, 1874-11-01

~e~t =
My dear. tho bodily suffering is nothing 10
that which has tortured me for tae last ELK years.
Tortu.el wondef have lived SO long undef
She makes no answer. He often uttels tnesa
ambiguous allu4,ons; but Mizpah ls not an in
quizisire woman- Perhaps she has had SECRETS
Of her Own.
"aI'zpah," he says suddenly, "do you remsm-
ber why ron married mop
"Why talk Of that now, John?" she asks,
flushing timidly.
because now is the only t1mo have. You
were only 10. A1zpah. aud you married because
your pareuts' death had thrown you on my care;
because the world said ill-natuEed thinRs OF your
living with a guardian OF i8; because you wanted
to keep delicate little sister with you, and could
not afford to do it unmarried; because -chiefest
| reason OF al-the man you were engaged to, the
man you loved and who waB away IN Canada,
had proved false to you: because you saw his
marriage in an American paper, after for slx
months your letters Ind received no answer.
Because of these reasons you married me-"
''And because you were the best and truest
friend had in the whole world" !" she broke IN
and Liked and honored you with ali my heszt
John, told you all this then. Have I disap-
pointed you. shat you so back upon 1t now?"
"You have been an angel OF light to me-" he
answers boarsely. "oh child! i you only kne"
what you are to me! II you only guessed hor
madly, passionately, I, old enough to bo your
father. have loved you from the first moment I
SAW you till now! Mizpah, try to think OF it.
Try to bear it in mind when vou Wonld turn from
my memory with hatred and }oathinS."
"Jol,u, could thai be posalble:"
II wish to heaven it mero possible to avoid it.
Ind meant to leave it till after MAS gone, to
keep the kind look on your sweet face till after
WAS dead; but cannot; -
trembling % Se veEv MICH MI h. III there is anything
wrong which you hare doae, do NOS tell me.
Even though it have hurt me-, let ma remsin ia
ignorance. will forgive it, whatever it be-. II
it be written in your papera, l Will burn them
unread Trust me-"
He smiles falurIy-a sad, hopeless smila.
"No, chlld. this you could not forgive; nor
shall you promise to do so. Listen to ne while
have strength, and answer first. Did you not
meet Gerald Dacres tho day before you wezo
ago2"
"Yes. john" she says quietly; but how fast
her heart il beating!
'.And he told you that ho had never married
that he had written to you constantly, and got
no answer? ?"
"He spoke Of his letters in the one that reach
ed ms-the oue that told me h9~was coming here
but not of bis marriage. Since it MAS not true,
ths report may not have reached bis ears
"And YOU! Did not Jou SPEAK OF It {"
'No, john"
"No1 What explanation. then, did Jou give
| Of your marriage with me:"
II gave him none."
Her voice is faint with remembered anguish;
| but tho auswers arc ever straight and true
| II dont understand Jou." no Ba5a- "What
! Il told him was married, and bade him 60
| 1way and forget me"
| "What! no moro than that? And WAS he satis-
| fed: Did he ask no notwithstanding" z"
'+No, John; no MAS not s2tlsf1ed- Do not talk
| about it-plezse do not"
The pain even now is greater than she can
| bear. He presses her hand more tightlJ-
! '4E will ouiy nak you one thing more, Mlzpah.
KNOW that you will answer it nth Perfect truth
! Why did you do this? Nay" (as she healtates),
| :. wish to know"
''Because 1 Mss married Woman and my hus-
| band trusted me-. Bocauae-oh, John! fo1giTe
mel loved Gerald so dearly, he loved me 90
| long. 80 we'll and fond1y, that daE1d not tell
| knew his perfect honor, I knew my own inno-
| cence; and yet / could not-John, dared not
trust to either while ne loved each other Please
| do not think Ill OF me- knew that loved Ger
| sd motr than my oxn lie; and because lnTed
| him sent him away
| Sne is On her knees now. Weeping bitterly, with
| her face hidden on tho wr1nkled hand in which
hers il cIaaped- The drelighs dickers on the
uan-on the bent golden head. Only the shadows
Of tbs curtains fall upon the tortured faae OF the
| dying man. Very slowly he speaks
| IT thank God that the Sid which dcoms me has
| purified one saint mora for heaven. You have
| rsda vonr cnnfnaaiou hftZnah. listen to mine.
r. r.s 7 who kent back yonr. ioyer's ]etterg:
| vim stouped vo1rs: who had that advertise
| mept inserted in the New Brunsnick paper; I
| who Invented all the uucharltable gossip which
| 40 worked upon your ssnsitive delicncy And ]
did this because lovel you-because I thought
that t1me and patient 1dolatry, and every luxury
| that riches could supply, would win your lore
anay from the rememprsncs Of young fellow
! WHO probably dld not love you half SO well, and
| could only havs led you into poverty, Goo only
| Knows how have beon punished: not only nom.
| but in avery hour and moment Of these seven
| years which have seen you mine. aud not mine.
s .,d i. -,at m vorr faver Won told ma that :.
ind hops died forever. Each day since theu-
ova,y moment that has Witnessed your patient
obedieuce-your siIeus, uncomplaining gentle
uees-your sad little faco sobered into aye SO
| early--so earjy-hns been one long punishment -
..Hush ]" she inle1rupls--she has sprung to
her feel long before, shrinking back and away
from him. With hor hands cllnched upon her
| bonon1, aud lace White and horror-st1ickoa-
..husIl, for PHYS sake! begged you not to tell
me. oh! why, why did you do it now, when it
| Ia all over. ali ended past any recaI5"
"Mlzpah-" hs begins feebly.
"Not now, John, not now!" she cries, break
tai f,a ,a q