The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-15
Fettercd, Yet Free.
BARRETT SYGVESTI,r..
AUTHOR OF "CLoUDs AND SUNSHINE" al
TELLA. ERSOR," Ero.

AUTHOR OF "CLouDs AND SUNSHINE" al
TELLA.J ERSoR,' ETo.
'Ihat Is the man. John Lawrcll is my
husband / have seen the scar aud hearc
the story. Bob never saw he was abroac
for some scripe he had got into. Hog
range that You sholld have known elci
olh,r! Well, john Lnwrell came to the VII
hge sketcLinG, and made friends with my
le.r old iather, and WIS at our house every
day. lie was a handsome man, and an at
,rlctive one and we both liked him, little
accus! omed as We were to the polish of good
society. was Just seventeen, and my face
took his fancy he used to draw me in n di!-
fcrcnt position or costume every day, and
pleased my father by doing So Then came
lhr terrible day that wrecked my life. Ny
father WAS brought home dying, stabbed in
rying to part two men who were fighting.
He could barely speak to W sh me goodbye,
and | was lett uluue-all alone in the
world"
She paused and hid her face in her hands
for some minutes, and then went on more
st,a .ly.
John Lawrcll was everything that was
kind and good | bel eve he really cared
.or me then but l doubt whether he would
nave wished me to bo his wife had he not
heard, the day before, from my poor father,
OF stra &c thing that had happened re-
Gently My father owned three shops in
small street in the city OF London, lett him
uy his godfather the three toTathor bri glng
in about three hundred year, or perhaps
TWO hundred and fifty. The lawyer WHO
managed these for him and sent him his
rents wrote 10 y that O railway company
wanted TO erect large station on that spot,
and that, after much worry and pertinacity,
he had succeeded in extracting from them
L sum that " Would bring us in, when proper
ly invested, two thousand year. This
money was now mine and curse it proved,
for, hnt for that, do not believe that John
Inwrull would have thought Of making me
his wife. Now, knowing me to possess the
money, lie came f rwurd, and III the first
burst of my grief and loneliness told me
that he loved me, that he had asked and OBJ
tanned my fathers consent to our marriage,
and importd me to be his wife. | was
barely eighteen, ] liked him, and knew
nothing OF love, so | consented, and three
weeks later became his wlle-but not until,
fortunately for me, tie lawyer had tied mp
my money tightly in settlement about
which he wrote Inc such an urgent letter
that was firm and refused to marry uatll 1t
vas signed / was very wretched after my
marriage, though at first John was very
Kind and seemed fond of me; | could not
enter into the galetes he loved, SO he went
out day after day, night after night; and
soon--very soon-I tuaud that lie rarely
came lone sober l had barely liked him
before now / shrank from him with hor-
ror and lie saw it and dlsliked me. Then
C.cIl was born, and | made myself happy
with him; but John seemed n tuaily to
hate the child. Sometimes | think he fan
nied, as was so delicate then, that should
lie, and the money nll be his but now that
Il son had come there was little hope of his
ever gaining possession of it. l may be
wrong-at any rate, | ought not to speak SO;
il is enough to tell you dat our lie together
became more and more miserable. lie was
hardly ever sober, and my lte WAS often III
d.ng,r; but | bore that TIL one day, III fit
If uclrIum trrmens, he tried to XII the
child. Then made up my mind, and told
Am | should leave him. | agreed to lei
Lin have the remainder OF the money II he
would allow me five hundred year and
never come near me and he was glad TO he
rid of me on such terms. That WIS three
years ago, and have never seen him since.
| dropped the name Of Lawrcll Elton is
really my second baptiNlnul name and,
though d d not say | was widow, | was
%lld to find that people here tLOnght was,
l.l,lc dreaming what the consequences wonld
ne. Now you know why have so steadily
refused to know Lady Temple or any one
-lse Do you blame mef Do you think
,hey would care to know Inc il they hac
heard all nave told your"
YES do, he answered readily; thera
= nothing dsgracrLul in all tht You have
| Lone. Tell Latdy Temple, and try.
ii cannot she said, shaking her be0d
ldly at has been hard enough to tell
| ven You, but | felt / owed it to you, and |
would rather you knew. Now what are you
| ;oing TO doY
stay here" he answered. II cannot
| le We Cecil until he is better; but you may
| rust me never TO annoy you by word or
| Uuk We need not see each other very
| Jiten. You can go out when am with
aim, or stay downstairs. | want to be your
friend, Sibyl, that you may never feel lonely
lgliu. Some day you may need me. AT
my rate, il will be a conf TO you to know
that you have some one to whom you can
turn If you ever want help or advice. VIII
you accept me AS a trlenh!
He held out his hand, and she took it
quickly.
$50 gladly-oh so gladly"
And the BEAUTIFUL, weary eyes were raised
to his with look that sent shiver through
his fran 1t was SO full of unconsciou,
love and trust and made him clasp the lit
tie fingers tightly in his For one moment
he hcsilated, and then he bent his head aud
pressed gentle, lingering kiss on hel
cheek.
Good bye, love !" he whispered.
And though the color deepened in her
heeks, she did not draw back. Her eyes
Glled with tears, though hlt-smile was OIL
her lips us she said in a low, sad tone
"No no--you will learn to love another
some day But ara so very glad that w
are to be friends. You will be such com
fort to me.
Then she went away and left him, and he
sat there trying not to see how he was cheat
ing himself and her-trying to see whether
there could be any real sin in his staying
near her. But he would not listen 10 tn,
answer stern conscience gave.