The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-11-12

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: I. turned and sped back to the house,
ind for two weeks scarcely stepped out.
tide its walls. l was i'll in mind and,
body. Ny unreasoning, romantic folly
thst@I had called love, died ssudd denly, 1t
one blow, and I knew: there.Was only one
man that /. loved, or ever had loved, and
hat one man was Rollin Weatherbee.
But my heart was filled with regrets for
my past folly, and fears for what might
follow. But two weeks passed by, and /
heard no word and saw nothing Of Breeze
Rogers, until that chill October night,
when my story opens.
turned my face away, lest the sight
Of those dark eyes should bring back the
old delil ium. For at that one glance / felt
the blood leap throug h my veins, and =
strange glow shoot through my heart. |
thoroughly dcspised this man, yet he had
q power over me still. A woman who has
ever been held in a mans arms, and his
kisses upon her lips, can never so learn
to despise or forget him that the sight Of
his face will not sometimes move her. ! At
length rose and moved away from the
window. A second later something
struck the glass with sharp click.
"What was that!' asked mamma.
"The wind hurled something against the
window pane" answered.. A moment
later and it was repeated. "Why, it
sounds like something thrown against the
glass; mamma said. "Tell uarwood to
see what it is, Rose.'
got up and went out Of the room. l
knew it vas useless to resist Breeze
Rogers summons longer. must 60 and
see what he wanted. I threw dark
cloak over my shoulders, and went out.
He heard the door open. and glided into
the shadows again.
"What do you want I" I asked, icily.
"Why are you here! l told you never
to approach me again.
eyes, but you were angry then. You
have had time to think more kindly Of
me since, and l came to tell you that
Cora is dead. She died last night, and
with her dying lips she forgave me what
wrong l have done her. was with her
and caught her last breath. If she could
forgive me, surely you ought. know
that I did her great wrong, but re-
pent of it, and she has forgiven me, will
you do the same and come to me =
He took step toward me, but re-
treated. 81 have nothing to forgive"
answered, coldly. IF she when you So
wronged has forgiven you, well and good,
I owe you no i'll will, but 1 do not love o,
respect you now, never cam.
''Rose!'' he cried, ''You are cruel! Oh,
come to me, and fly before it is to late"
"Hush!' I said, sternly. "All that
wild folly is past, and forever. shall be
the wife of Rollin Wcatherbec next week
at this time, and far from here. The wife
Of tho only man ever loved. That mad
fancy l conceived from you died as sud
denly as it sprang to life, and never can
live again. Go away now and leave me
Goodnight and good.by.'
sped back into the house, and locked
the door behind me, leaving him alone in
the darkness. found mamma had fall
en- to sleep in her chair by the stove, and
was relieved that would thus be spared
answering her questions.
The wind blew colder and harshe,
across the moor lands. A drcary raiI
began to fall, and the night settled down
desolatc and lonely. Merideth house wa!
oppressively quite, and my heart was full
of sad forbodings. What if the dreadful
autumnal storms should come on jvs
after Rollin embarked for Avondale
What if the ship went down in the water
of the lake, and he never came to me
Would it not be just punishment for m,
fall HnI / 1,nkw - h ~rrS
thought, and almost broken my VOWS, an,
fed with another, and that other base
hearted, unprincipled william? Had no
let his kisses fail on my lips, and listened
to his words Of love? Oh! was asha,ne'
ashamed; and I hid my face in m,
hands praying God to forgive me, ant
send RoIlin to me in safety.
The days that followed were damp an,
chill, with mist and wet east winds. Blu
the dreaded storm did not come on
Each night I went to rest with hear
full Of anxious fear each morning aros
thankful to fin1 only wet winds and som
bre clouds. Thursday morning came
gray, cold, chill, like the ones that ha,
proceeded it. Thursday night the shi]
Cora Bell was expected, and by that shil
Rollin Wcatherbee would come to me.
I was restless and uneasy all the lonl
day. No glimmcr Of sunrise lighted tn
dull, gray skies. A damp mist fell, ant
the bold east wind blew over the moor
By night was almost hysterical, and my
heart was like lead in my breast. "A
wan.faced bride yell be, if ye dim.
brighten up bit," Harwood said to me
and did not wonder as I caught sight o
my dead white face in the mirror.
The evening came on dark and desolate
No moon, no stars, only gray sky
varied here and there with dense black
clouds. could not stay in the house
1t seemed like prison to me, and, seiz
ing a cloak, / threw the hood over my
head, and the cape over my shoulders
and walked down the avenue, and lean
ing on the stone pillars Of the gate, look
cd out toward the lake. Suddenly some
thing caught my eye; it was brigh,
light, high up in the air. "Alight house
of course said mentally, ''but VIII,
have never seen it before! That is moi
the lighthouse that directs ships t.
Avondalc landing, for the landing il
exactly opposite Merideth house, have
seen the light night after night from my
chamber window" l turned my eyes in
the direction Of the landing. It was At
dark as pitch. But off to the lett, full
half mile, shone that brilliant light
Suddenly thought struck me. my
God, it is the lighthouse on the rocks ?
cried. and my heart seemed to stand
still. / remembered that I had been out
there once in my boat. An old fisher
man sitting on the rocks, and dropping
his line in the water, had answered my
queries concerning the lighthouse. It is