Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-07-03

give me 8 sincere duSWeT
"What question is it Rachel ?" asked Mag
dalen, her breath coming quick and fast
She was very much excited, it was easy to
see, though she tried not to betray it.
"Do you remember" her friend went on,
sinking her voice to whisper, as she put her
arms about the others trembling form, "some
time back-the last day was with you here
showing me picture?'
Magdalen nodded. She could not control
herself sufficiently to make any other reply.
"You know, dear-don't you? THAT the
original of that picture is very near YOU
that he is my husbands brother" Rachel
continued. 81 see that you do. Now this is
the question I want to ask you-do you love
him still ?"
Magdalen trembled more than ever. She
looked with piteous entreaty into Rachels
eyes.
"You would not ask me that" she faltered
presently, "unless you had some reason. On
Rachel" she cried, suddenly breaking through
her enforced selfrestraint, and clasping her
hands, as if in supplication, as she spoke,
"for PHYS sake tell me all you know at once.
Has he spoken to you? Has he planned ?"
"Dear he cannot explain" Rachel answer.
ed gently. Remember, his mind has been
blank SO long. But he has spoken to me-of
you. He loves you as much as ever. He
never, am sure, Intentionally, did you any
wrong. 1t is plain to me that he was not
master of his.own actions when he left you,
as you say he did, so suddenly"
"You mean-he was insane" said Magda.
len, with shudder. "Oh! Rachel, is it not
fearful thing?"
Eyes, it is terrible misfortune; but Mag
dalen, the doctors think his reason will not
leave him again. This last shock, caused by
his severe fall, seems to have revolutionized
him. They think he is lastingly cured"
"And he loves me still" said Magdalen,
below her breath. Her eyes looked far away,
her bosom rising and falling with suppress
ed agitation, beatifc smile, yet tremulous
with scarcely restrained tears, playing upon
her lips. Rachel almost feared she had said
too much.
"You know, dear Magdaleu," she went on,
cautiously, "the doctors cannot be quite sure.
1t may be, of course, that he will have some
return, some temporary spells of his dis
ease"
"What do I care for that2' impetuously
interrupted Magdalen. "That is not the
question. I would not give that thought
but the thing is, are you quite sure Of what
you told me just now-oh Rachel, it may be
all a mistake. I dare not believe it"
"Come and see him, if you don't believe
it," rejoined Rachel. "He talked to me about
you for an hour yesterday. 1 believe the
sight of you would cure him at once"
Il could not go, you kuow-that would be
impossible. Besides-there is mother; it
would all seem dreadful to her. She never
knew-you remember I told you. And Ra-
chel," continued Magdalen, with returning
doubt, "if he really meant it-then, long ago,
I mean-why did he persuade me not to tell?
Could he not have spoken, if he was sincere?
You have not explained that
ut was, Isuppose, merely caprice-some-
thing which he could not now account for.
With the shadow of his approaching afaic-
ton clouding his mind, who can tell what
fancies may have possessed him p
"Ah! Rachel, and with his mind so cloud
ed, how could he know if he really loved mel
That may have been fancy, too" said Mag
dalen, despondently. 81 know I am wrong
to build any hopes upon what you have told
me-"
"Unbelieving girl! Listen, and 1 will con-
vince you that l have good reason for every
word that I have uttered" rejoined Rachel;
and, forthwith, she entered into the details Of
the conversation between her brother-in.law
and herself, to which she had alluded, and
which proved sufficiently convincing to assure
her listener that, whatever else was forgotten
or indistinct in Maurice's mind, the remem-
brance of her and of his love for her, and the
existence of that love, in all its ardor, at the
present time, were indubitable.
eff mother can only be brought round to
listen to il" she said, at length, when her own
doubts and arguments we're fully laid at rest.
"But that will be harder task than you i'm
agine"
"Leave that to me, replied Rachel, hope
fully. "I'll bring in verdict of council Of
physicians to satisfy her on the score of Maui
rice's health"
cat all events" said Magdalen, with long
drawn sigh, eff nothing more ever comes of 1t,
it is an inexpressible comfort to know that he
did not wilfully deceive me- That will be a
happiness to me all my life"
II knew you would feel so dear. I know
so we'll what it is to have the burden of ter
rible, consuming doubt lifted from the heart,
after bearing it so long" said Rachel, almost
in whisper. Magdalen kissed her cheek.
"You have said not one. word Of yourself
Rachel and meant to tell you how re-
joiced in your happiness, only my selfish
thoughts put it out of my head. How pa
tiently you bore your trouble, and how much
you had to bear !"
"Dont let US speak of it now" said Rachel
tremulously. II want to put the memory of
that dreadful time far away from me, like a
nightmare, or a horrid dream. Indeed, it
seems to me now like dream. But you
don't know, Magdalen-you could not guess
that almost the worst part of it all was see
ing that picture of Maurice, and taking it for
his"