The Republican journal., 1874-07-02


who want it,
before She Went to rest, Miss Ncsbitt
wrote letter to Moore Riyington-tor
she knew his address Her letter was
very curt
MO "MooEE RNISGToN: | shall expect the
money | intrusted YOU with to be paid back to
my bankers without delay. | congratulate You
on your marriage and wish YOU lust the happi-
NESS You deserve
she was not surprised. When she
iound that Vera proved faithful to her
love, she had known, she said now. that
the man would fail
'f ate likes to arrange matters So" she
thought. "Truth and talsehood mostly
get thrown together There must always
be one heart broken
A week later Miss N"shitt went abroad
With her grand-nece
Miss Nesbitt took Vera straight to italy.
sannot describe to You the siN months
tlnt followed Vera had not even the
comfort OF being ill-thcrc are crises in
llia where physical pain and weakness
become 2 blcssing-no such relief reached
|Ga She maintained an ntter silence in
regard to herself Even Aunt Nesbitt
cared not intrude upon her sorrow She
never looked in the girls face without q
pang At the change 1t was not thai era
grew thin, or pale, or ugly. She had never
3ccn so beautiful. But, oh, the utter
AopelessnesS, the lack Of purpose, the ter
rible inanition. Aunt Nesbitt read it all
She knew this was a wound which would
never heal. Vera might live TO have a
sort Of stony crust grow over her broken
leart, but the wound would burn and
ache under it. No condolences took place
between them. What could be said?
Now and then in the middle Of the night
Miss Neshitt would he reused from sleep
81 Nera's entrance Ento the room. and at
lhosc moments Miss Neebitt feared for
he girls mind.
Tell me again that it is true" she
yonld whisper. LET me hear YOU say
il, for | cannot halievc---l cannot he
| ieyc."
What passed during these night ht-watchee
made no difference in their lives. The
mterlndes were never alluded to after; it
! would seem that Vera herself did not re-
member them, Miss Nesbitt felt as if she
We're living her own awful gricf over
again old as she was.
From Rome to Naples, on to Sicily,
with q pleasant party which they Joined
up by steamer 10 Genoa; by the Corniche
road to Nice. It was June. then; lovely
juno, They stayed in Florence torawhile,
| and then went over to St Gothard into
| Switzerland
They had been al the lnterlachen lust 4
week when telegram from London was
delivered to Miss Nesbtt ''Moore Riv-
irgton to Miss Nesbitt Come to me
They think | am dying That was all
Save an appended address house il
some terrace near Hyde Park.
Mr.. Rivington might have behaved i'll
indeed it was to be hoped some punish
nent had overtaken him but Miss Nesbit
was not the one to neglect the call of the
diving
You have some bad newsr' cried Vera
as her aunt approached her with the
telegram. do not hesitate 80 tell me
aunt. You know now that | can bea1
| anything. And Miss Neshitt put the
telegram into her hands
Il dreamed last night that he hat
come,n muttered Vera. y, dreamed he
had come"
Some blessed vision it had been, il
which he came TO claim her: to prove
Al
| Nesbitt knew Of such dreams; she knew
| also what awakening was. What w,
| I'VE tluuuSn, we meiI etitu " OMEN
| Vera was past tears She looked like ;
| ghost; but She could think and act. 1--WE
can go tonight" She said We can o,
, tonight
She worked constanty-did half tn,
| packing, III spite of Marias expostula
tions. At O'Clock they were speeding
away.
1t was like 4 horrible nightmare, thai
Journey, to Aunt Ncsbitt What must i
have been to Vera. On-on-Strasboure
-Paris-doWn to Calais as fast as steam
could carry them
, They had crossed the channel, and wer,
wh!rling away toward London They
| spoke little; sometimes Aunt Nesbitt hell
Nera's hand or stroked back her hair, bu
what words We're possible,
Eve will 50 TO the Westminster Hotel
Miss Nesbitt said, when the train drew NJ
| il Charing Cross Station, and 1homa
came round to open the door.
Vera touched her, NO aunt. no, I,
Inn first Even now we may be to,
late
Il am afraid You are So tired
To him first, repeated Vera.
Get cab for me- Miss Nesbitt sale
to Thomas "You and Maria will 90 t,
the hotel with the luggage"
Away they drove in the direction givel
the house in the terrace near HYDE Park
It was a beautiful morning nature looked
as cruel as she ever does when we suffer
| TIE carriage stopped AT last.
| uIN on puSt Wait bnra vVhila I ,,, IL,
Aunt Nesbitt said. II must see--w,
can't tell You MIGHT hc sent back; she
may be here"
oh aunt let me, let me see him.
implored Vera 1T will be our las
meeting on earth" But she sat still il
the carriage while her aunt went in.
Mr.. Rivington is better, ma'am,' the
landlord said, who met her in the hall a,
the servant opened the door Miss Nes
bit, think? You are expected
''Is-is-W Who is with him" aeke,
| Mss Nesbitt
''Only the nnrse."
Where is his wife that she's not Will
him?"
His wife, Dear ma am, Mr. Riving
ton has no wife. He is not married."
Aunt Nesbitt walked into the sick room
nodding her head in self-communing. A
word with the patient, and she returned
to bring Vera ......
1T was all 4 lie, my dear she said
I'VE have been worrying ourselves fol
naught. | thought when | volunteered tc
help MIN with that money that could not
be mistaken in him. He is very i'll, but he
is not married never has been And ro
lay my life that the report was concocted
by Your worthy mother
They went to the shaded room. On the
bed lay pale, wasted form; his feeble
am stretched ont welcome.
"Nera, Eera."
Vera knelt dow. and laid her head
upon his bosom. The arms fell; not
clasplng her, and she looked up. lie had
tainted But Nera's eyer-haunting dream
was realized: Moore had come back to
her.
1t was that curt letter Of Miss Nesbitt
that had brought him home He was
prosperlng in India beyond his most
sanguine expectations; but when that
letter came, he sailed for home as soon as
biS hl1 1Cinocc GA, al