The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-03-26

tnems ana their Two souls alone OF all
the world eognizant of his weakness
and his Inconsistency.
The man passed through in that
hour suffering enough TO expiate the
sins of lifetime.
"FOTgive me, Grace; I have been
miserably weak. To-day shall end it.
This poor flower who lies before Us,
unconscious, faded, broken, shall re-
4 VlHe-reviye to find how worthless au
/ object she has loved. Tell me what to
do, Grace. Shall /, when help reaches
you from the vailey-sball disappear,
shall take myself away forever from
the sight Of both of you. Shall I go,
as the stricken in conscience go, away
from the places that have known me?
or shall l stay-stay to take the con-
sequence Of my sin-stay to see you
both happy, both prosperous, married
70 men who are worthy Of you, while
walk alone, a pariah on the face Of
the earth ?"
You have no reason TO ask my for
gtveness, Paul" Ut was the first tina
she had ever called him by that name,
and it thrilled him through and
throngh.) "Your first and only duty
Is to her. You have won her innocent
young heart; you must never let her
know that any part Of it has ever been
offered to another"
The guide with litter was seen ap-
preaching. Horatio, pale and tfemb-
ling, assumed the right to put his be-
trothed on the support which had been
brought, ignoring Mr.. Hammond en-
tirely. He kneeled down and kissed
her pale lips with the authority and
privilege of q husband. Walking by
her side, as four men painfully and
learefuliy bore her down the mountain
he held her lifeless hand in his. An
expression had come into his face
which neither of his companions had
seen before; be seemed older, firmer;
in fact he had grown great.
Paul Hammond looked with amaze
ment as he saw the strength, the Wig
or with which the young man whom
he had despised arranged all the de-
tails Of the perilous journey down that
steep declivity.
When they arrived at the chalet,
Horatio took the air of commander.
He sent men to Geneva, he despatch
ed scouts for the nearest doctor, and
he sat by Lily's side still holding her
hand.
Everything which was done for her
relief came from him. He accepted
Miss Atherton's profTered help only
when he found his own efforts to re-
animate Lily unavailing. As for Mr..
Hammond, he did not appear to see
him or to recognize his existence.
At length, after weary hours, Lily
came back TO life. Horatio was bend
ing over her, and Horatio said,
'Thank Godu'
"Horatlo," said she, "where is
Paul?"
"HOratiO," said the young man
firmly, as il prepared for this ques-
tion-"Horatio, your promised nus
band, watches over you, aud will, for
life and DEATH"
Lily gave startled, anxious look,
but said no more.
The Mansard roof arrived that af-
ternoon, covering an aching heart.
Lily went through a fever of heart
and brain. Poor Miss Emily and
poor Miss Melissa, exposed to all the
horrors of q Swiss chalet, nursed hsr
with the love and tenderness of twen-
ty grAndmothers and mothers COM
bined.
Mr.. Hammond and Miss Atherton
went home TO Geneva. HOratio was
untiring. Never when he could be
admitted to the siek-room was he ab-
sent from it for a moment.
Lily would look questioningly
about her, but never again could she
ask, "Where is Paul?"
Miss Melissa, speculative and
dreamy, looked at HOratio as il there
had suddenly grown the god Apollo
out of satyr. His beauty, his waist
coats, his watch chains, all the out
ward belongings of the fashionable
fop, all these had disappeared. A
pale, earnest, determined young man,
with strange new light in his eye,
stood before them. Ali their irreso-
lutte, feminine ways were dominated
over by him, and it was he who final
ly decided that Lily was well enough
to be moved.
Nothing was said of Paul Ham,
mond. Only an ominous silence on
HoratiO's part betrayed to Lily that
he had felt that Paul had stolen her
heart from him. His wooing took
on new form. 1t had an air of
strong possession. It was no longer
the weak young man who gave her
diamond rings, and talked of his
horses; 1t was silent, strong giant
who bore her in his arms away from
her past, away from herself.
When they had arrived at Paris
Horatio inquiringly remarked to her,
Lilly, when shall you and be mar
ried?" For moment Lily sought for
courage to tell him everything, to beg
of him to release her. She knew that
he wasa different creature from the
Horatio who had wooed her six
months ago. She respected and
feared him, but did not q still, small
voice in her heart still ask, "Where
is Paul?"
She found heart and courage to say,
"Paul Hammond has heard words of
lote from my lips. II you choose to
take me, HoratiO, with that ac-
knowlegment from me, I will marry
you when and where you will"
''That subject, Lily, shall never be
mentioned again between u.s." said
the young man firmly; 1--WE will be
married this day week."
They were married, and travelled
on the Continent for year.
They seemed to have changed
characters entirely. Horatio was, as
he had begun on the mountain, always
leader, always first. His love and
alteration for his beautiful wife was
bOundless. She never seemed very
strong or very gay, yet she was not
unhappy, and she lcds most beauti-
full!
The old aunts begun to wish to go
home; and Lily, too, showed strange
yearniug to return to that Urania
which had seemed so small and so
close to her. Would it be larger and
free now? They went back and
opened the great stone house Of the
Mainwarings. 1t was a grand and
splendid occasion. Friends hocked
around them. They held great court,
these young and prosperous peOp.e,
and the world raved over the 1alr
hostess.
People began to discover that Mrs.
Mainwaring was looking very badly.
Miss Emily, Miss Melissa had great
hopes, which were destined to dissp-
pointment. There were certain rose
leaves not to float on that brimming
goblet.
Lily we'll knew what was the
matter with her. She knew it was
death. One doctor said lungs, anoth-
er said heart, another said something
about the nerves they were all right.
When happiness has been crushed out
of young life, everything becomes
diseased.
She was sitting proped up at the win
dow one day when q breeze blew
across her forehead which reminded
her of Switzerland. and the cry broke
from her lips, "Where is Paul ?''
AT that moment she saw q carriage
driving through the valley as it
drew nearer she saw in it Paul Ham
mOnd, seated by Miss AthertOn. On
her cheek was beautiful deep blush,
on his lips smile-the old smile
The question was answered.
As the end drew near 3 deep con-
triton seized Lily's soul. She called
Horatio to her and held his hand, his
great big strong hand, tightly oyer her
heart.
'Good husband, true husband,
worthy better fate. HOratio-re-
member that am yours" And so
she died. The faithful strong hand
aould not hold har hack