Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-09-16

after nasty rap, enters uainef . aSdin' No'
stopping to shut the door, she goes direct to
.<faoeis buried In &his Hands, and she can see
the gaunt figure shake with sobs.
''Hamer," she says kindly, 81 am afraid
'' "W We ~ Gooa Aeasen,~can aman be wen
when his heart is broken?' he exclaims,
looking at her with sad despairing eyes. s''Oh,
J Oicely! If you had waited little longer
I Dfdntlyou get my letter, telling you that nay
cousin died on the very day we were to Lave
been married? She shakes her head. 81
came home three months after. was On my
way to you when Bat what is the good OF
it all nowp I wish to Heaven they had left
me toydie On the roadside y : = - !
Il .'Hush, Hamer!" she says, gently. ''You
are very weak, and hardly know what you are
saying. We will forget all the past now"
''iL is easy for you to say so. =" ..-, -
at was not easy three years ago; but
have learnt TOTO think of you as--" >. ! !
81 know-as friend! l come to look for
bread and l find stone" he says, harshlY..
81 am a villain, as ! always was, you see.
Cicely-not shade better than when you told
me as much in good round terms; but ! swear
this -
She looked at him pitifully, though she
does not love him. He has seized her hand
and is kissing it.
"You must not do 80, Hamer," she begins.
The words die on her lips. In the door
way(cpld, stern and grave, stands her hus-
band, John Percivai. Oh, the shame. the ut
ter horror of that moment! How can she
hope for forgiveness? How can he know that
her heart is beating with love for him-that
her only sin has been in concealing what
from the first she ought to have told him?
hao i'm,
his chair not knowing that Mr. Percival is
present. Cicely does not move; she can only
gaze imploringly at her husband. Evidently
be does not intend to have scene at once.
"Cicely," he says quietly, ''can you come
with 2" And together they leave the
room.
"May speak to you ?" she asks.
"Ceftainly.s Your own room will be the
best ~we2shaH not be disturbed there" =
He opens the door, and she passes in; then
she filings herself upon the sofa and hides her
face in the cushions. John meanwhile PAGES
restlessly up and down. trying to reason it all
out calmly, to curb the mad rush of jealousy
which Is overwhelming him. -
'John, do speak to me-tell me Of what you
are thinking?" she cries at last.
II am thinking that my wife has deceived
me-" he answers in low voice.
$50 have, John-but not as you think.
IndecdI do not Gaze for Hamer Dare. did
oncevI loved him madly; but"
WHY did ysu not tell me he, was your
lover when he first came here? I might at
least have had time to prepare myselffor what
would follow. But now And you went
to him with my kisses fresh on your lips Oh,
it is one black lie from beginning to end!"
Her white face turned scarlet with shame.
''John, could not help hearing what he
said but swear to you that there was not a
spark of love in my heart for him. Weak
most pitiably, despicable weak-I have been
know but that is all. Every day meant
to tell you; but it was toe, hard for me. and,
when hef WAS gone, j intended to disclose
everything. You mustn't look ct me like that,
John" she cries excitedfy. H'You believe me,
don't your
There is a long silence. He comes TO her
side, andshe looks up at him eagerly .-e
"You do believe me, don't your" she says
again. H.
"Heaven help me! I can't trust your word
Il can't believe youi" = & 1.
She shudderss and turns her face down on
the cushions again, and when she lifts it she
finds she is alone.
e.
Goodbye, Mrs. Percival. Thank you
again and yet again for your great goodness. 1
''Good-bye. hope you will not find your
journey too much for your strength. I" ,..-s...
They are in the hall the carriage is waltz g
outside, and John Percival, hearing the COM
monplace words, feels that they are acting
part for his beneft-the man he has sheltered
and the woman who is SO dear to him. He
will not look at them as they part He stands
in the open doorway, his back toward them,
a bitter pain at his heart-pain for her as we'll
as for himself 't''' ''
"You will say one kind worda" begs
Hamer, even as he begged three years ago. ~
"Have | forgiveness for all my crimes ?"
There is half-tender, half-mocking smile on
his lips as he speaks.
''Oh, yesl" she says YEARLY. ''But all
the forgiveness IN the world can't alter ones
fate" erefsE- s-2
Eager words are ready in his mind; but he
says nothing, and, dropping her hand, he turns
from her abruptly. Five minutes afterward
he is gone, and never in this life do Cicely's
eyes rest ON the beautiful face of her first love.
Poor Hamer! He is very far from per-
lection, and yet he is very winning, very
lovable She does not wonder at her girlish
infatuation for him; but surely it never equal
led this strong abiding love of hers for her
husband-the man who cannot trust her?
She is still at the door when he returns.
He has started then ?" and she tries to
speak quite naturally. ts.ft -. Il
Eyes, he's gone. Poor child |" he SAYS,
after minutes silence Poor CicelyI We
will try to make the rest of our lives together,
shall WEI There has been mistake perhaps;
but we need not make it worse" .-l..-F q
And so the rectory household settles down
again-to an outsider changed not at ALL Mr..
and Mrs. Percival are cited as model couple
They never squabble; they are perfectly
courteous, and, as an old maid atMoorfeld
approvingly says There is none of that OBJ
jcctionabie loye-making one so often sees with
newy-married people"
No, there is little enough of that 1t isa
game at cross purposes throughout, each mis-
understanding the other. Cicely would not
now dream of making button holes wherewith
to adorn her husband but she can readily
consult him with reference to the clothing
club, or ask his advice as to soup and flannel
for her old people.
AREN'T: you dong too much for your
strength, my dear ?" he says sometimes-for
the hot summer days have come and Cicely is
still ina whirl of busiress. In the schools.
among the poor, in the choir-it is all the same
she is among them ALL
mo, thank you. / like it,"
but you are SO thin, and you have an in
cesssnt little cough which ought not to be-"
ut doesn't matter. am quite WE'LL" is
Acr impatient reply. n lease don't make ME
an old woman" IS absua s.ae-
And the days slip by. Brilliant August and
golden September are gone, and tomorrow,
the first OF October, is Cicely'ss birthday,
She is cherishing grand thoughts Surely on
this day he will hear her plea for forgiveness?
SO it is with very bright face she Joins him
in the breakfast room. He, too, has deter
mined TO Try once again for her love-
81 have'been too hard, with my little GIRL"
he thinks tenderly. ."Please Heaven we will
begin her new year without any of this half
Bitterness Il go = -.
"Many happy. returns of the. day, Cicely !"'~
he says, greetiugehsr with bis old kindly smile
and handing Def p book. my humble offer.
ing. 1hope you'll like it,,
She fiushes with pleasure and Books with
childlike interest at her present. : 4
"Thank you indeed john Il like it. better
than anything else syeu could have liked
upon. "ayafN Zoo F}E@ ,&l9Tts ISL