Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-03-13

not suppose you had any secrets from me-
Come here and let us talk about it" and
taking my hand he led me to the sofa, and
sat down beside me. His manner was so
quiet, so selfcontained. yet so stern, that it
hurt me more deeply than burst of anger
would have done, and 1 could not keep back
my tears. ........ ,......... ........
"When did you visit Mrs. Holcombe {" be
asked, fixing his eyes on my face. | barely
managed to answer, "Last Tuesday after
noon.'' ...l ..... %.
"Was not that the afternoon I joined you,
coming homer"
eyes" ..' ..'
"And you told me you had gone out for a
walk. Oh, Lucy!' -.
"It was not an untruth," I sobbed out. 81
did 90 for a walk, and when was near the
cottage I went in. I had no intention Of
going, when l left this house. But l felt
that l ought to return Mrs. Holcombe's visit,
and I went"
"Mrs. Holcombe's visit" he repeated.
"You never told me that she had been here. ,
"She was here two weeks ago" answered.
"And 1 never told you, because you had
made me afraid. Once I was not afraid Of
you, but now"
"But now you are," he finished, bitterly.
"Not afraid of you, exactly" | replied
"But it frightens me to have you angry; you
can be so very, very stern"
"You talk childishly," he answered, impa'
tiently. 81 have never said one word to
frighten you, as you express it. 1fI spoke
strongly, it was because felt strongly on the
subject, and because wished to impress upon
you the necessity for complying with my ex-
pressed desire. You have wilfully disobeyed
me; this can forgive. But you have also
wilfully deceived me, and this it is not easy
for me to forgive. Oh Lucy, why, why have
you let this barrier come between us"
II couldn't help it," said I. "You put me
in most awkward, disagreeable situation,
and when l was taken unawares I did not
know how to act"
GLOW were you taken unawares p he
asked.
"Why, by Mrs. Holcombe coming to see
me, so Unexpectedly. You know did not
carry the jelly myself, that day; I promised
not to CO. and I did not. Of course 1 never
dreamed that she would come here first.
But when she took the trouble to walk this
distance, just to thank me, and then begged
ME to visit her, how could I refuse ?"
"You valued her opinion of you-the opin-
ion of perfect stranger-more than my ap-
probation. I thought was asking small
sacrifice of you, in the case, compared with
the much greater sacrifices you have volun'
tariy made for my sake. But women have
wonderful way of looking at things" said
my husband bitterly. "It is hard, indeed,
to fathom their minds One would suppose
that the love which was true and deep enough
to induce you to abandon your native land,
and all it's associates, without murmur, to
make your home with me amid these Alpine
wilds, would certainly be sufficiently power
full to enable you to avoid a temporary &C.
quaintanceship, which can profit you nothing,
when you know l am particularly opposed to
it."
cit can profit me nothing, perhaps" said
I, "but it can give me great pleasure, and
seems most innocent resource. AS to my
love for you that has nothing to do with the
matter. 1t too well-established fact to be
brought into the question at all. | might
say, and with greater justice, that the love
you feel for me-and which even your harsh
ness to me can not make me doubt-ought
to be strong enough to allow me so small an
indulgence as to allow me the friendship Of
two refined, agreeable and cultivated Ia
dies, tbs very first people with whom
have come in contact, since we came to live
in this place, who are in any way congenial
to me-"
I suppose 1 spoke in a very excited way,
and looked no doubt, wrought up, as | felt.
Ralph made no answer directly. At last, with
a great sigh, he broke forth
eyes, what you say seems true enough !;
poor child, poor child! No doubt appear
tyrannical and harsh. Oh, if you could but
read my heart"
"Oh, Ralph" I cried throwing my arms
around him, eff you would but let me know
YOUR real, true reason for acting in this way
if you would but explain this mystery, for l
know there is mystery, l should be so much
better satisfied, so much happier; could
obey you gladly if it did not seem that you
were acting from mere caprice. But are you
doing it to try my love, Or what?"
"Not that-not that" he answered, with an
emphasis which 1 could not doubt was sin.
cere. "Believe me, if had not reason for
what do, 1 would not deny you any gratiti-
cation which might fall in your way. Tell
me-" he suddenly added, fixing his eyes upon
me, while he pressed my arm in grasp which
was painful, "tell me honestly, from your soul,
do you value my welfare, my happiness, be-
yond every earthly thing? Isyour life bound
up in mine, as that of true wife should be =
was so startled by his almost terrible ear
nestness, that at first l could not reply. At
last 1 managed to say, "You know that it IS;