Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-10-13

"Gretchen I" | cried, and ran to her
and put my atms about her, Gretchen,
my darling have you come tome at last
She gave little SIGH and drow herself
away from nv embrace.
at is for tho last time, Ezra" she said,
"Father told me might bid you good
by"
"Good-hy - | naltered.
Yes" she said II must never talk
tc you again"
"You have promised To ho my wife,
said "You have said you loved me-
Whs, do you mesn lie has frightened
you by locking You up. You think that
his power is absolute,
"No one locked mo up" she said,
quietly. IL have been told to stay within
doors out of your sight and | obeyed. II
was wrong OF mo to promise anything
without fathers leave, | thought II ~as
different in such case, and | liked you
So, but know now how uumaidenly it
was, Father has told mo.
"You .tsycd from me OF your own free
will" said "lou were not restrained,
O, Gretchen -
Father gave me his orders. One must
obey ones parents. 1t is Gods law, )" she
said
"Ensy to obey when you ars willing
| said, bitterly. parents could not keep
mo from you ii you wanted me, Grelch
en- !"
The tears were falling fast over her
cheeks She wa. sobbiug heavily.
80, Ezra, If you only knew,' she said.
81 mus obey"
Then she drew the ring had given her
from her linger.
Father says must return this" she
said, and it seemed ss though she could
not speok Tor weeping.
But was cruel to her.
"Of your own free will, because you do
not cale Tor me ?" asked.
IL cannot change my fcelingsy' she
said. "Pcrhaps they are wrong, but
must always like you better than any one
else. But father says must not marry
you, aud that | might give back the
ring"
t"lt It drop into my palm, | Gluten
I'd it licrcely. There WAS tht stone
CLOSE by he tunce, and | dropped the
rng ON that and ground it to atoms be
meath my heel. She only sobbed the
more.
Don't bs angry with me E1ra,' she
-aid at is not my mutt"
But would not listen to her | turn
ed from her and walked away. Judging
by my.elt, shs could not care for me, il
any thought OF obedience could stand be
tween Us.
That night packed my portmantcAu,
aud leli home. ooud not -tay thclo 40
ncnr her, aud yet have nothing more to
do with hor,
never forgot her for n moment, but ]
did not talk of the past to any one.
| had an uncle ia Detroit, and | went
/ To- hin He wns tarrler, ond taught me
his bu. iurss, aud soon | was abie to make
money at IL. Bul money was nothing to
me nov, except 80 lar II, II WI, needed To
enable me to live from dny to dny. |
sent il to my parcut-, aod they, needing
nothing, pat it away ia the bauk with the
httlr store they were saVing lor my good.
/ But We were glad 20 have such an IN
dustfiou- SON. sad my mother; "snd
/ when you bring home some preliy Cnn
adian gil, you viii he gind 10 have lit
/ Tie nc-t egg Ia -talt win.
had no thought Of any girl, however
I pretty, lora vile but mother could not
gur-, how deop'y had been wouuded.
Day md night ! kept thinking OF
Gretchen, .nd nIway- kept on my bed
/ room window sill, in = chiua pot, one of
those pure white lile-, which always re-.
minded me OF her. But | never asked a
/ question about her, aud i've yesrs pa-sed
! by live anniversaries Of our betrothal
! day, and did rot know even whether
she had married, or WAS yet Gretchen
Werner.
1t was the sixth anniversary Of that
day when | went homo 10 my little room
esriler lhsn usual. had been strangely
nervous all day, starting at any sound.
and feeling NJ though every time the
door opened that some one had come To
bring me evil news And had thought
oi Gretchen great deal, aud il seemed
to me that writing long letter home To
my mother would comfort me.
| sat down to my desk near the window
the -hudow Of the lily always mental y
called Gretchen falling over the papers
when the evening wind swayed it. The
sun was going down, and all was very
calm and peaceful. A kind OF Sabbath
hush seemed to have fallen on every
thing, and | wondered why it was.
| tod you that Ind never asked a
word about Gretchen before [; that day |
added n postscript to my letter.
"Ia Gretchen Werner we'll, and living
neef you % sad. Tel! me something
about her,"
Just rs | said these words the lily
shadow swaycd more darkly over my pa
per, and | looked up. Beside the lily
stood Gretchen, white rs the flower it,
self, nad robed in white. Her long, fail
hair dropped over hor bosom, and be-
tween her crossed hands lay bunch o
lily flowers as they are laid on the bosomi
ofthe dead. She smiled US | looked al
hcr, but never stirred.