The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-12-04
The Gribuur.
THANKSGIVING At MARKuAM
HOUSE.
BY BLANCHE SHAW.

man continued:
Yes, Mary. in spite of your quiet
patience, / have guessed your secret.
hoping that time would tear the veil
from your eyes and show him to you III
his true light. But | have hoped Ill
vain. You, still obstinately, hug your
de fusion 10 your heart, and further for
bearance on my part would be weakness.
My child, think what you are dolrg.
Look at gray hairs and failing strength.
In the course Ct nature it is not probab' e
that | shall be with you many more
years. And your youth is passing, Mary,
aud taking with it the power to bear
unhurt the cold Indifference OF the woild
You cannot be happy alone, Mary. Your
nature Is too gentle for it. You need u
strong loving hand TO help you over The
rough spots of life. Without it you
would shrink and wither. and suffer d
Thousand deaths before 1t came at last to
rest you. Think Of this, Mary. Think
how / have luved you, think OF my
sgoDy in leaving you 10 such Il fate
Think Of all. aud do not let the ue;uary
of u base scouudrel blast your happine- 5
forever"
The speaker, a kindly -lookiag, gray
haired man. bent over the woman, AID
laid his hand upon her bowed head. She
did Lot speak, aud after moment he
continued:
MARX Eld0n is true, honest man.
He loves you with all the strength of his
nature. Your happiness will he his first
and dearest care, aud knowing it in his
keeping | could die happy. o Mary, do
not let that base nllscreant stab NE with
q double.edged sword. Do not let him
break your heart, as well as disgrace my
name fore ver Think of his ingralitude,
his black
The girl lifted her head hastily.
stop! Stop in PHYS name. II
you can say these words | cannot hear
them. 0 my dear guardian. how can il
be, that you, so kind and good to every
one, are SO harsh and cruel of him
Think how long ago it was. Think o1
those long years of remorse and probabl'
suffering Think of the time he played
cannot forgive him, at the least think
kindly"
She clasped his hand in both of hers
and looked appeaiingly at him, but hi.
brow only grew dark. and he shut hi
teeth tightly as he replied:
"Why should | think of him whcr
every thought but makes NE breathe q
fresh curse upon him, undutifnl son, dis.
honest man, and false lover Think oI
him My God, if | could but forget hln
and The stain he has put upon me y
He clenched his hands ard paced tie
floor rapidly few moments and then
stopping by her again. said hueki!y:
Pardon my vehemence. Mary
should not have given vent to my feel
iDes, but an oyer-snIouldering fame will
sometimes burst ont. Rs.. eneuei, OF it !
Ten years iavu elapsed since Albert
Markham 5 name has passed my lips and
should live fifty more. swear it shall
not pass them again. | renew my curse,
and cast him off afresh, black hearted
traitor that he Is May he live vaga-
bond upon the earth, and may he suffer
but the hundreth part of the agony he
has inflicted upon me! Mol no!' he
said, as Mary made an effort TO speak
Il will hear no word for him. lie is as
If he had never lived [ blot him GU,
forever Ard nov. Mary, daughter OF
my heart, make a last appeal to you,
Will you infict another stab upon my
wounded heart, and rob my last days Of
my only light? . no, my child,you sill
not Let me tell Mark Eidon you will
be his wife, aud tomorrow will indeed
be happy Thanksgiving to US all
The pallor on Mays face grew mar
Bile like, as rising she laid her hand or
Markham arm and said
Dear guardian. | sill be Mark Edon',
wife And before he could speak She
left the room.
And now | must ask you to go back
With me for few moments, TO some
things that happened many years ago.
and which will furnish key to the uboye
scene
Henry Markham was left a Uidower
early in life with one son, Albert who
in his infancy developed a precocity OF
mind end brightness of disi position thar
made him the pet and tyrant Of all
about him. By the time his childhood
was passed he was fully convinced thai
the earth was made especially for HIM
to live upon, and that it was entire,
beneath his dignity to acknowledge I'll,
authority Of any one, his father included
Things progressed in this way till he
reached the twentieth year. and had be-
come in ever" respect a very fast young
man, when Mary Craig. an orphan daugh
ter of an old friend Of Mr.. Markham
became a member of their family. Mar,
was just sixteen, and as pure and nobl,
by nature as she was fair n. person.
Albert was at charmed by her, and tn,
old story was acted over again, as it viii
be until the end of time-,hey loved eacl
other. For q time Albert abandons
bis dissolUte habits, and his fond ur-
happy father began 10 hope that III,
nobler part Of his nature would ri>,
above the weeds that ovsr>hadCwed il.
and assert itself master in the cad. Vain
hopei The letters of vice, WHEN one,
firmly fastened, cannot DC thrown off al
will. Albert would listen with ;,euiter
sorrow to Mary reprnaches. aud pr, n
lee amendment, only at tie first tempI, =
tion 10 iall into the same vices again.
But through all her love she never +. :
tered. and soon constituted the anly
shield between him and his father, wl ose
forbearance had almost reached its
Gmits