Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-02-25
LOVES SACRIFICE.
'And is this your final decision"

'And is this your final decision?'
1T is.'
The full, lustrous eyes looked unwa-
vering into his; there was no sign OF
tremor in tho ripe, curving lips.
Il thought loved true woman; /
find that am Mistaken said Richard
BoughtOn, bitterly. You are false
Her gesture was half entreaty, half
command.
Spare your comment; this cOnversa-
tion is distateful to me. Let us end it.
Richard BoughtOn bowed coldly land
turned away. She watched him as he
went down the garden walk, his proud
head thrown back, every motion ex-
pressing powerful manhood, tense and
nerved by sudden controlling passion.
He lifted his hat mOckingly, bowed
low, and strobe firmly down the road.
With choking cry and dimmed
eyes, Maria WartOn turned and fled to
the privacy of her room. o.-
oh, Chariie-brother Charlie!' she
moaned, what have you done? Must
l lose all n3w-all hope, joy, love?
Oh, how / have thirsted for love! how
| have hungered for some one who
should absorb every feeling, emotion,
and give equal passion in return! And
to lose it now, after years of waiting;
to go back to the husks and poverty of
divided hearts-to feel the bitterness of
lonely, solitary existence! Heaven,
it is more than l can bear'
She wrung her hands despairingly.
The pride that had sustained her was
all gone now. She was a woman,
wretched, solitary stripped of woman's
primest need-lOve.
And to be condemned by him!
Looked upon as false, trifiing, guilty!
Condemned, and yet unable to reveal
Bou. htun-true as lifei'
She looked up proudly through her
tears. She was no weak-hearted, sen.
timental girl, Maria Warton; but glo-
rious wOman-resolute and assertive.
After that first concession to suffering
womanhood, she put aside weakness,
and was Maria Warton again. .-.......
Thirty.four years had crowned her
with queenly grace-a form full, round
ed, and commanding, regular head,
and truthful, noble face. Weak, pre-
suming dandies had dashed their vani-
ty against her self-reliant nature and
pronounced her heartless; strong, noble
men had caught glimpses of her true
worth and nature, and gone sorrowful-
ly away because they were unable to
stir its deepest impulees; and at thirty
four she was Maria Warton still.
But Richard Boughton that summer
in the country had gained what many
longed for. Maria Warton found in
him what her heart craved, and her
surrender was complete and entire.
1t seemed like dream to her that
this man, courted, fiattered, and hon.
ored by his fellows, should come and
lay all at her feet, fame, heart and su-
preine love. IL return she yielded her
most perfect love; all the longing for
lonely years found complete satisfac-
tion in his love; every thought, feel
ing, emotion, and desire in him.
Maria Walton's nature was proud
and strong; and like all self-reliant ma
lures, when she succumbed, her sub
mission was perfect and total.
Now, let us explain something.
Quietly entering the shaded parlOr
some days before, she heard voices out
side the window-Richard BOughtOn
with his friend, Frank
Wilbur.
Il would never marry a poor girl,
said BOughtOn; Il should always dis
trust her love, and fear that she mar
ried for money. To retain my love,
woman must be beyond suspicion
Maria Warton laughed softly. Dear
she said to herself, you can
never suspect me of doing that. My
fortune is large enough to make me in
dependent of that consideration
How carelessly she heard the words
then; how unimportant to her they
But how chillingly they
came back afterward! f
How cruelty she remembered them
when Charlie-fair-haired, irresolute,
lissipated Charlie, resemblance of his
weak mother-her only brother, wrote !
70 her from the fashionable resort |
where he was sojourning with his help
ess baby-wiie, that his fortune was
zone, that he was penniless. And
worse still-alas! this was the most Bit
,er of all-he mad proved unfaithful to
MS trust, and the fortune of an orphan
ward intrusted to his care was squan-
Tered.
Weak, selfish Charlie, how earnestly
le implOred her to relieve himI His
rust must be accounted for; exposure
vas at hand; would she not save him?
Give him her fortune, he wrote, and he
,ould escape exposure, restore the trust,
md be safe. He would care for her af-
erward; she should not want; he conld
work for her, beg, do anything-only
ave him, spare his helpless wife the
hame.
Maria Warton's whole nature rebell-
ID; spirit of justice burned within
Ter.
He has sinned,' she said; let him
uffer. Why should / bear the burden
If his faults? Give up my fortune!
How terrible Richard BoughtOn's
words came back! how they rang in
Ter ears, and made her brain whirl!
'Neverp she said, never! will not
acrifice all to him; he shall not strip
ny life of all hope and love- ni
Memory made her pause. There
anne back that final SCENE, when a
.entle, dying mother bade her be a
mother to the wavyar1 hoy who kuelt