Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-08-20
IN occasionally to see her shall be


thing like pleasure that she slioul,
meet him once more.
The weeks had seemed STRANGELY
long withou, him. Why had she
TINS answered himf OF course. the
thing lr asked was impossible. bur
ah, how cruelty she had spurne,l
him!
Had br forgotten in She expect,
eel some trace of Srruw on The
handsome brow; but when he enter.
ed, in Obedience to her summons,
the frank smile lit mp his face, IA,
deroting himself Ia the invalid, he
spoke to her only when courtesy re.
qnirrd.
Somehow these weeks seemed 10
have improved him, too. He had
acquired Il polish. or was il only
Indifference, where love had reign.
-tli
"Mrn easily forget" she Thought,
aud with the Thought she sighed.
1hr winter wore to an end, and
slowly the invalid grew weaker and
more weak. The shock had been
greater than her nervous system
could bear, and she sank under il
day 10y day, until the pxrriiOn of
moving from her bed To her couch
became too great, when, for the first
lime, the realization burst upon her
daughter that she Wits SOn to be
left dtsolate, indeed.
Earl, during these months, came
aud went ~ of old; but sonnet lines
Irene asked herself if his words TO
her had not been dream.
Nor once did his eyes rest ol, her
with the old lOOk-nOt once did he
hold for II single moment the little
fingers within his own! and a sense
Ut empty disappointment, none the
less bitter hrcause nnacknowlptlgrd,
TO the proud yOung eyes
man. an nhshrd tear. But the bit.
Ger snrrow was in store, rs the in.
'alid's end approached more and |
more near. until the angel of death
aud gathered her to his
BREAST. Earl was there at the last,
md as she lay 80 quietly on her pii
ows-ihey thought her spirit had
iown--she suddenly reused, and
aid her daughters hand in his.
"Take herr she said, 81 give her
o you!'
Then her eyes closed forever.
"Do not mind it,; she meant only
- II brother, lren-," he said, in com.
ort, days after, to the weeping girl,
nj Irene wondered why she could
ot rs such accept it.
So the weary days merged into
'eeks, and weeks iuto months, and
hr proud yonng spirit learned its
wn bitterness. She SAW Earl rarely
ow--il,err WAS no longer the inva. I
dis impatient demands upon his
Inr. Some of the old friends had I
nne forward in this second hour Of
but through all she missed I
i'm, and the thought that he had
'arned forgetfilness brought her
o comfort. She WAS thinking of j
i'm one evening when he entered.
IL am going away, Miss Irrnr,- ,
e said. Will you bid me God ,
nt,l!'
The old pride struggled for mas. \
'rl against the choking IN her sI-u
pr tbroat, but the words she strove
, utter refused to come.
81 have been studying law during I
~ years of hard work, aud am
DIV able to wait for the practice [
npe will come. You will think of I
IL sometimes, Irene; and il in
oublr remember the words | once I
nd: that | stand always ready to
I the part OF fairnd. Is even &
lis asking too muchf- he added. as
'r silence continued.
Had he, then, forgotten all his
oris--the love he had said was
'rs forerer--or did it's pale ghost
buried. tool But she must speak; '
IL must not let him know. G
"Gonlbye!" she faItered; then, g
'iir OF herself, the words she had I
fought locked in her heart burst \
"ni her: Earl, do not go; can &
u bear iim a
"lrrnr!' where had his icy indif -
renee fed now! His face WAS pale: q
= voice trrmhlr,l in his struggle |,
r calmness. what matters il 10 I
mn I,
"Ererything!r she exclaimed, ~ 8
r pride lay with folded wings at c
r feet. "Or, if you must go, take q
p with yon!" K
"lrene, do You know what your y
srtis mean-ihat ] can take YOU II
'ly IA my wifef My darling, il Z,
ia truef7 7
But in answer she sprang into {,
open arms, dimly realizing that n
= color mantling her cheeks WAS e
e abhorred red flag with which d