The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-12-05
DGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1878.

was quite alone. The long French win
dow by which che sat was flung wide
open, and the low red sunlight, stream
ing in over her, lighted up her fair gold
hair and the roses in her dress.
elbow beautiful she is 70 he thought
as he took her hand in his. "What If
should not win her after all But I
will make hard fight for it,
Jessie looked up inquiringly into his
face. "You are very SILENT" she said |;
and then, catching the earnest look in
his eyes, she blushed violently and drew
away her hand.
"I love you," he passionately broke
forth in a low tremulous tone, break
| ing his emotional silence. "I have
come to you this evening to risk my fate
by saying this, to win or to lose all.
Jessie, you must know how / love you |;
how have loved you all along, from
that very first night that spoke to you,
neither of us knowing the other. Will
you not give me some hope of love in
return2 Do not send me from you an
utterly broken and discouraged man /"
Jessie was silent for moment-one
long, cruel moment to Robert Edbury
then the small, sweet face was turned
to him with gentle dignity. He knew
his doom beforehand, ere she spoke the
words.
"You must know how useless it was
to speak to me of this" she said " You
knew-surely, You must have known
that was engaged to my cousin, Rob
ert Stonor."
| Engaged to him ?"
eyes. We are engaged"
Neither spoke for a time The scent
of the flowers, blooming in the lonely
grounds on this side of the house, away
from the dusty and busy highway,
seemed to mock them with its sweetness;
the clustering shrubs and trees waved
gently in the summer evening breeze.
He could not speak at once; the sense
OF his bitter loss was too great. The
setting sun streamed in upon him,
lighting up his distressed face. It
seemed to him that the great old-fash-
ioned clock in the hail licked out the
jeering words:
"Lost! Lost | Lost II"
Engaged p he said, at length, with
long drawn breath. II did not know
it. But engagements, where no love is,
have been broken many times before
nowl"
"Hush p cried Jessie. "Do not
speak like that again. 1t would kill
him You do not know what you are
saying"
"Kill him p
elf he heard it, meant. He says
he trusts me-"
"And you are sacrificing yourself for
him for a fancy | Hear the truth,
Jessie. You care not for Mr.. Stonor,
except as a cousin or a brother. Elk.
anime your own heart, and it will tell
you that you do not. You care for me.
You love me. Many a half word, q
half loeL -nas oct syed Ito me. Yes,
nv -darling, it is Robert Edbury you
have learned to love, not Robert Stonor.
Your bushes, my love, are betraying
it now. YOU
"What was that p shrieked Jessie.
A low, smothered sound, half eroan,
half cry, came in from the open window.
1t was SO full OF pain that man would
not care to hear it twice in lifetime.
Before either could rush out Robert
Stonor stood in the opening.
1t was figure never to be forgotten.
His handsome face was distorted with
either pain or anger his lips trembled;
his left hand was pressed, with the old
familiar gesture, upon his heart.
"False, false that you are!' broke
at length from his bloodless lips, as he
seized Jessie with his right hand. "You
told me that you did not care for Rob-
ert Edbury You told me-
A pause, stagger and with fright
full shiver he fell on the carpet. Robert
Eibury broke the fall partially, but he
was not quick enough to quite save him
from it. Jessie flew from the room for
assistance.
"Robert Stonor here I" cried the be-
wildered Mrs. Ohassdane. II thought
he was confined to his chamber at
home"
He had been confined to his chamber
but, alas, he had crept out of it that
evening, and come up to the house to
see Jessie. With the fond hope of sur
prising her in the usual evening-room
he had gone round the shrubbery, in
tending to enter by the window, and had
heard AL.
On the floor, there as he lay, his head
raised on cushion by the hands of
Robert Edbury, he died. The medical
men said he could not, in any case, have
lived many months, il weeks, but that
the agitation had killed him.
1t was many long days after that,
when she had risen from the sick bed to
which this shock of sudden death had
brought her, that Robert Edbury came
to say farewell to Miss Chassdane.
The interview was brief, studiedly
brief, for, with the shadow of that dead
man lying between them, speech was
difficult to both.
Goodbye" she cried, reaching out
to him an attenuated hand. 81 hope
you may find happiness and peace |"
"But we shall meet again." cried
Robert, eagerly. 1Surely = surely
some time in the future may come to
you."
"Hush !" she cried, the tears rolling
piteously down her cheeks. "You
must not speak of that. Roberts
shadow would always come between us,
as he fell there on the floor. We killed
him We killed himl" and she wrung
her pale hands together in strong ex-
citement.
"Stop! !" said Robert Edbury, quite
sternly, "You are taking an altogether
mistaken view of the truth. Ask your
mother; ask any one. But you are weak
and ill yet, Jessie, and the time has not
come for me to insist on this, Let MS