Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-10-03

little parlor. "Suppo,e We tly3saA
game Of chess?'' n, no. -
"There is scarcely time to-night,''.
Victor replied; II am going to New
York by the nine o'clock train. -
$50, New York ~ SAID Tina. To,
was "a three days jourssy. s4Hows
long shall you be away3 =.
81 don't know, Tina. Coed bys
eGood by? No, Victor, :. / shall
not say good by in snch fashion., i
will pat on my, bonnet and go to tie !:
train with you. Now, tell me why
you are going?" as arm-in-arm they
walked in the moonrise down the
street. s'Or, at least, when are you /,
eomlngl backT' s-a- q. s, .,,a.rF,
He was silent minute.
''I am going to forget yeu, :" Ee
said sturdily, ''you, Tina, whom L.
wrong and injure every time spssks
,r look at. And I don't know that,
L shall overcome back, at. lsast. .nate
ill have ceased 10 love you" 90
s.yictor," she said, breathlessly,.
i''you shall not 90. Ifyou love me.
who can separate US?
/ "Who?'' tiinging her arm away.
rsMy wife. ~ and without word .r
tsignsbut with a bursting heart.a h..
strode away to the train. .@sa
Tina did not faint or swerve. He
knew her too we'll to suppose it. She
followed him one stricken instantvith
Ter eyes, then folded her arms over
'ler breast, and walked quietly hom.-
ward.
lit is. well," she said, as she cfept
off to nurse her hurt alone. '.'@
Victor went back after these fya
years, in which he had lived toe mu. b
IS if Celia Lucas had never crossed
lis patlr; and established himself ag. in
IS her nurse and protector. Oh, how
lard it was. How hard to look into
Ter sad eyes, which. still, forgetfuiiy,
answered his look with tenderness,
md not to hate her, the innocent, uI.-
conscious cause of his blasted life.
de took her from the asylum for q
willie, and tried the effects of trayel.
1t produced no change. The phys
| iansshad given up Iore now. IT
.'eason would Heaess 5e restored. But
ner health was pretty good. Doubt
less she would live for years.
John Lucas meantime had gone.
lfter brief illness, to his final az
count, leaving his daughter q large
fortune, of which Victor became trus.
zee. With something like horror he
refrained from appropriating a frac-
ion for. his owl benefit. But he
found employment, and lived to be
lear his wife; to see her daily; TO
complete his own selEsutjection.
| Poor Celia, innocent victim, his
sacrifice could not avail her. Perhaps
some mysterious hint of 1t reached
ler clouded brain, and made hel long
ior the release which. would also st-
;ure his freedom. For instead of
growing stronger under his care, 81 e
Jailed and weakened, and at last lay
Town ON her bed never to rise again.
A few hours before she died her
reason was restored. Victor was be:
side her. She recognized him at
,nce. Though seven years had chang
ed and aged him.
81 KNOW" she said family, ''that a
4 long time has passed, dear, since that
P lay ON the cars, and strange, strange
r hings have happened. Tell nae what
I ,ney are b~s>.a L d;a's
b ''You know that we were married
Celia?' '-t.
, "Yes," with a troubled look s'tha
I ought not to have been.r But wha
Il what W: it? did / murder 70,
r on the boat? have thought for .
long time that you were dead" Sh.
1 sazed eagerly at him. II see now
lead to me. I saw it all, dear, wheI
n { tried to kill yea, that fearful night.
D ''Saw what, Cellar"
: She passed her slim, beautiful han,
across his face. II saw the woman
you were to love to the end blue
eyed, brown-haired woman. It..
well, Victor. Do not mind. l. %,
). aer often through the years you wer
away from me-"
He held her hand, aud his tear
= dropped on it.
"Do not mind" she repeated, Il
the sad, sweet voice. II shall he
= you 60 back to her soon. You hay
;, been very good to me. And all come
about as it 1, mean. to. 1t is sson
;, while since that morning. You WIr
~ Endymion then. But your fair !! In!
N has grown gray. Let nae. kiss NC
% though, and hear you forgive me ,fe
( all, Victor, before die.'
His tears were falling still taste;
IS He folded his arms around her he
4 And she died, as she longed to, eupo
his breast. *s ), .,..,5, \,
10 With self-restraint, 10 chose
le words, Victor wrote these things b.
and-by to Tina Vanderlyn. =
" "Poor, sweet Celia. Poor, 90
heart" she wrote back, with never
s. reproach for any omission or commi
sion of his.
By-and-by, again he wrote:
as do not forget you, Tina. I shs
lg never forget you. And I want
to come back. There are no barrie
be between your love and mine, unle
We new ones have arisen on your side.
tn "Hearts like mine do not chang
Victor" she replied. s'Come hack
th A DISCARDED WOMAN'S COUl
IL ...... AGE.