The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-08-13

4
There we're dreadful thoughts in
his mind - he sat alone that night
thoughts which 10 you NAV seem un-
natural. I can only say pray to god
there NAV never come an hour when
such reflections may overtake you in
the darkness.
He was so tired Of life that he
wanted to he away. Not from any
c"wardly dread of living. but he was
30 weary Of the old pains. the obi
mOnOtOny, that to rush into the sui
tering Of a world beyond would have
been relief-n,t thought Of repen- |
lance, Just then he felt too hard and
bitter TO harbor it-only the longing
To rush forth, bold and defiant. to the
last.
While he sat there. the door opened
and Mildred Legion passed into the
room.
The hardness and the bitterness
lei, his soul. her presence brought
back the good resolves with which her
co,,nsels had once before nerved him.
Mildred :" he exclaimed. in a sor,
of wonder that anything 81 good AMI
pure could approach him still. Mil
bred. have yon come to me again
She went up To his CHAIR and stood
beside him, holding ont her hand
in si>terly trust.
"iou were in trouble AMI 81 ]
came" she said IL have a great deal
To saw to vou."
Even YOU cannot help me now.
he returned. IL don't mini the boss of
fortune. the added reproach-l deserve
it all-but | am alone. Mildred.
Neither her nor hereafter is there any
numan creature I" give the love l Il =
--cratee and trOd under foot in { ,e old
time"
She was greatly moved, but
stranger serenity shoue in her eyes all
the while. q
! "Would that serve to raise va lps
She asked. IF You had soul to-
love AMI cherish, would it enable you
tn come wholly out Of the de,pon-
dency of the past?
81 believe it wonld. / do believei..
II in the first lightning thought
which succeed her words there WIS anv
mad hope. it died out, in looking into
the calmness Of her face, befor it Was
half formed.
"Then | tell you to hope" she sud
81 tell you to hope"
He only looked at her in di.pairing
wonder.
"How can I hope, Mildred, have
no friends-no child"
Mildred laid her hand on his arm.
Maurice" she said, God has b. en-
very good to you The child YOU de-
serted did MT die she lives, within
your reach. AMI ready to give you the
affection which shall bring peace back
to your heart.
The child" he repeated. "Mabels"
child ?"
No other word could he utter. The
remorse above the oil that womIsn and
her babe had helped. durin. the past
years to push him down. He could
not comprehend the possibility Of
atonment being still with in his reach.
81 cannot understand he sail where
is she? Why does she not come to
me-"
Mildred opened the door, and. pale
and changed by the revelations Of the
past hour, Elsie stood there, bu, with
the beauty Of griat love in her face
as she looked at him.
He heard Mildred say.
Maurice. give you back Your child"
He felt Elsie's arm about is neck.
and heard her voice speaking
hope and trust for the future. ami in
the penitence and ,hankfuiness Of that
moment the old life slipped away
forever.
This was the story.
Ii was in the commencement If his
wrong course that Maurice Ha.lon
became entangled with Elsie's mother,
a passionate. fery-hearted West India.
who had known M training or dis
cipline, AMI who sank unavoilably IN
der the first temptations which poverty
and her beauty placed in her path.
All this time Maurice loved Mil.
dred Ley:on. He ment Nd WRONG u
her. He thought at first only to be-
friend Marguerite. but one of those
wild passions peculiar To such natures
sprang up in his heart and swept all
honor before it.
He had left her-lost sight Of her.
He allowed Mildred to Florida. He |
overcome all her fears and her
fathers douhts-they were betrothed- !
to he married.
The very night Of the marriage |
came. Mildred Legion stood in her
bridal dress. leaning ON the arm Of
him vino was 80 soon to be her hus-
ban.l. Her father was in the room
with them. all joined before the arrival
Of the guests. when into their presence
there burst spectre that desOlated
those lives-it was Marguerite with
her child.
She had followed Hadon. She
poured out the story Of her wrongs
she showed them letters which, by
laws of their state, would have made
any later marriage invalid-she
crushed Mildreds youth out under
her words and went away, refusing all
help, cursiDg them all alike.
This was the mystery Of Mildred's
life-this it was which had robbed
her of her youth. and brought shame
90 near her that her very soul
seemed scorched BY its breath.
HaGon learned. too years after,
that Marguerite and her child were
dead. When Mildred saw the scar I
upon arm Of the wanderer she
recognized Hadon's daughter. 1t re-
suited from q hurt received while
,s;ll a h~ho Che know at Onco that