St. Landry democrat., 1879-03-29

| danger, EC0el naQ QflIteO 1HLO lIlouu
ship with him, and now the end had
come.
Before her on her toilet-table lay {
letter announcing her betrothed's speedy
return, and that evening Randolph Muir
ray had started to life in her heart, by
his unexpected avowal, feeling which
the girl felt through every fibre of hel
frame, would be cruelty hard to sup.
press But that it must be suppressed.
driven away, she knew, for her word was
solemnly given.
The week passed.. DR.. Murray remov-
ed to the west, much..to the surprise OF
al his friends aud patrons (but Ethel
knew why.)
And it was the time for Mr.. Merle's
return. Ethel was again perfectly can
did, as was her nature, and told him all,
adding that he was free to break their
engagement; but if he held her to it, she
would do her duty and be faithful wife
to him.
Henry Merle was man of the world.
Love was only name to him he had
palled of its sweets long before he met
the girl now speaking to him, with the
pale, pleading face and heavy eyes. He
knew Ethel had fortune, and that she
was the most beautif,Cs woman he had
ever seen, SO he chung fast to his prize,
and never thought of letting her go.
The preparations for thesaarriage were
rapidly going on, when EthePs quiet
was rudely broken by one of those ter
rible shocks which sometimes come in
peoples lives.
Her brother, who had left her when
their parents died, and who had seemed to
have forgotten her very existence, was
forger to large amount. He had
spent his own fortune, gone from bad to
worse, and now every paper throughout
the land was full o. the details of his
crime.
But Ethel rose superior to the blow,
which would have crushed weaker ma
ture. she did not sit down to think,
but acted promptly. And her action
saved him from iurther dishonor. Money,
some say, is the "root OF all evil" but
oftener it is the root of a good deal OF
good and Ethel, with thankful heart,
gave all Of hers to cover the stolen
amount, and the offender was allowed to
remain in mercitul oblivion in for
eign country.
Now the excitement was over Ethel
had time to think. She had Got seen
Henry Merle during all the sad trial
she had so bravelv passed through but
she did not think it strange, as she knew
that his time was very much taken up in
business, and her thoughts dwelt upon
him and their approaching marriage with
a nearer approach to real tenderness
than ever before. ..... ...s....
1t was sweet to feel that there was
some one to share her trouble with her
some one to whom she had a light to look
for comfort.
But a letter. came, stating that the
writer had thought over the story she
had once told him, and had decided it
would be injustice for him to hold her
TO her engagement.
But Ethel saw through the specious
verbs, and now, poor girl, the waves of |
bitterness did indeed overwhelm her.
No one to turn to, her money gone,
md with it those friends who smile when
ortune smiles, and worst of all, Ethel
cit her trust in human nature going too.
So she sat, one afternoon, in her little
odging house room, sadly forming her
lans for the future, when a taps came
pom the door. II opened and there
TODD the manly image she had ruthlesaly
riven from her heart.
3" Ethel /! my poor darlingl'
The poor girl rose, hesitated, and then
it'll low, glad cry sprang into the
ntstretched arms.
"Oh, my precious onel can I take the .
ght to comfort you'll / only just heard !
your trouble. Inever once thought ]
lat the Arnold Stuart I read of was
bur brotheE;; and then, when heard ,
our engagement was broken, I imagined ,
ow it was, and came on the wings of ,
10 wind.n T.
He paused. and lifting the dropping
sad with his firm hand, he gased long
I'd earnestly into the lustrous eyes, and
len quietly pressed his own lips to the
rect, trembling mouth. In that kiss
thei felt all her troubles vanish.
And 30 it alWayssis-the darkest hour
always just before the dawning. II