The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25


mine"
She looked at me wonderinRly.
"You are noble girl. Mabel; not ma
ny would be so generous. But how will
you write to him?"
YES, will write"
"And at once. ere Laura discovers his
fal~eho"d? There are paper and ink
| Oh! Mabel, T. lieve a muIhs r's anxiety.
and di-mi.S him DOW, that | nay post
the note at once-this very hour"
| With the same apAIhrIic cOmposure
sat down and wrute a. she desired, a few
woris-only few (yea, oh: how fraught
with bitter sorrow,) telling him that
wished him To forget all that had passed
between us, and that ! thought it best
for us To- not meet again, a. my determ
ination was unalterable.
Then gave the note to Mrs. Wilton.
that she might zee that had really sent
him from me.
Months passed on, and there came no
word OF sign from Stacy Percival.
/ heard from Laura occasionally-not so
frequently as at first, for | studiously
suf, red our correspondence to drOOp,
and finally it died entirely away.
Spring and summer passed by. and
the leaves began TO fall and rustic on the
ground, dead and scar as my own sorrow-
ing heart.
] tried to forget, to be as had been
ere ! had dreamed my brief love dream;
and in the sight of the world succeed-
ed. but good Aunt Martha shook her
head and sighed, as she looked upon me
though she wisely refrained from ques-
tioning.
One bright day received an invita-
Iion to the wedding of Laura Wilton
and Stacy Percival.
/ did not go, though ! had long
thought to do 40, and thus prove to him
that ! had not suffered; but ] had over
rated my strength, and in tears of agony
| passed the hours until knew that he
I AONeu Nds AHS HuSOdHu O1 onOtueTI anu
then, not till then, / realized that hope
had not deserted me, for only then did
it fold its wings and lie down and die.
Several years passed slowly on. Aunt
Martha had gone to sleep in the church
yard, and I, for the second time an or
phan, was left alone in the gloomy old
mansion.
One day a visitor was announced, and
| entered the parlor TO meet Stacy Per-
cival.
mabel" he commenced abruptly, af-
ter one long, earnest look into my down
cast face; Mabel, l have to tell you tale
Ofsuffering, and sorrow, and wrong. Let
me tell you of it all calmly and cohe-
rently, if can, Mabel, that note you
sent met made me a broken, stricken
man. To he cast off by one | loved, and
told that she had discovered she loved
another more than met was almost
my death blow. Do not start and look
lncrebulous, Mabel Here ia the note,
look at itl Bnt for that all would have
heen we'll, for I would have sought yon,
and the clouds would been swept away.
Listen, Mabel, known that you did
not write that note, that you never saw
it. 1t was Mrs. Wilton, my aunt, who
wrote it!
Laura, as you know, died more than
year ago, and from the hour of her
death. her mothers health rapidly de-
clined, until scarce one month since, she
too, passed from earth.
Lying there on her death bed. she
told me how she had seen the love which
was growing up between US, and it hav-
ing been her cherished desire that
should marry Laura, because Of my
wealth, she resolved 20 separate us.
When / returned to the city after our
sweet interview, told her, as in duty
bound, of the compact we entered into.
She gave her warm approval, hut de-
sired me to keep it a secret from Laura;
why, she did not explain. Then she
went down to Ravenswood and told you
that she had discovered our secret, and
that her child would die If you did not
give me up. She wrought up your SEN
sitive heart until you wrote this, the
true note, from which she modelled the
false. She was ever an adept in copying
the handwriting of others. Her object
! To vorf
tion, and in this she was but too success
full.
travelled for several months, and
when / returned my aunt told me that
Laura loved me, that if wished to pre-
serve her life ] must at least fein the
love ! did not feel, and MAKE her my
wife in pity for her weakness. At frat
resisted; then yielded; the future had
no joys for me. but if ! could make
Laura happy. would at least be OF
some use in the world. But, oh! Mabel,
there, too, was falsehood and wrong, for
, my dying aunt confessed that while her
child loved me as brother, she desired
no closer relationship, and all her moth
, er's influence was needed to induce her
to give my suit a favorable answer.
r Ali Mabel, how: much sorrow would
have been spared us had been a poor
, man!
! "And now, my darling, have told
: you this free man, TO ask you again to
, be my wife, TO share a happy future
. with me. Will you come to me, Mabel?'
E He opened wide his arms, and II
laid my head peacefully on his noble
breast, my heart full TO overhowinG
, with thankfulness and love, and scarce
, able to realize that after the storm had
come sunshine, after many sorrowS, joy
The building of the Propy@a occupied
' FIVE years, B. G. 432-437. and cost 2,0l: