New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-10

L q ah a hQ an mo tn tha
crst wh;ch 7 uust n have onarJaS so n Tnn =
| hetter than. she had ouarded hers
"Elsie. DEAR I said. lsv;n~ nv chee
unon her bright hent head "thara Nc
nothing in INV face which need have Owe
You this sudden pain"
I 80 yes" Abe cried. 40 Maroaret ves
saw
She was weepinp sorelv there with he
ewes hidden on nv breast. and her tren
bling fingers clasping me even to pain.
ELSIE, what grieves YOU sol" / asked; "
can not understand it."
IL must tell YOU. Margaret" she sob
bed. keeping her face still hidden. ~ mus
tell Won: butt never guessed"
Tel me-" whispered fondly. when ali
paused,
"Horace-Horace saws" she was ute,
ing the words very rapidly below he
breath. and with her head dropping 60 upo]
nv breast that it was not easy to hea
them-.sHorace says-I mean he asked M
only yesterdav-only YESTERDAY, to b,
his wifei 0 Margaret, 1 love him NOR
than all the world: and vet / wish
wish
think l put her gently from me, an.
made feint of smiling; and think that
day Just as ! had spent other DAYS which
had been crowned with love and hope an.
pleasure. think that / gave Horace m,
hand that night, and told him he would b,
very happy with Elsie, and think that i
was Only Elsie who cried when we bad,
each other good night. But am NOT sure
I am snre of nothing save the anguishet
aching of nv heart and head. and how
when that had been mine for manv, man,
DAYS. a great. lonely GOODNESS came auS
wrapped itself about nv heart.
1t was a haopy and unruffied courtship
that of Horace's. NV father gave his fire.,
consent to the marriage, and breathed N
word of that disappointed plan of his: an(
nv fathers men, who all loved Elsie for he
bright face and winning ways, made hel
Young lovers heart rejoice with their praise,
of the wife whom he had chosen. And. da,
by day, it was my lot to watch this happy
courtship, living entirely apart in NV owl
inward life, and growing day by day more
silent and cold. But felt that they would
not notice this: it could not pain Them, az
closely were chew bound now in each other
When Horace came home. of what value
was nv presence to Elsie-though unit
then she had liked to linger with met Wber
would straw to me? All, what bitter. soil
tary time it was, and what hopeless and de
spairing thoughts possessed me! Why had
he been given to her3 His love was all the
world to me: and she could have been made
hapDv with other love. and would have
Turned briphtlv to accent another life
Sometimes i told myself that if he had
loved me beat. onlv for one day. wOuld
have made it grow to such a strong and All
enprossing love, that it could never change;
wo,,id ha shadow orIvN;f owl, tba 1nro
hoS nrca hoon thara IN tata root WV AVN
Newer could he oness at anv If +bese
draoms vh;cb honnfad ma hu, not;oaT
that ha nttan now Looked OF mo nth q 49,,
and cmr;ons intantneas which warnad ,ne
that this hidden saIt;sh main Vas chono;n~
even NV ontward seif r must 10 haaS5
this CHANCE which nromnted them to njon
for Eisie and me to travel IN the seaside
IF thev had let ma On alone-thera mr.
health ond atrangth and hattor thnynh+s.
hnt Els;o would not ,aova mo Tho 60,
had haer hard epouoh IN haor at bomo ~.
thew we're harder hare IfIhad haan iaf.
IN a. alone in s;lanca IN Tho c1;ffs I could
have. loved nerhans, instead of cbaf;nr Of
The lonely solemn svmnathv of tho So.
INIT Elsie seemed alwavs near me ts,k;ng
of boma and Horaca Until naarl,Nah .s,
verv verv naarIvN~rew to bsta. bar u.r ~
dreadinp every word that her
bright voice should utter. and wearvino
utterly of her smiling face. Left alone
with her and hearing har constantiu snoaS
of Horace in that tome of conf;Jant cb;iJ
like bann;ness il conId not ha hnt tha.
soon must hate her in nv heart.
H.
My father and Horace were to be with US
IN the afternoon, and in the morning Elsie
and l went out to battle together. There
was no sunshine on the sea, but the water
was fresh and full of motion. just as we
liked it.; go we laughed when we were
told that there was danger of sudden
'quall that day; that very few ladies had
7entured out, and even they were return
ng now.
mot that there is any danger, Miss"
he man said, as he hooked his horses
harness to the caravan which had
chosen; "0nly don't you think you'd better
AXE one of the women with your"
I'VE are not afraid, are we, Margaret ?"
miled Elsie: land we help each other
quite enough"
Then she gave orders for her own ma
hine to be wheeled close to mine in the
ca, and ran up the steps with smile and
od at me.
How we'll ! remember the look of the
ca that day, as stepped into it, and Elsie
anne up to me with her dancing step and |
aughing eyes! So gray and sOmber the |
7ater was. SO wide and restless; so wide,
0 secret and 50 safe. l shook Elsie's cling |
'g hands.
"Why do yeu hold met" l cried. "Go |
way; do not come 80 close to me again."
mo, no; give me your hands, Margaret
ne said, rising merrily and shaking back
er hair, after the noisy wave had. passed
YER US and left us free to speak again.
Do you forget that they feared sudden
lst' We shall be all right if we are hand
| hand"
1--WE are quite safe go, and it is pleas.
lter," said, and threw myself beneath
le water, trying hard to drown the happy
und of Elsie's laughter.
How wide and secret the sea was! and