Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-11-28

"I felt sure of winning you. Let me see IL
IN your hand"
And gently placing the rich gem on her
slender finger, he covered her hand with
passionate kisses.
Irene withdrew her hand and began to
draw off the ring, but he stopped her.
I" No vou must never take it off You must
keep IL, my first and only love-gift to you
You must give me this" and he touched
tress of the rich hair falling on her neck.
She rose, without word, and going to
he little table where her dainty work-bas-
lSet stood, took the tiny scissors to sever the
tsked-for lock.
As Edward Howe watched her, he felt his
manhood forsakng him. He covered his
ace with his hands; then, in that little
room, no sounds were heard save the deep
raspng breath of the strong man in his eff
fort TO control himself. and the ticking of the
,ock, quickly numbering the minutes of
hat sad interview. He arose aud stood be-
,ide her, to receive from her hand the gift
he had asked for. He took it in his hand,
he little tress of soft, brown hair; could it
We the only tie that would bind her to him
in /" the DAYS that were to come ?"
al cannot realize it, Irene. | love you;
YOU have told me that you love me, and yet
my darling my darling How can !
rive you up 2"
Irene Carleton had meant to be very
strong and brave through this interview, but
the tears would come, aud choking sobs came
With them
What could he say to comfort her-he
who so sorey stood in need of comfort him
,elf ? All the hopeless misery of human life
was compressed in the few minutes that re-
NAMED to them.
"You will write--wil answer my letters,
Irene 2"
No; you must not write to me. You
must forget me"
Forget you, Irene |"
al do not quite mean that" she answered,
With quvering lips :" but must pass out
# your life entirely. Sometime you will
marry"
The one word of his answer to this was,
Never"
After few hushed moments he went on
al have never asked woman to marry
ne before never will again. You have
III the love of my heart, Irene, and that love
shall go with me to my grave. But grieve
70 think of the sorrow my love has brought
;ou; would you had never seen me-"
No, no do not say that" she whispered.
One, two, three, four, rang out in silvery
hines from the little clock on the mantle
rain would leave Leunox in half an hour;
he time had come.
Irene, my darling, | must leave you.
Can it be, must it be, forever p
How can | hope otherwise 7" she an-
,wered, solemnly.
He bent down and kissed the white cheek
he passed his hand caressingly over the
shining hair, and as he drew her closer to
him he said once more:
(" How can | leave you thus ?"
But the minutes were passing swiftly, the
arting must not be delayed. In tones that
rlainly told how the great depths OF man
hood were moved, he said
"God bless and keep you, my darling
Then, sadly and reverently as ever kiss
vas laid upon lips soon to be covered with
The coffin lid, he pressed his lips to hers
he held her to his breast for the last time.
"Good-by, my own love- he whispered,
md through her sobs she echoed his words
hen he left her.
Who shall tell what Irene Carleton suf-
fered then, and for days, weeks aud months
after
Alice's watchful eyes saw that great
change had come over her kind and loving
ister; not that she was one whit less kind
# less loving, but her pleasant laugh no
onger echoed through the little room, and
poor Alice sorely missed the bright, cheer
| lnl talk that had so often beguled her days
If WEAKNESS.
At length she begged her sister to tell her
What had so changed her. Irene replied eva
! iyelv, but the sick girl, with loving words,
,,ked her to tell her trouble to her sister.
What could Irene do She said that she
lad no trouble, but added, truthfully, "at
.ast none that can be made less by speak
lng of" then tried to turn the conversation
10 indifferent subjects.
But Alice, who had heard from old Mar
.aret OF Mr. Howe's last call at Sunnyside,
aud of the still white figure that half an hour
after his departure she had found lying on
the old lounge in the sitting-room, asked
direct question, with an unwonted flush on
Ter thin face
"lrene, did Edward Howe ask you to
marry him ?"
SO surprised was Irene at the question,
that she bowed her head in answer. Then
Alice, looking straight into her sisters face,
asked, quietly
"Then why did you refuse him 7"
This was added sorrow to Irene. How
could she tell the patient invalid that be-
cause OF her she had refused the man she
loved with all her heart But Alice more
than suspected, and in bitter, passionate
, words poured forth her sorrow that she
I should have been burden all these years
and now had blighted her sisters life, and
closed with;
: "If could only die, then you would be
7 happy, Irene"
Alice grew calm at last, but Irene was
obliged to yield to her entreaties, and tel
, her what there was to tell of the sad story,
When she had finished, Alice said
!, "Why did you still refuse Mr.. Howe''
:, offer if, as you say, he would have comt
| here to live? Did you think was so selfish
t AS to want your whole heart, dear p
!, Selfish you selfish Never think O
:. that word when speaking of yourself, Alice.
t You did not answer my question, Irene.
never intend to marry any QUE. Id
y not let us talk about it any more, my sister
You look very pale and tired, and you mus
It try and sleep little now."
81 am not the only one who looks pal
| and tired" said Alice with a suspicion
trembling in her voice, and, as her siste
d made no answer, after few moments sh
d said, very solemnly;
e "Irene, YOU made "a great mistake whe
5. YOU refused to be Edward Ilowe's wife"
Y Nothing more was said on the subjec
then, or, indeed, at any future time.
=; The merry spring-time had come an
gomez the full and perfect summer day
T. we're ended and once more the beautiful
le September had come.
d One day, in the latter part of the monti
d Irene Carleton, sitting quietly with her si
ter, was summoned to see some one who wa
H. waiting in the drawing-room. She wen
y down, never dreaming but that some kin
N neiChbor or friend had called to see her
and there was the man who had parted frot
" her in such sorrow months before; the ma
Dt who, for few brief minutes, had held ht
in his arms, and whose lips had been presse
ul TO hers.
IS She stopped, just inside the door, whit
r. and trembling. Edward Howe came to he
I'd placed one stroHg arm around her slend'
d, waist, and looked lovingly in the beautit
u gray eyes, as he said
ny "Haye you no welcome for me, Irene 7"
Then he drew her TO a seat beside hin
As he told her how worthless life was to hi
away from her-surely it could never be i
:" tended that two who loved each other
Id well should pass their lives apart-he r
ne peated the promise he had before made vii
10 regard 10 her sister, aud, as he presst
Id his lips to the beautiful white checks,
whispered:
Il You will not send me away agai
: | Irene 2"
Irene heard as one in dream. VIII
he could she say
Ter Poor Alice who had heard from Margar