The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-10-16


want to be hard on a girl who loves him,
and has loved him all his life. Bat then,
you see, i cannot return her nffection-
the kind OF affection she wants. And
she's q spirited creature, Mag; ought
to marry her as 1 feel powi Ifit hadn't
been for you, you witch, l might have
come to care for her in time. But, Mag,
I'm a changed man now; / know what
love is; l dread my marriage-day like a
funeral
A pause-a little rustling pause.
Then a whisper unheard; louder whis.
per distinct: oh, Mag, my darling, my
darling, say yes.
Il cannot, Charlie, with that woman's
image before me. 1t would haunt us
till our dying
Caroline heard no more. When next
a sound reached her it was the sound of
the work .a-dsy world. A market wagon
had broken near the lane, and the harsh
voice Of the driver was wreaking upon
his horses the anger reused by the dis.
aster. The moon had set; it was nearly
day.
Caroline before noon sent letter to
Charlie Evans that made him free
man:
Something tells me that cannot pos.
sibly be your wife. / am sorry that cir
cumstances have so shaped themselves;
but l am compelled to withdraw my
promise. Do not see me. / shall re
fuse an interview. When a year has
passed, and we meet again--if we meet
again let us meet as friends.
CAROLINE.
Charlie Evans used his fre edom. He
obtained, by not strictly honorable
means, a sufficient sum of money to ven
ture fortune-seeking in California. he
was married to Mag Merritt on his way
to the West; and his friends, indignant
ct the runaway match, bitterly blamed
Caroline.
Caroline bitterly blamed herself, but
never for any act toward Charlie Evans.
Her thoughts few to her faithful lover,
whom she had mercilessly triAed with,
and dismissed at last cruelty. She felt
now what pangs she bad inflicted upon
the earnest hearted Joe. Now she would
give years of her life to call back the
past, and be kinder girl to her faith
full friend. Since their parting she had
heard but seldom from Joe, and after
her uncle's death the unfrequent tidings
altogether ceased. Now she wrote to
Belle, who lived abroad, to send her
some word of 'her old friend.
Belle wrote, saying she was ashamed
to confess how ignorant she was; but the
last she heard, Joe was making Juror
with his wonderful paintings; he had
settled himself in Rome, and she be-
lieved had married the daughter of an
American consul to one of the Mediter.
ranean ports.
Misfortune followed Caroline. BY
series of culpable mismanagements by
people in trust, Caroline's inheritance
was lost. Before she had enjoyed for
three years the possession Of her be.
loved Deers6eld that noble place was
offered at public sale. Since the day of
her great sorrow Caroline had met no
trial like this. Indeed, her heart had
flown to all that was dear in her coun-
try home as refuge from its bitter lone
liness. Now this refuge was gone.
The.day of the sale, after having or
dered the preparation of the house and
grounds with care of every detail, Caro-
line mounted her favorite riding horse,
and rode far off into the wood paths.-
She returned after sunset, in the twilight
dusk.
She knew as she entered the house
that all was over; she felt that the home
was no longer hers. She felt, brave and
spirited as she was, that the world to
her, save that it held her mother, was a
place only Of dreariest exile.
She was met in the hall by one of her
faithful servants, who seemed to have
been weeping. Miss Caroline, he fall
tered, the gentleman who has bought
the house is in the parlor, and wishes to
see you.
Caroline had been marble-pale when
this message reached her, but now the
hot blood flashed TO her cheeks. She
checked violent exclamation. Her
heart arose indignant against this last
demand upon her endurance. She con.
quered herself, and said, Il will see him.
But the gentleman whom she found
in the parlor was not the dreaded stran-
ger who held her treasure, not the new
master Of the house whose inimical form
her fancy had already conlured. No; 1T
was an old friend, an artist returned
from abroad, bringing his laurels with
him-an artist who had come to tell
Caroline that all his fame had been won
by his devotion to her image-a friend
come to tell Caroline that time had not
changed and never would change the
constancy Of his heart.
1t was Joe.
On the very next day to the day Of
her despair, hope dawned upon Caro-
line. The world became something
more than place Of dreary exile.
And you really bought DeersAeldP'
Yes; but on-only with your-your