The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-06-19

| lips, and her face paled with horror.
"Oh-oh, Leon! do you know what a
dreadful thing you are saying TO me His
| wife alive No, no. Why, he is TO marry
me to morrow. 1t could not be-that awful
/ fact 20
"Dear, see you do not believe me-
rather do not realize it. Nevertheless. it
is true Go to Mr.. Calender, and ask him
where bis wife is. and let your belief be
based upon his answer-not on mine. the
man who loves you-who will save Won If
you will let him."
She rose from her chair, looking so aw-
| fully concerned, SO bewildered and dis
mayed.
"Florie, you haven't let me so much as
! touch you; you haven't let me kiss YOU.
Come, dear remember how much we love
each other-remember how false and base
| he Isl
But there was a look in her face that
silenced him.
"No-until know that he is what you
say, only he has the right. Don't look at
me SO, Leon" she walled out, in sudden,
| fierce pain at is all TOO terrible to con-
template-too horrid; and it can't be true,
| for he was to have made me his wife to-
morrown
1t was the second time she had said it,
as if no man could have had reason to
treat her, of all women, SO cruelty.
"It is true,n Lieutenant Marion said
quietly, land have risked being refused
entrance to this house to save you. Go
ask him. Then come back to me, dear
for always. forever"
And this girl, who thought she would
| rather have died than been Harvey Cal
lenders wife, went rapidly into his pres
ence with little, fierce prayers in her heart
| Al. a L 4 l. ,f..fi
Mr.. Calender looked up from the
library table, instantly springing to his
feet at sight of her deathly face.
"Child childi what has happened to
you?"
She went straight up to him. in an in
| tense, desperate way.
"Mr Calender, is it true that You al
ready have a wife ?n
Her point-blank question brought the
deep red blood to his face. The cords on
his forehead started suddenly into EN-
! barrassed prominence. Then, under the
girls piercing eyes. all agitation vanished,
and his voice was even, gentle, patient.
Florence, have no wife. If / had, do
you think would have dared ask you to
marry me 2"
Butt am told you are married man.
am told by as-a party, who saw your
wife very lately Mr.. Calender, as God
hears you, is it true? Have you a wife
Were you ever married ?"
And Mr.. Calender looked back at her
with such look that she was dismayed
| to her very soul.
"Let me send for your mother, Flor
| enee," he said gravely, as he rang the bell;
and moment later, Mrs. Marien came
in. her stately dignity unruffled, when
Mr.. Calender, in few, well-chosen words,
repeated to her what Florence had asked
him.
"My daughter" she said quickly, "a
word or SO win explain to you what l
| hoped you would not know, until, as Mr.
| Callender's loving and loved wife, you
would have received the knowledge as
| you cannot be expected to receive it to-
day. Mr.. Calender has no wife-in the
eyes of the law in the sight of God and a
| just people. He has been married-the
woman left him to elope with her lover,
| the law granted him absolute divorce and
he is the man your mother respects and
recommends to have the keeping of her
| darling's happiness; and, Florence, the
reason why your cousins portrait is faced
wall-ward-why his name is never spoken
lis bscause it was he, Leon Marion, who
was the wnman's lover"
Florence stood still as stone. her sweet
face deathly, with an agony that was more
| tina n thousand deaths.
Il would have spared you all this" Mr..
| Calender said, his rich, grave tones warm
| ing into passionful tenderness 81 wanted
to save you the pitiful knowledge. nv
pure, white lamb. Yenr mother knew It
all-her counsel and my feelings were in
perfect harmony. Florence, dear. will you
forgive me. if you are grieved at the
/ silence we have kept ?"
She bowed her head, as some fair, fragile
flower droops its petals when a gale
passes over it-only a moment or so.
when. by Gods sweet mercy, he revealed
it all to her.
Then she lifted it again, all look oftemp-
est-tossed emotion forever gone from it,
an abiding, almost sanity peace in her
lovely eyes.
"Mr. Calender she said, softly. aI am
so sorry for you; / have never loved you
as / should have done. You know that;
and Ii thought loved my cousin. But
and such look swept across her face
sit is all changed to me now. I would
| rather you had told me ALL" with gentle
| dignity; but, perhaps, yon and mamma
| knew best At any rate, ] am very, very
sorry for you, and-and''-a soft, roseate
glow, crept into her pale cheeks-aI am
not SO sorry as was that am to be your
wife,"
Nor in days to come, did she ever regret
it; although there is place in memory
dark, silent place, where her thoughts
will sometimes carry her perforce, and
where few tears will drop: and then she
comes forth, thankful, content and happy
A KING OF SWEDEN AS A BooTBnAcK.-
Speaking of Bernadotte, this reminds
me of an incident in the life of the
founder of the present dynasty. Taken
prisoner, when still in a private, at the
capture of Pondichery, he found him.
self among batch of some 1 200 or 1 SOC
prisoners. and suffering more or less
, from fever and dysentery. General Won
W in passing through their camp,
i noticed the intelligent face of the young
soldier, and, taking an interest in the
youthful prisoner, he took him into his
+ house as an extra orderly, and for several
months Bernadotte performed the hum
bic Office of brosseur; however. homesick
, he begged to be included in exchange of
prisoners, and he left for France.
!. Years after General Won W was in
command of small German fortress be-
sieged by the French; after heroic re-
sistance they had to capitulate. One
may imagine his surprise when, ON de-
! liyering his sword to the Prince Of Ponte
Corvo, the French Marshal threw him.
. self in his arms, exclaiming: Voas ae
reconadisseg done pas rotre. .jenne brosseaa.le
Later on when called to the throne ol
Sweden, the King invited General Won
W repeatedly to his capital, and
never failed to relate that he (the King)
had once been cleaning the boots of his
, gallant guest.
i LITTLE RED R.pIseHooD.-There was
, real case of little Red Ridinghood and
the wolf at one of our hotels the other
morning. A large Newfoundland dog
had strayed into the building during the
night, and, after wandering about in vain
search for his master, finally entered the
sleeping apartment of two little g2rls,
daughters of the proprietor, whose room
adioined that of their parents. In the
morning the mother OF the twins was
aroused from slumber by the piercing
j shrieks of one of the children, and rush
, | ing hastily to her room, the sight that
i met her gaze seen in wilderness would
7 have frozen blood, but in the midst of q
civilized hotel life it only called forth q
hearty laugh. There stood the greai