The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-29
A WOMAN'S SECRET.

Journey, | want to tell you a story,n
said my friend Mallam to me one day.
give been the most COMPOUNDED fool
and villain, without knowing it; and
have injured another even more than
myself. The sooner | get away from
here the better; but I'd like you to hear
about it first. 1t is six years since |
parted from Cecil Langton. l had only
known her fortnight, but l loved her
with my whole heart from the first day
we met. She was like a new revelation
to me, and believed in her. l know
I'm different to most men. | don't be-
lieve the generality care what a woman
is in herself, so they are in love with
her and she with them. Passion covers
everything with beautiful face to
back it; but, unluckily, it wasn't so
with me. | suppose I'm insanely jeal-
GUS by nature. | wanted my wife to
be all my own, with no memories even
to come between her heart and mine.
| think if | could have chosen | would
have had her locked up in a glass case
till the moment | saw her. There.
laugh if you like. 1t was an idiotc
craze, and own it; but the worst of it
was that, not content with having this
ideal in my mind, l applied it to Cecil,
and | believed she came up to it. One
thing | know: that, though everyone
was going wild about her beauty, it
didn't seem to make any impression on
her. She never showed grain of favor
to any of her numerous admirers, and
one of her greatest charms to me was
the glad, free-heart Wilderness which
she carried about with her. Even |,
who loved her so well, couldn't tell if
she knew it, or cared for me. Some
times thought she did-a little; but
think great love makes one humble, and
oftener | feared | was mistaken. Ihave
never known how it was in reality.
1.-The day before l was going to ask
her the question we were in the public
drawing-room at the Rashleigh Hotel.
She and her friends were staying there,
and we had all come together from the
Bodleian. We were talking of por-
trait of Mary, Queen of Scots, there
you know it-and she said something
about not sympathizing much with the
sorrows of a woman of many loves. 1t
was like my ideal of her, and l said so,
observing:
81 don't think you would change
easily if you cared for anyone And
she answered:
No, once ought to be enough for
any real woman. Not she added,
that l can speak from experience
"'Of changing l said, or caring?'
81 was looking into her eyes, and
was glad to see them soften and love-
ly blush come into her face; yet she
tried to keep her careless look and an
swered:
I" People cannot change if they have
never cared
60 But they might carer said. Her
friends were leaving the room to put
their things away. l saw she wanted
to follow them, and had only time to
add: May l come again tomorrow? l
want to ask you
"She was gone before | said what;
but, though she hurried upstairs, there
was no denial in her eyes, and she had
not snatched her hand from me. think
l should have held her by it and asked
my question then, but waiter passed
the door at the moment and glanced in
at us, and let her go lest l might ex-
pose her to some remark. | was care
full enough of her name. If only others
had been as much so!
There was an unused door at one
side of the room. A table covered with
books stood against it, and | was lean
ing over it trying to find something in
Bradshaw, when heard talking going
on on the other side of the door. | sup
pose there was a pantry there, for they
were walters voices, so paid no atten-
ton till heard a name, and it flashed
on me they were speaking of Cecil.
''' All, well, she's beautiful girl, is
a Hundred-and-seven,' said one. I'VE
don't often get stunninger.' And
then there came grunt in answer.
cay, an carryin' on as them stun
ming ones does. It's one o. young col
lege gents now, see; but she was ere
two years ago with her pa, an then it
were an officer All, l remembers
them! He were Cap'en Lucas Same
name as my wife atore married her.
Journey, can't repeat the words
as l heard them. The gist of them was
this; That while staying at a hotel she
had telegraphed for this Capt. Lucas to
join her, and affected great surprise
when he walked up to her and her ia
ther in the coifee-room; that their mu-