The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-09

DE SILENT but if you still respect me,
prove it by leaving me at once"
'One word, and l obey. When may |
again see your
"Neverw
''That can not be. My respect for you
is unbounded, but the love, which with
out understanding it, have long felt for
you, must be answered. Simply, then,
and plainly, l ask you to become my
wife,
'Tt is impossibleW
"Ah, I am disagreeable to YOU"
"No--"
'If not, your will alone stands between
us" cried Philip, triumphantly. 81 ask
you no explanations.
in love, if love be love, ii love be ours.
Faith and uniaith can neer be equal poWers;
Unfaith in aught is wanJ OF faith i'll all.
Give me your love- it is enough"
"Oh, Philip" moaned Victoria, 'leave
me, spare me. can not promise YOU my
hand. There is q reason, but what it is
do not know myself. My father on his
deathbed begged me always to wear the
masculine dress why must I do this
strange thing?' I asked. Giving me a
sealed paper he said, when | am forgot
ten, and another has driven me from your
heart, then open and read.
A terrible struggle was going on in
Victora's breast. Should she obey the
father who was never known to fail in his
duty or affection toward her? or should
she accept the love so incxpressibly dear
to her? Approaching the cabinet she
took out the paper, and, putting it into
Philips hand, besought him with a
gesture to break the seal for her.
sour happiness can not he affected by
the contents" said Philip, hesitating.
Let it remain secret forever"
! "No! no" cried Victoria, covering hel
face with her hands. "Read." One,
two, three moments passed in silence.
"The page is blank" said he at length;
'there is nothing to read"
Victoria, greatly surprised, now exam.
ined the sheet but could find no traces
of writing on its pure surface.
Could Philip have been guilty OF
changing the real paper for this blank
page? The thought was unpleasant.
Then it flashed into her mind that she
had been suffering all her life for mere
hallucination; a monomania of her poor
father.
Philip perceived this change and hast
ened, with renewed ardor, to urge his
suit.
To his great Joy he was accepted, and
his love was not in the least diminished
by the transformation of the artist into
a graceful lady, with trailing silkcn robes
Seven happy years passed., They wan
dered tegether down the Rhine, and at
last settled in fair Italy, by the sea.
One evening Victoria had been looking
at package of old letters, and over that
strange, blank sheet, given to her by her
father she fell into a long reveric, until
twilight deepened unto darkness, when
CHANGING to cast her eyes upon the open
paae ehe saw there words of fire, word,
written with luminous ink, only vislbi,
in the darkness. Calling 10 Philip, they
both read this fearful warning: "Woe
woe to you, Victoria, if you should thinl
of marriage. 1t will bring to you, as i
has to three generations of your female
ancestors, the heritage of insanity. The
isolation of your early life, the disguise
you have worn, my solemn charge to you
are the shields thrown about you by a
most loving father"
Victoria fell into her husbands arms,
weeping.
"1hank Cod" murmured Philip, "the
curse has passed. > [Chicago Telegraph