The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-23

heart. L cannot afford to lose YOUR
friendship, which has been dear to me
for so long. l win do what you wish.
You say that she loves me. The good
God knows that l am tired of this sus-
pense. Well, l will marry her, then.
There, now, art thou appeased? I viii
90 after her to New Orleans, and bring
her back to you l will bring her back
as my wife, and the conflict will be
over" ..l ..-.r ...... ....
"Oh, will you, professor said, hold
ing out my hands to him in delight, for
thought it was generous of him, con
sidering everything, and fairly yearned
for my poor Helen's happiness and his
own. .........
Yes, the sacrifice is made" he said,
and heaved a heavy sigh Now let us
think of the arrangements. IL will be
better for the first year that we shall
board with you. She will be happier,
and so will l. Can you hire the suit of
rooms above? They are vacant, 1 be-
Heve."
Eyes, and they are beautiful" l said,
clasping my hands with Joy.
every well, then; will sec that they
are properly furnished. You must have
good servant; you must not have too
much care"
"Care!" l echoed. cit will be de-
light, pleasure" And the professor
flung off his coat. | poured out some
coffee for him, and we began to eat
breakfast, for had not tasted morsel,
and was comforted enough now to feel
hungry
A fortnight after the rooms were COM
plete, and the professor was to leave for
New Orleans the next day. He was com
ing to take supper with me and bid me
good-by that night, as the steamer start
ed very early in the morning. l had
made everything l could think of to
please him, and put a few pansies in my
hair. The table looked wonderfully in
viting. 1t was about dusk, and l ex-
pected him every moment, when the
janitors little boy came running in to
me with letter. saw it was in
strange, fine handwriting, and thought it
was some new customer; but as l read it
my blood rushed to my heart, for it was
from Helen, and ran thus:
My DEAR SUsIE-I have only time to tell
you am the happiest creature in the world
All those months | was with you | had left
my heart with young person down here,
who is the son of an abolitionist and a
Quaker Ny father is a fire-eater, if you
know what that means, my dear; hat he could
not swallow the big bonfire of love that
blazed between that young Quaker and me,
so he sent me to the North, that my share of
it should be cooled by your climate. But if
you remember, | did not see much of the
climate. | was almost always in your coy
parlor, where the birds sang and the flowers
bloomed and the dear professor was so much
like my own Edward that l could almost
fancy that they were one and the same-the
ruddy hair, the same eyes of flashing blue,
and his thee and thou brought back to me
the sweet Quaker dialect. He mad but the
one fault-of which thou must cure him, my
dear-a womanish curiosity that thou alto
gether art happily free from. II at last
drove me away. | came home, like the
prodigal, and my father gave me my Edward,
the more readily that he was the best match
in the county, and my father, though a fire.
eater, is poor. My best love TO thee and the
professor, and l am always thine own
HELEN.
AS finished the last line the profess
sor's fOotstep was on the stair; and, as the
night was warm and the door open, in he
came, and found me, cold and petrifed,
with this dreadful letter in my hand.
What is it?" he said, snatching the
letter. st is from New Orleans. Is
she dead?"
No" said; " she is married"
And the professor read every word of
that cruel letter of Helen's. Then he
wiped his streaming brow, and bent my
head submissively, expecting a volley of
imprecations and laments; but he said
not word, and presently sank into a
chair and looked out upon the western
sky. A fresh breeze blew aside the cur
tains and lifted the hair from his beauti-
full white forehead.
My tears fell fast and heavily. l was
so sorry for him | thought my heart
would break ...... .. .-
Weep not, little one," at last he said
e. think have been fool: is it not
so?" ..
No, no, no" l CRIED going over to
him, and kneeling down by his side
son, can you ever forgive me? Indeed,
indeed, thought it was so. ] thought
SHE must love, she could not help but
love you"
He looked down upon me and smiled,
and patted my little red hand with his
white and tapering fingers. .... s.
e" What is to be done now" he said.
g The altar is ready, but where is the
victim? How can the sacrifice go on?"
"There is Miss Van Coot," said, tim
idly, if yod could bring yourself to be
satisfied with her. She has houses and
lands, and thousands and thousands of
dollars in her own right and she is very
wise and learned, and wonderful must
clan"
Hold" cried the professor; "why
should this great and mighty lady con.
descend to become the wife of a poor
professor? Hast thou not sufficiently
fostered my foolish vanity? And what
would become of the rooms above, upon
which l have expended my time, my
money, and my brain? You will own
that they will not suit the fancy of Miss
Van Coot?"
ooh, they are so beautiful | cried,
my tears falling faster than ever. "The
paper is so bright, the carpets are so
pretty, the pictures so charming There
is little rocking chair there that is the
dearest and most comfortable little chair
in the world" '- -f-
"Then keep it myself, mein Herr
chen" he said, in that low, tender growl