Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-07-19


more had asked him, and she knew o
no excuse to make. She had felt
slight uneasiness lately about this grow
ing intimacy. Leslie acted strangely
too. She only feared for him; she wa
safe, OF course, in her husbands love
But she did not like 10 have Leslie looi
at Lena Dinsmore with that look on Iii
face she had seen once or twice, ant
hich once, long ago, when it wouil
have been no sin, she had warned hin
against. She was thinking it over Whel
the doer opened almost noiseiessiy anf
Leslie came in, looking so white anC
haggard that she gave faint scream
impressed for the instant that it was hi,
wrath.
- In mercy's name, Leslie, what il
the matter? springing to her feet as
he came towards her.
"Hush, Celia! there's no cause fOl
ALARM he said, his teeth chattering.
1.Why, Leslie, yoa are enough tn
frighteu one, How pale you are. and, >
putting her hand on his arm, lyon are
wrlnging wet, too. Were you 4capsiZed
and, . Leslie' where is Lena? She
pausing in sudden terror at hei
own thoughts"
.'No, she is at her own house. was
careless, | suppose, and the boat run
against rock. She was alarmed aud
sprang up, giving the boat inrch
which carried her over into the water.
1t was close in shore, and SO of course
she wasn't drowned. Can + take this
light !" he asked abruptly.
Certainly. But how came you so
wet? Did you have to help her ont?
But of course you did,"
II waded in to push the boat ashore, .
was the evasiye answer.
Mrs. Hargraye frightened up the fire,
for though it was June the evening had
been chill, and sat down to wait for
Leslie'S temperance. She had fully
made up her mind to speak to him about
his evident interestin Lena DInsmOre.
She thought it her dnty to, and, as nn-
pleasant as it was, she resolved to do It,
hoping, indeed, that her fears were un-
founded.
He came in presently, his tace still
wearing that. strange, white look that
she never saw in it but once before-the
day he had received that letter from
Agnes Carroll, recalling him to Balti-
more. She sat a few moments watch
ing him in silence. Her gaze drew his,
and he'looked tip.
"What?'' seeing the question in her
face.
.'You will not be angry, Leslie?'
"Angry?"
Eyes, angry. for Pm going to say
something that NAV be unpleasant.
think it my duty to speak to you. on
your own account, and---hers. | feel it
the more because l first urged you to go,
hut | never dreamed-O, Lesiiet i'll
Heavens name tell me that | shall not
have cause to regret it'll she said pas
sionately.
He did not speak or move, save to turn
his face a little more in the shadow.
'Ieslie!" speaking sharp and quick,
"tell me that you do not care for LEM.
Dinsmore more than ether women" "
She was leaning forward, her breath
coming short and quick.
He lifted his face from the shadow
and turned it towards her.
"Shall | tell yon a faisehood, Celia ?''
he said steadily.
go, Leslie, Leslie! what are. you
thinking of? Why will you he so reck-
less as to involve us all i'll rain? Why
will you persist in loving her, of all
WOmen-'
Cecilia" he interrupted, turning
squarely upon her, his eyes flashing
fiercelv, "you do well to deHOunce me
for loving this girl, you who loved her
Jdther!" "
She grew white, and put up her hand
as il to keep him away; but she did not
deny it, or even question how he came
by the knowledge, ouly saying, as if in
eXtenuatiOn
''But he was not married, Leslie"
"Ahd when he was yoar love turned
to hate; mine did not; that is the differ
ence."
at is false! | never ceased to love
Walter Hargraye while he lived" " ant.
then Suddenly conscious of The terrible
admission she had made, she leaned OH
the table and broke into passionate
weeping.
He sat down beside her, soothing her
as she had once soothed him. He touch
ed her hair .tenderly, and kissed her
white thin hand. AT last he began to un-
derstan.t what her life had been all these
years, and out of his own pain grew
pitiful towards hers. But Lena Dins-
between them.
For week Leslie fought down his
desire to see Lena, but at the end Of that
time he yielded, and went up there. He
had succeeded in persuading himself
that he could handle Goals and not be
burned. He tlattered himself that he
was SO much stronger than thousands oi
others, who have tried the same Ihing
and felt, that he could go just so far and
no farther; that ne could stand on the
brink and not go over mtg the DARK
abyss below, as they had done.
At first there was Il little restraint be
tween them-neither could quite forget
If the Doctor was absent, Jane Davitl
was summoned from the kitchen to sii
with them which fact she attributed u
her own personal attractions, OF which
she had an average share, and strangely
enough was not ignorant of the fact
as most Young women are. She was no
altogether insensible to the fascination:
OF Wolcott, and as he talked to her moro
of late, some very bewildering idea:
took possession Of her brain.
Over and over Lena resolved never
to see Leslie WolcOtt again. Away from
the Influence of his presence she cohlt
make numberless resolutions. only to b'
broken at the first touch of his hand, d
glance of his eye. She knew that sh'
Was helpless in his presence. Something
of the feeling she had experienced /
year before came over her at times. Sh'
grew weak and giddy sometimes, ant
| then a memory of that terrible Hines
Woald4 come over her, and, stealth.
| back, o such long, long distance
came the memory of those sweet days o
convalescence, and the memory o
something yeetef still, that dawned Ol
her first family, and then growing i'm
perceptibly stronger, until one evening
should she ever forget it Fit blossom
ell into blessed certainty. But tina
was-O, so very long ago! 1t was littl
more than a memory now. Sometime
she almost fancied it was Il dream, see
ing the calm, tstndio,ts, face of her hus
band, that, though always kind and gen
erous, was always grave and quiet alst
She began to think that rare smil
which dawned in his face, and Wine
had changed it SD maryellonsly, was al
ii chimera of her distempered imagina
ton; and perhaps the go my darling
my love!" whose memory thrilled he
even nov, was nothing more. lie neve
said it now-he never smiled at her i
that way now.
And so. when she grew listless an
the roses burned titfully, if he had take
her in his arms and said, elena, loy
you my pretty darling," it would ha,
had II very different effect from I'll
nauSeouS tonics he DID administer. Bl
it. never entered lis wise brain that
woman ever needed any such medicl
as that.
! And so, while she grew weaker to RI
sist, and the danger grew nearer aI