The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-10-13

the utter abandonment ot despair awe
have said enough about this she addcs
abruptly LET us say no no more"
From that time we never spoke again
Of the unknown man. During the year
that followed our first meeting she heard
nothing of him directly or indirectly. lie
might be living, or he might be dead.
There came no word Of him, or from him..
was fond enough of her to be satisfied
with this-he never disturbed us.
".
This year passed, aud the end came
Not the end rs YOU anticipated 1t, or rs l
might have ioreboded it,
You remember the time when your let
tiers from home informed you of the fatal
termination of our mothers illness? 1t
is the time of which ! am now speaking
\ few hours only before she breathed
her last she called me to her bedside and
desired that We might be left together
alone. Reminding me that her death
was near, she spoke of my prospects IN
| life, she noticed my want of interest IN
the studies which were then supposed to
be engaging my attention, and she ended
nv entreating me to reconsider my re-
| fu.al to enter the church.
Your fathers heart is set upon it, she
said. "Do what | ask of you, my dear,
! and YOU will help to comfort him when |
AIN gone
Her strength failed her, she could say
no more. Could | refuse the last request
/ she would make of me? | knelt nt the
/ bedside and took her Wasted hand in
mine. and solsmnly promised her the
/ respect which n son owes to his mothers
! last wishes.
Having bound myself by this sacred
/ engagement, had no choice but TO nc
cept the sacrhce which was imparatively
I cxacted from me. The time had come
" hen must tear myself free from all un
worthy associations. No matter what
the effort cost me, must separate myself
ut once and forever from the unhappy
woman who was not, who never coC.d be,
my wife.
At the close of dull, foggy day, set
forth with II heavy heart t. say the words
which were to par! lis forever.
Her lodging was no: far from the
! banks of the Thames. As | drew near
the place the darkness was gathering, aud
the hrond surface of the river was hidden
from me in u chill white mist. | stood
tor while with my eyes fixed on the
vaporou. ,hroud that broodcd over the
/ howing water-l stood and asked myself
in despair the one drcary question, NV hat
am 10 say to her.?
The mist chilled me to tho bones. |
/ turned from the river bank and made my
way to her lodgings, hard by. at must
b. done | said to myself, a. | took out
my KEY and opened the house door.
She sat at work as usual when | enter
/ ed her little sittting-room. Sac was
standing by the fire with her head down,
and with an open letter in her hand.
The instant she turned to meet me !
saw m her face tina: something was
wrong. Her ordinary manner WAS the
manner Of an unusually placid and self
restrained person. Her temperament
/ had little OF the livclincss which We a.
socialo in England with the French ma
ture. She WAS no, ready with her laugh;
and in Nil my previous experience ! had
never known her to cry Now, for the
first time, | saw the quiet face disturbed;
saw tears in the pretty brown eyes
She ran To meet me and laid her head on
my breast, and burst into passionate lit
~ weeping that shook her from head to
foot.
Could she 10y any possibility have heard
/ Of the coming change in my life? Was
/ she aware, before | opened my lips, OF
the hard necessity which had brought me
to the house?
1t was simply impossible. The thing
could not be-
waited until her first burst of emotion
had worn itse.fout Then a-ked-w!th
M uneasy conscience with sinking
hcnrt-wbat had happened to distress
her.
She drew herself away from me- sigh.
ing heavily, and gave me the open letter,
which | had seen IN her hand.
"Read that she said" And remember
( | told YOU what might happen when We
first met
| read the letter.
1t was signed in initials only; but the
writer plainly revealed himself ~ the
man who had deserted her. He had re-
pcn.ed he had returned to her. In proof
o. his repentance he was willing 10 do
her the Justice which he had hitherto re-
tuseI-hc WAS willing to marry her, on
/ the condition that she would engage to
keep the marriage IL secret 80 long a. h,
parents lived. Submitting to this pro.
posal. he waited to know whether She
would consent, on her side, to forgive and
forget.
gave her back the letter in silence
This unknown rival had done me these
vice of paving the way for our scpara-
ton. in Offering her the atonemrnt Of
marriage, he hat made K, Ola my part,
matter of duty to her. n well "a to my
sell, to say the parting words. felt ;h'
instantly. And yet l hated hin lor help
ing me.
She took my hand and led me TO the
sofa. We sat down side by side. Her
face was composed to sad tranquility.
She was quiet she was hersei. again.
Il have refused to see him, she said,
"until | had first spoken to YOU lou
have read this letter. What DO You say:
| could but make one answer 1t was
49,. I'll I,r hot NV. r1,-lfI.- yyl-