Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-15
Gales and Sketthes.
BLlCkMERE HOLLOW.
Continued from yesterday )

her waist, to draw her toward me, &c
clasp her in my arms, TO kiss her sobbing
lips What need of words now! Hel
soul had answered in the silent thrill OF
our meeting breaths.
.'And you will be my wife 80 muir
INJURED
She started from my embrace at that
word, as though it had recalled her to her
recollection.
"No. no. nor she cried. shivering !;
''that would be to bring shame aud misery
upon you love. for | do love you, love
you too much TO sacrifice you to my own
weakness"
LET them come, exclaimed. passion
ately, $50 that ] possess you; in your
arms shame and misery have no terrors
for me, for the boundary of my world
will be there The shame is not ia vou;
you cannot look me in the face and tell
me ii is "
Shame is like a contagious disease-it
il not content with one victim ; it does
not only strike the wrongdOer. ii affects
all who surround him." she answered
My conjectures were correct, then;
there was something in the fathers lite
that had bghted hers.
IL guess your secret" | cried, and
stopped, silenced by the look Oi dIsmty
that flashed upon her face.
''lmPOssible-you cannot; no one can
have told you :" she exclaimed.
''N0 one" wered; "Out we some
times instnctively divine
"You could not divine that" She an
swered, shuddering.
"Nor do | wish To. | exclaimed. ITO
know that you yourself are pure and good
is all | wish to know What is ii To- me
that others have done evil of which you
are the suffering victim? | have no ties
TO bind me to England. The world is
wide; We can make our home thousands
of miles away, and cast off the past aud
its associations as completely AS though it
had never been"
| found her soften beneath these words
as though they pictured new idea to her
mind. and for the first time she turned
her white fearful face toward me. |
clasped it between my hands, and coy
cred il with kisses, until ii dropped down /
upon my breast /
| knew that had conquered.
Darkness was creeping on apace but
the mist had dissolved, and the grim fan
tastic outlines OF the mountains stood
clear and stark against the purple sky, !
out of the calm profound Of which git
tered here and there star, silver spangles
was shadowy gloom, brooding over the
upon the robe OF night All beneath
Stygian blackness OF the sleeping lake.
And SO we sat lnotionless in the dim
gray light alone with nature, Il portion OF
herself, like some love story OF primeval
time carved In stone, upon which the
grim mountains had irowned and the stars
looked pityingy through countless ages.
| avoided meeting Mr. Clifford that
night. / could not endure that he should
read my happiness and offer his vulgar
congratulations, that would have cast me
from my cloudland into the very mire of
earth. | was almost delrious with the
preternatural exaltation OF nv soul; my
pulses throbbed at fever pace; could
neither sleep nor rest.
The next morning was out upon the
mountain, where 1 wandered the whole
day, waiting impatiently for the fall OF the
twilight. when we were TO meet az am up.
on the margin OF the mere. 1t came al
last, calm aud serene as that OF yesterday.
and with it hours OF never tO-be forgotten
ecstasy. For US there was no past, no lu-
ture--only The all-absorbing present.
And so passed week OF summer tw-
lights ana the day OF our marriage Was
fixed, and had undergone The orduli uiI
the fathers CALCULATIONS. All oar plans
were arranged secretly between ourselves
We had told Mr.. Clifford that we should
spend our honeymoon at Southern
watering-place Tor we found him watch
full and suspicious, and feared, if we talk
ed of quitting the country he might place
some espionage upon US; but nevertheless.
such was our lntention-to quit it forever,
and leave no trace behind.
One night, as we sat upon onr old seat
at the lake-side-it was two DAYS previous
to that fixed for marliage--shs- told me
all. 1t was quite different from anything
j had imagined, and gave me IL great
shock. She had been unusually silent
and thoughtful, and had been urging her
to tell me the cause.
''Do you think it is justifabe to break !
an oath imposed upon you against Your
conscience ?" she asked-"an oath which |
makes your whole life Il lie, decent"
would not venture an opinion upon 50
delicate point; but | answered:
"If il has aught TO do with me, let it re-
main unbroken. Remember the beautiful
words OF Vivian's song:
10 love, if love be love, if love be ours,
Faith and uniaith can ne'er be equh powers:
OAlAItu IN hUEut Is want oil iath 10 al,
mo, trust,
not at all, OF all 10 all
She put her arms round my neck, and
laid her face against mine, looking up at
me with grateful, fearful eyes.
alt Is this very trust" she answered |
THAT urges me TO tell you all, that makes |
me feel so base. Surely God cannot be |
angry with me for casting away deceit p
Let the past be as though it had never
BEEN" | said hastily; for her words filled /,
me with dread, | feared to learn their
meaning.
You say so now" she urged ''but a /
time Will come when this secret will raise
dark cloud between US. Better even
that we should part now, though that
would be worse than death 10 me. than
that GOODNESS should come between Us in
the FUTURE
felt that her words were wise though
| still continued irresolutelv to opp ~
her wish; and SO she had her way. But
when 1t was SO decided she paused. as II
TO gather strength for that which was to
come and could feel her clinging arms