The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-04-20

sWer to his approaches she cried q:
If her heart were broken and the
strong, tender-beaTted fellow sOOI
grew pitiful OF her grief, and soOthed
her, and begged forgiveness for bis
hsrshness. After q while he drew
from her the whole story. He un-
derstood the pressure which hSd been
brought to bear upon her, and how
powerful she had been to resist il. He
saw that she loved him, and that il
she bad felt sure of his affection she
would have stood out agsinst them
all. II he had but spoken out before
But his own pride had been to blame
Though he argued long and earDt ST
Iy, be could not convince Lizzie that
she had any right to draw back. She
. bad given her word, and she held her
|, self bound by it, persistently declsr.
Ing that be must not talk, or she list
, en-. So at last he gave up in
despair and the two walked home In
gloomy silence.
In Bayfield, everybOdy's affairs are
known to everybody else and so il
I was but a few days before the whole
neighborhO0d was informed of Liz
Zie's engagement to Robert Joeelyn,
, and 10y some mysterious agency.
known only to rural communities, the
secret of Mark BoyDton's love and
Disappointment was also generally
understood. The circumstances Great
ed kind OF excitement. The general
opinion was that the two young peO-
pie were being sacrificed to the wish
es Of their elders and sympathy was
strongly with them, as always where
true love is crossed. The young peo-
pie blamed Lizzie for her want OF
firmness; butparents, interested per-
haps in the cause OF authority, exon
Grated her and oeIsured those who
were taking advantage Of her fiIial
j duty. Robert, too, came in for his
share OF sympathy, The sad story OF
his love for Phoebe was we'll remem-
bered and there was not wanting
some romantic SOULS who thought 1t
fitting that the daughter should COM
pensate him for the pain her mother
cost. ti io 'tr
Of course all the neighborhood gos-
SIP was known t. Mrs. Ezra, but she
took good care that very little of it
should come to Roberts ears. She
had made up her mind that she knew
what was best for Lizzie, and she did
not mean to let her plans fall.
And Robert Was he ignorant of
the state of things ? He might have
seen, but he would not. He heard it
said that Lizzie loved Mark R1ynton,
and he would not believe it. Had he
not q right ? He had missed hsppi-
ness once, and now it was again with
ia his grasp, who should say that he
1 rrrI. q =. nrfrv - T.f11fn unnlh ha
happy. She loved him already; she
TSsuld love wholly when she was his
wife. That other was q passing
fancy. He shut his eyes to the evil
denee of her pale and sorrOwful face,
silenced all inward remOnstrance, and
held bis way.
The preparations for the marriage
were rather hurried forward, for Mrs.
Ezra thought the sooner it was over
the better. Lizzie made no objection.
Since it was to be, Gll times were
alike to her. The day for the we'd
ding was fixed, and they only waited
for the regular three weeks punish
ment," one of the legal forms essen
tial in those days. They were to be
"cried" for the first time on that
pleasant Sunday afternoon on which
this story opens. And Mr.. Beaman,
whose duty it was to perform that Of
| flee, stood up before the congregation
and published the banns of marriage
between Elizabeth Heath and Mark
Boynton. No wonder the people
were thunderstruck, and that they
moved in silent amszement out OF
the church.
But once the crowd was fairly out
side the sacred edifice, comment and
question were free. Mr.. Beamsn
was beset by inquiries. Ezra JoceIyn
was there, angrily accusing him of
wantOnly insulting his daughter aud
his brother. The poor man was COM
pletely beWildered. He did not un-
derstand that anything was wrong.
He had been called upon by Robert
Jocelyn to publish the intention of
marriage between himself and Lizzie
Heath, and he had done it.
"Why, man alive w exclaimed
by-stander, "it was not Robert Joce-
lyn's name that you called, but Mark
Boynton's."
The unlueky clerk could not believe
it possible that he had made such
mistake, until the reiterated asser-
tions of all his nelghbors convinced
him. He could only explain it by
the fact that he had thought q good
deal of the peculiar circumstances OF
the case-he had heard, he said, the
women folks talking it overland had
pitied the adverse fate of the two
young people crossed in love and he
must have had Mark Boynton so
v,uob in bfS mind fhcf ha hed apotan
the latter's name unconscioUsly. A
fine communication his blunder had
made.
Mrs. JoyeeIyn, with a flushed and
angry face, took Lizzie'ss arm and
hurried her away. She believed the
whole thing was q trick of Marks
and she suspected that Lizzie might
be priVy to It. But she prudently
repressed her anger until they reach
ed home, and there Lizzie quickly es-
capped TO her own room and locked
herself in so tie good woman's lec-
ture h I'D to be postponed.
AS for Mark BoyntOn, the last syl-
liable of the benediction was hardly
spoken before be was out of the
house. Curious eyes followed him,
but no one had time to speak to him,
for he quickly sprang over a stile
leading from the churchyard to foot
path across the fields, and disappear
ed in the wood beyond.
But doubtless the ssddest, the most
plying sympathy OF the crowd went
after Robert Jocelyn, as, with a face
white and immOvable as that OF the
dead, he moved through the throug,
which divided to let him pass, and
went away to his home. He sat down
by the open window, through which
the pensiVe autumn sunshine stream
ed in warm and sweet, and burying
his face in his hands, remained for q
long time lost in gloomy thought.
Bitter memories crowded thick upon
him. The struggle in his soul was
cruel one, but it was the bitter part
of him which conquered. After a
long time he lifted his head, and
drawing out his watch, took from the
inner part of the Old-fasbioned silver
case lock Of hair, faded now, hut
once. a bright warm brown. Over 1t
laysa little watch-paper on which was
painted in water coloTs a wreath Of for
get-ne-nOts eneircling two clasping
hands. Underneath the whole was
the name HPhe6e." He gszed at
these treasures long and steadily,
while the hard look of suffering went
out of his face and his eyes grew ten
der and moistened with tears. Helean-
ed his elbow on the window sill and
looked out across the happy Autumn
field to the church yard where for
so many years poor Phoebe had rest
ed from her sOrrows. Then his eye
went on to his brothers. horse, from
the door of which he presently saw
little Lizzie pass out and take the
path to the orchard. At sight of her
mis- lip quivered slightly he heaved
one great sigh aud then said, as if
summoning strength for some fiuaI
resolution, "Yes. L will go and tell
her."
Poor Lizzie had thought her cup
was full before; but this day she was
sure she could bear no more; and
escaping as soon as possible from her
mother, she sought the only place
where she was likely to be uninterupt-
ed, that she might cry her heart out
alone. She hurried along till she
reached her favorite seat beneath an
ancient apple tree whose long branch
e5 drOOp so low as to almost touch the |
ground. On one side was the wall, |
and on another huge barberry bush,