The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-07-17

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come her wife.
81 cannot bear to sec you struggle"
he said. "Once, as YOU we'll know,
could not have asked you to become my
wife; and though have not forgotten,
dear, that a man who has only honor
and ambition, yet can take you from
this life of toll, can shield you with my
breast, can toll for you and yours, if you
will give me the precious assurance l
seek"
Was the man madl The pride she
had forgotten in these quiet months now
surged upward, as she turned toward
him with pale and sparkling eyes.
"Sir, you insult me"
mo man insults woman with his
honest love, Miss Arthur" he answered,
the pride in her bearing it's reflex on his
face. 81 love you-nay, 1 love you
Ny love you spurn. l can never offer it
again, Miss Irene; but remember
should you need it, it is always yours,
ready to do for you, to suffer for you, to
die fer your
"Why does not Earl Gomez ques-
toned the invalid. 81 want to see him
l miss him. Write, Irene, and tell him
he must call this evening"
She wrote in obedience:
mamma asks for you. She knows
nothing If you will occasionally drop
in to see her, l shall lie glad"
1t cost her pride struggle to send
even this but was it possible it also
brought thrill of something like plea
sure that she should meet him once
more2
The weeks had seemed strangely long
without him. Why had she thus
answered him? OF course the thing he
asked was impossible; but, ah, how
cruelty she had spurned him
Had he forgotten it She had ex-
pected some trace of sorrow on the
handsome brow; but when he entered,
in obedience to her summons, the old,
frank smile lit up his face, as devoting
himself to the invalid, he spoke to her
only when courtesy required.
Somehow, these weeks seemed to have
improved him, too. He had acquired
polish or was it only Indifference,
where love had reignedl
"Men easily forget" she thought, and
with the thought she sighed.
The Winter wore to an end, and slow
ly the invalid grew weaker and more
weak. The shock had been greater than
her nervous system could bear, and she
sank under it day by day, until the
exertion of moving from her bed to her
couch became too great, W hen, for the
first time, the realization burst upon her
daughter that she was soon to be left
desolate indeed.
Earl, during these months, came and
went as of old; bnt sometimes Irene
asked herself if his words to her had
not been dream.
Not once did his eyes rest on her with
the old look-not once did he hold for
single moment the little fingers within
his own and sense Of empty disap-
pointment, none the less bitter because
unacknowledged, brought to the proud
young eyes many an unshed tear. But
the bitter sorrow was in store, as the
invalids rest approached more and more
near, until the Angel Of Death stopped
and gathered her to his breast. Earl
was there at the last, and as she lay so
quietly on her pillows-they thought
her spirit had fown-she suddenly
reused, and laid her daughters hand in
his.
"Take her," said she. 81 give her to
you"
Then the eyes closed forever.
"Do not mind it she meant only as
brother, Irene," he said, in comfort,
days after, to the weeping girl, and Irene
wondered why she could not as such
accep. it.
So the weary days merged into weeks,
the weeks into months, and the proud
young spirit learned it's own bitterness.
She saw Earl rarely now-t there was no
longer the invalid's impatient demands
upon his time. Some of the old friends
had come forward in this second hour of
suffering but through all she missed
him, and the thought that he had learned
forgetfulness brought her no comfort
She was thinking of him one evening,
when he entered