St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1879-02-22

Will perhaps need TINS III your III
tervisw with her." / added, draw
ing the ring from my finger and
Offering it to him.
Evidently not able to trust the
evidence of his ears, he tore the
crimson shawl from my head. Then,
with a muttered oath, he turned
from the spot.
NJ strength was all gone. I had
risen to my ieet, and now stood
leaning against the doorway for
support. For few moments every
thing seemed dark; then another
lace rose before ne. It was not my
cousins; 1t was q mans-Harts
Wilde's.
"My poor Cathy! You loved him!"
He made me come out into the
air, and giving me his ann. we walk
ed up and down the path, in the
ba!niy evening breezes.
Forgive me! / did not intend to
play eaves-dropper, but / heard
every word, for I was asleep upon
tie bench behind the arbor when
Won entered it. At first I thought
it was Rose. Before I discovered it
to be you, Mr.. West came. l saw
him through the vine. /, too, have
made discoveries tonight, Catby.
So Rose avows that she does not
love me?"
81 know nothing about that" I
responded, family, still too bewil-
dered to hardly realize what l said.
Poor child! What a miserable
voice! Are you going to break your
heart for that fellow? Oh, Cathy,
it has been my bitterest thought
that he is not worthy of youl For :
1 loved you" he continued. x hare
loved you from childhood, my rare,
gentle girl! And I had my hopes.
dear, urtil you accepted him. What
Gid it matter, then, That I forgot my
disappointment with your gay and
beautiful cousin, Rose? Cathy,
child, if it will comfort you any, in
this cruel experience, to know that
you have my undying affection, and
my fullest appreciation OF your .
worth, take, for Heavens sake. the
assurance into your grieving heartl"
His words rang in my ears after
I had crept away to solitude. !
thought my heart was broken.
you are young, said Rose,
nursing me. "Wais and see"
"But you make one more false
woman in this hollow world, Rose
Taffron!" I cried. "WhY do you take
on marriage vows with Mr.. Wilde,
If you dc not love hiin?"
II am not going to marry Harte
Wilde, Cathy. My dear cousin, my
heart holds its own secrets. The
man who should have been my hus-
band was lost to me three years ago.
through my own folly. I would
have married Mr.. Wilde, because !
respect and admire him, as well as
appreciate the position be can give
his wife. But Of late / have learned
where his heart is. You never APP
pear but he gazes after you; You
never speak but he listens. He
likes me only because I divert him
with certain charms of gaiety and
good-looks that / have. I resolved
several weeks ago to give him up.
1 am going soor from Rockglen,
Cathy. Try to appreciate the gift
that is yours"
A week later was alone ct Rock
glen. I was still wcaA ard sensi-
I'VE, from tie illness my mental SUI
fering had brought upon me; but it
was not altogether this that taught
me how Harie Wilde suited me to
the finest .ibre ofmy nature. There
was no novelty, no fascination, in his
presence, but there was trnest COM
fort; and so, in time, / came into my
great posscssions-a heircss in the
trnest sense.
I was so blessed with my lot that
my heart often ached for my beauti-
FIJI, loveless cousin. Therefore 1t
was Joy, indeed, when heard of her
marriage, abroad, to a gentleman
who was widower, aid received .