The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-14
over me was bending our good old Doctor

your good looks are all safe, Regina Their
won't be scar, and your hair will soon ri
pair damages for itself
l turned my face YEARLY away, for his allu
sion to my beauty recalled how it happened
that RivauX had saved me. But how had
/ Jared with him, for he had been behind, an,
every moment told in that flight from fire
Was he safe:
| At this moment Lulu, standing in the door
and dismissng the doctor with some word
which / was not needing, sighed softly
Poor RivauX."
Lulu" called. "Lulu, come here. VIVA
of Monsieur Rivaux?"
lie went back" she said, hesitatngly
went back for something after he was hal
way down. 1t was madness"
/ For something? For that accursed picture
| / grasped her arm so tiercely that she uttered
little distressed cry. "lie is not dead ,"
said. "Hc is not dead:"
mo, but his eyes The doctor doubts if h,
will ever see again, and the ladder had burn
ed so that it snapped while he was vet ia
from the ground, and he also has broker
limb"
did not say a word, but lay as quietly a.
I could, waiting for the morning and whcr
it was day | went out. despite the rcmon
strances OF Lulu, closely yelled, with the
bandagcS still about my forehead and my
face.
RiyauX had not a relative on this side Of
the ocean, not 4 woman soul nearer than hi.
landlady in America. Once he had asked
me to be his wife, and | had refused, trem
bling all the while lest he should guess that
loved him. Now | was going to tell him that
| loved him, to beg, on my Bonded knees, il
need be, to be his wife, so that might care
for him. He had need of me now, need OF
woman's love and tenderness | could give
and ask not back now, all my pride swallowed
up in the flood of pity that rushed into my
soul at thought OF Inn helpless and suffering
all my fears of not being loved forgotten in
loving.
As | went into his chamber, he lay with his
hands folded on his breast, still as death, save
little low moaning that stirred his lips now
and then. Somebody has said that in a wo-
mans love there is always something of the
maternal. felt it at that moment as look.
ed upon Rivaux | laid my hand tenderly
upon his forehead and then bent and kissed
his lips.
What! Who is it :" he said, turning his
bandaged eyes toward me.
1T is |, Regina Maymont,"I said. II love
you, Rivaux love you so well, that now you
need me- no longer care to hide it from you,
no longer am unhappy because ii was my
beauty alone that won you Do not send me
away, RiyauX. Had nothing happened
could have let you go with the picture and
died in silence; but now-it is not to be loved,
but only to love that I ask"
Poor child" he said, taking my hand in
his. (Ah how much sweeter this simple
word sounded in my ear than goddessD Il
never dreamed that you cared for me in this
way. But cannot let you sacrifice yourself
thus. am helpless and blind-perhaps for
always No, no! you must not throw your.
self away on me, who can no longer look up
IN you, or glory III your perfection"
felt at once that he would be memorable,
md that could not, would not leave him.
IS deceit ever juStifiable? do not know. |
lid not stop to consider it even.
My pertection!' | said, raising his hand
o my shrouded forehead and checks, and
passing it over my hair which had suffered
most of all "Of what account Is thing so
periShabe that breath of fire may destroy
i, the accident Of an hour obiterate its per.
ection?"
Well | triumphed at last, as never should
nave triumphed if had not led him to sup
pose that the flames had taken from me some
What of that which it seemed to him would
AVE made me more of sacrifice to his sight
css life. insisted on an immediate marriage.
ceiling that his need of my care made that
proper which would have been unwomanly |
lnder other circumstances. wore the band. |
ges about my face much longer than was
eally necdtul, and forbade all who had access
D him to undeceiye him as to the extent of
ny injuries
nursed him tenderly, perhaps all the more
0 because he was never thinking of his love
Dr me, but only and always of my love for
i'm. And yet his gratitude was very sweet
weeter far to me than all the old raptures
veI my beauty which hetancied married for
yer, and | never allowed myself to sigh for
nything more. Besides, every day a little
ope was growing to be great one with me,
hope which the doctors assurance one even.
NJ that | might consider "A certainty, gave
le all the happiness my heart could hold | Il
bought, RvauX would see again-his eyes
;ould be entirely restored. There had been
tile hope OF this at first, grave doubts for a
,ng time, then faint anG huctuating cncour
cement SO that ii had been deemed best to
ccp it all from RiyauX who had made up
il mind TO the wOrstJ for fear of final and
iOre bitter disappointment
You must tell him this tonight, Madame
ivauN,' said the good doctor; ~and to-mor-
Nv / SHaI! ltIl nm Ic owes III udlI 10 your
ondcrful nursing"
rarely allowed Rivaux to be long alone, for
feared he would brood over his condition if |,
II much in solitude.
Now, as | entered his room again, he cried
it'll joyful accent that thrilled me, 1T is
Du, Regina? | am 80 glad always when
Du come back"
| could not keep back for Il moment the
Apply news had to tell. threw myself on
y knees beside his chair, and Selling his
inds, cried:
Louis, o LOUIS you are going to have your
res again-you are going to see. Do YOU
FAR: The doctor says it,"
Thank Godr Rivaux murmured; and
en-
o, what was it. all this joy, this thankful
IS, this bliss? Who knows the limit of his
Ipacity for either grief or happiness? A
oment before | had felt that, Rivaux's sight
stored, | asked no more but now, living on
y husbands breast, close, close within his
not to gratitude, not to admi-
Ition, but To iore, love for me myself, my ,
eauty, its loss or presence alike forgotten-l
tasted heaven.
n. n 81