Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-28
his hand gently upon my head, soothingly

said:
Poor child, you have had hard life
! sympathize with you heartily. You had
better get your bonnet and go home; you
are too much agitated for work. | viii
| let you out at the private door, so you need
| not 90 through the store"
/ Mr.. Temples delicate kindness and
sympathy touched the fountains OF my
heart, and tears gushed from my eyes in
! torrents. 1t was some time ere | could
command myself to thank him. lie
| walked a few squares with me until / be-
came composed sufficiently TO be left
alone. / could not 20 home with such
| traces Of grief upon my face, SO | waa-
derea out toward the lake and sat down
where the cool breezes famed my cheeks,
bringing back their usual glow Of health.
When1 entered our door went TO my
mother to give her my usual salutation
without tremor or trace Of what / had
suffered, ana throwing the hateful docu-
ment in her lap stepped out Of the room.
will not dwell upon her joy at having
this matter settled, for she had been in
constant dread Of some trouble with this
man since the death Of my father. We
all suspected that it was this man deny
| ing my father liquor unless he complied
| with this indenture that produced detir
INN tremens and caused bis death at that
time / never told my mother the extent
OF the exposure nor the deep modification
| il had been To me. 1t was SO humiliating
TO me. Many who thought me proud
would rather exult that l was brought
down. could have overcome all such
envy and illfecling, but there was one
who would not perhaps acknowledge IL,
yet who would feel ii q great degradation.
| His family were people proud Of their
| family's stainless character. How could
he, or they, respect one whose father had
been such disgrace almost to humanity +?
| I pleaded headache and retired early,
my mother never suspecting the real
cause Of my indisposition.
Restlessly spent the night, and the
next morning was too unwell to leave the
house. Indeed, the ordeal Of going where
so many eyes would be upon me seemed
past endurance. / might be heroine,
but this kind Of one was not according TO
my taste. | had not in years taken day
| OF rest, so claimed the indulgence that
! day; and II was spent In investigating
the condition Of my affairs as well as
| looking into my own heart. The state of
the latter alarmed me, for found 1t al
most absorbed by Percy Gilmore.
| Life To me would be @ blank without
he shared 1t with me. Yet If he wished
| 1t (which I was not quite sure of there
were obstacles In the way Of union with
him which could not be overcome with
out involving the happiness and welfare
Of others. This would not think Of for
moment. We each had others TO sup
port and might continue to do so If we
brought them together by the united
efforts Of both. But would they be happy |?
There would be discordant, jarring notes
which could not fail to destroy all the
harmony of both families. My own dar-
ling mother should not be thus sacrificed.
What right had / to immediate upon the
altar of my affections the happiness of
others2 God forgive my thoughtlessness
in allowing myself to be thus entangled.
| was unnerved; there came upon me a
terrible desolation--a conflict between
love and duty. There rose up before me
clouds so dark and dense that no ray Of
light dawned through their midnight
blackness. Then these clouds would dis
perse, and a sky clear, cold, and bleak
with all the dcsolation Of winter storm,
which had swept away oil that was new
and bright In my life, took its place.
was becoming morbid. This yielding TO
dependency would not do. arose,
dressed myself aud went out for walk.
The fresh air gave me vigor and / tried
| 10 see life In more roseate colors.
The shadows of twilight were deepen
ing around me as | again entered my
home. To my surprise Percy Elmore met
me at the door. Taking me affectionately
by the hand he led me to seat. HIS
eyes expressed 81! the sympathy of his
soul. | thought to have met him coldly,
but his manner disarmed me. The con.
seriousness Of my feelings toward him
made the blood rush to my face, and
stood confused, but not cold, before him.
He expressed pleasure at seeing me able
TO leave the house. He made no refer
ence to the cause OF my illness. He was
a man of great deicacy OF feeling.
Percy Gilmore was not what the world
would call handsome. He was tall and 70.
bust, with strong but not very regular
features, yet manly In looks and manners.
He was an honest, true-hearted gentle.
man, who despsed falsehood and deceit
--one whom you could trust, and one
| whom l could and did love with all a
woman's power who loves for the first
| time.
After tea Percy proposed a walk. as
sented, for IL was mild spring weather,
and out in the balmy air we went. We
proceeded without speaking for some
time, neither wishing to break the i'm.
| pressive silence.
Percy at length, turning toward me-
said:
miss st. Clair--no, let me call you
Virginia. have for some time desired
to have q private conversation with YOU
lie stopped, and looking into my face
| went on:
"To tell you that love you, that my
life, my soul, with all Its hopes of joy IN
the future, is conferred upon you, and |
have sometimes flattered myself that IL
was returned. Tell me If have made so
fearful a mistake"
/" Percy" said, ~ have never until
to-day understood my feelings toward you
Candor compels me to acknowledge thai
we have both made perhaps fatal mis-.
take in loving each other Our duties,
our responsibilities all cry out against 1t.
Are you man enough to give up a love
which can only bring disaster and ship.
wreck to all by whom we are surrounded
and who are so dependent upon us for
support and happiness? AS for myself il
is settled. have done it this day and IL