Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-03-04

Eyes, it was, she said. 81 am never
happy at our picnics, or anywhere else,
if he is not there. l never keep secret
from you, Mabel, and I want to tell you
that believe | love Wesley Dartmouth. "
There is no sin in that" answered
Mabel; ''and | think he loves you, too;"
and she smiled and sighed at the same
time.
''Do your said Hettie, springing up
and looking into Mabel's eyes with
pleading, earnest look. ''Do you think he
loves me, Mabel? If it is not so I shall die,
for he is all the world to Ele'
A fear crept into Mabel's heart She saw
it was serious thing with her beautiful
sister, and there was a possibility that she
was not loved by Wesley
Il hope he loves you, Hettie,' she said,
"and think he does But time will prove,
and you must not grow pale and sad about
it.''
A few more days passed by, and all the
guests had gone but Wesley Dartmouth,
and he was to inger but week longer.
With a Woman's tact Mabel avoided his
society, giving him up entirely to Hettie.
But the day before his departure, as Mabel
sat in the library quietly reading, he un-
tremendously entered the room and took
a seat beside her
Il haven hada chat with you, Mabel, "
he said. ''for week, and I am going to
break in upon your reading to-day, and
make you talk with me-"
Il am willing, she said, laughing, and
throwing her book aside. "What shall
we talk about?''
II will tell you," he said Il am
in love, and | came to ask your ap-
proval."
MY heartiest approval is yours. +" she
said, blushing slightly, ''and | am most
happy to give my dear sister into the
hands of one esteem so highly.'
mabel, have you not seen-can you
not see-that it is you | love, and not
your sister? Hettie is but o, child to me;
yon are true, loving womsl, and love
you as never loved before"
His face was close to hers, his warm
breath came quickly upon her face. The
feelings that swept over her were mingled
with astonishment, guilt, pain and plea
sure. She could not speak; her face
blanched white as snow. His face was
bowed nearer to hers, until his bearded
lips almost touched hers, then she pushed
him away, with her trembling hands, say
ing:
No more; you are killing me-"
He arose at once to his feet.
II am sorry to have grieved you, Ma
bel; | know not your secret, for there must
be something beyond your dislike to dis
appoint me that moves you 50. l am al
ways your friend, remember that, and
let no thought of my sorrow cause you
pain"
He was gone. Mabel tried to speak but
her white lips refused to move, and she
sat pale and motionless when Hettie came
in weeping bitterly. In an instant she was
herself again, and asked Hettie the cause
of her tears.
"Wesley Dartmouth has gone, she said,
''and | know he does not love me; he
kissed me when we parted as he would
have kissed a child, and told me to be a
good girl, and try to make you happy.
Oh, Mabel, Mabel 1t will kill mel Why
did you invite him here? l wish l never
had seen himl
Mabel tried to soothe her, but could not;
she would not be comforted. She would
neither sleep nor eat as usual, but wept
almost continuously. A doctor was CON
oullCO1 anu dhFloCo CllduSC vi SCtlC lOI
her, and Mabel went with her to a friends
at Brighton; but they had been there no
more than week before Hettie begged to
60 back to her dear home; and, disheart-
ened, Mabel returned with her
Whittier and thinner the poor child grew,
and the doctor said there was no hope for
her; she was a victim Of consumption, as
her father had been before her. When
the autumn came round, Hettie lay upon
her couch, with bright red spotin either
cheek and her breath coming and going
quick and fast.
'Mabe," she whispered, Il wish l
might see Wesley Dartmouth"
Soon a telegram went flying over the
wire: Come. Hettie is dying and wishes
to see you"
1t was not long before he came and stood
over her, his hand clasped hers and a tear
in his eye.
II loved you, whispered the pale lips,
''and 1 could not be reconciled to being
unloved. But am happy now. All is
given up, and my heart is with the Sa-
viour. Mabel, where are you? Your un-
complaining and tender care of me will
always find their reward. / leave you
alone, but a spirit like yours will always
find friends"
The light was fast fading out of the
blue eyes, the lips moved but made no
sound, and then the freed spirit of the
beautiful girl scared away from the sor-
rowful regions of earth, and Hettie was
an angel.
A year passed away, and it was Mabel's
thirty second birthday. She sat in the
library as she had sat two years before,
when Wesley Dartmouth had said he
loved her. The suns last rays were creep
ing in at the window and gliding her
brown hair, and she was musing with
tear in either eye.
How strange my life has been," she
soliloquized. Il am growing old, and
there will never be rest for me till l rest
in the grave"
mabel ~
She started. Wesley Dartmouth stood
before her. Scarcely knowing what she
was doing, she allowed him to take her in
his arms and kiss her.
Mabel, he said softly, shall be re-
fused again?'
NO. she answered bravely; and with
her head upon his breast she felt that rest
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