a
She went into the drawing.room,
straight up to where her husband sat
listlessly in his chair at the window.
He started when he saw her, aud said
something hurriedly about ringing for
lights, but she stopped him.
ut will be better thus, for Whist I
have to say. Hugh, I have com. y
ssk your forgiveness" "a
Sir Hugh did not, answer. Tho
speech took him SO BY, surprise. a,a
she had never called h,m HueA b,fo.e,
sinees e their marriage. He h,d .iae
enough 70 tell himself that it was .a1r
another mookkery, and would end N ,hs
old way.
But standing there, with Fr.nk'. let.
ter in her hand, she told. him Ill, net
spariog herself, and then asked # he
could not forgive her. She was ne.
prepared for the great love which sac-
wered her; which had lived sr,hsp-.
ed through all her oolduess and r..
pulses; aOd which drew her closer to
him now perhaps than it might hs, a
done if her pride had never ssG,rsd
under these years of wretohsdnsss.
Cecil never knew exactly what ssa
happened but " hen her father es,
his arm round her and called her hi
blessing, she looked up at him With a
odd sort OF consciousness that n scns
way or other the old valentine fo,ad ia
her rummage amongst his papers hsa
to do with the change she saw. AMI
it was her doing. So she made a. b.,
~llful mind straigbtway to exul. eel
triumph over the fact to poor Charley;
end then, If he wanted to send her So
other next year,-why, after Z p1o>5.
amount Of teasing aud suspense, vil.aa
was good tor him and Kept hiE ia Co.
der, she would perhaps say tsas b.,
might.