The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-04-24

himself fastened the soft furs around
my neck, kissing me as he did so, and
my heart beat ioyously and proudly as
L leaned on his strong arm, and felt
that 1 was very precious to him.
So earnestly and happily were we
talking, so perfect was the beauty OF
the night, that had not noticed where
we were going until we stopped before
a gate knew, and Horace bent to open
"We have wandered here almost un-
consciously, my darling" he said; "but
We will go in and stand moment in the
quietness beside Elsie's grave. In our
own intense happiness, we would not
forget her upon this beautiful Christ
mas night and it is her birthday, too,
you remember, Margaret"
Horace gently led me on, until we
stood once more together beside that
great stone beneath the cedar. Why
had he brought me here, when we had
both learned to forget, and had grown
so happy? If he would but speak if
he would but talk to me and chase away
these haunting memories which had not
visited me since, in this very spot, he
had told me how he loved me! If he
would only tell me SO again-loudly,
that the words might drown this moan
| ing in my ears, this rushing of the sea
about my head, this cry of faint and
dying voice Why had he breathed her
name at all tonight and raised this
awful memory?
80 Horace, Horace, see the white
dead FACET
Ny cry had not broken his long
silence, so knew it was uttered only
In my heart. I looked up eagerly, that
the glance OF his kind eyes might give
me courage but that drowned face had
come between us.
0 Horace" I cried, cropping with
my hands, take it away; take it away
She would have you save her and let
me go!"
4" Margaret, my darling, are you i'll ?"
l heard the question in my husbands
soft, kind tones, but there was some
thing else I heard far more distinctly.
"Listen - 1 cried, turning to face the
blast of wind which came sweeping over
the valley below; "listen listen !"
l waited for its coming with my arms
outstretched, and when the storm had
passed, and left me standing so, I
fancied death had spared me once again,
as it had done at sea, and knew why.
That story was to be told to Horace;
here, by the grave where the voices
moaned now, before that second gust
came sweeping by which had brought
death before, and might bring death
again. The white dead face beneath
that stone cried out for Justice now;
the voices of the wind and sea cried out
aloud their accusation. had task to
do in the lull of that great storm, and
must do it. drew away from my hus-
bands side, and stood opposite him in
the shadow of the cedar; my eyes fixed
steadily upon him, and my words slow
and clear.
Quite still he stood to listen, while I
told him all quite still until I had
finished then, after an utter terrible
pause, he fell on his knees beside the
stone, and hid his face upon it. [ did
not speak or move until he rose, after
long, long time; then | eagerly and
piteously scanned his face, that might
CLEAN only ray of hope. Even in the
shadow-for he was leaning now
against the tree-I could see how rigid
and coldly white his face had grown.
go Horace" cried, falling on the
grass before him, and appealing to him
with my burning hands outstretched,
so my husband, all the sin there may
have been, you caused. If hs3 not
loved you"
Coldly and sternIy he interrupted
nae, bidding me come away from beside
that grave.
go Horace, take me back We can
be happy still-we know it we have
proved it; you have often said it. You
can forget this. Ihad forgotten until |
you brought me here tonight, and that |
wave came rolling to us and left her
face-Horace, Horace ~ the werds were
an eager, hurried whisper now" take |
me up, Horace! I am dying here dy-
ing at her feet and yours or-or AMI
mad ?"
He raised me from the grass without
a movement of his white and rigid face.
&C will take you to your home, he
said, "and after that L wish might
never look upon your face again"
" Why, Horace? ?" [ whispered with a
vacant smile upon my parching lips
"we cannot be separated-you and
we are married, you know; they cannot
u.s."
"We are separated noag," he an
swered slowly; separated utterly and
forever"
I could see his face in the moonlight
now, and l knew there was no hope for
me.
"Horace," I cried, with such cry
ss might have reached to the cold dead
around us, Horace-forgive I'
Coldly he drew back from me, and
then-I laughed laughed loudly and
shrilly, there in the silence of the calm
f11 oTrrhE P,,E T |
his stern, white face grow colder still,
why I had laughed.
Nothing can separate us, Horace"
gaze upon him, and smiling, as I
must comfort him. "Nothing can sep
arate us now. Don't be frightened, Hor-
ace you are my husband, and I will
not leave you. Did you dream that I
could be so cruel? was not half so
crnel to her as that would be-"
He turned from me, shuddering
through his whole frame, and then I
knew that the love which had been my
very life was dead forever. I saw in all
it's fullest, darkest horror the long an
guish of the lite to which he doomed
me !; and standing still took my burn
ing head within my hands and uttered
shrek on shrek, until the silence of the
winter night was all alive with sound,
and the beauty of the moonlight van
ished in great black darkness.
have been very, very i'll. I wake to
the knowledge slowly, as lie and list
IN to the hushed breath and softened
in my room. wake to it
very, very slowly, dreaming a wonder
ful dream the while.
I am lying in my own room at home
and Elsie sits beside my bed, Just as
she did when Twas i'll once in the old
past-so many years ago; and my IA
ther comes for tidings of his child,
with his eyes dim and anxious, just as
[ used to see them in that far-back time.
Horace is living with us in this dream {
Of mine just as he did then; and he,
too, waits for tidings, and comes to look
upon me with soft, slow step. All,
if this dream may last little longer;
because, when I awake, my husbands
face will meet me stern and cold, as it !
must be tarough all the rest of my sin !