The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-01-01
FOREVER! -!

fofeSef! continued tR solemn,
broken voice.
"Forever," echoed the weepig maid
en- by the bedside.
The wasted hands were raisedover the
heads of the kneeling figure; be pale
lips of the dying woman paid, tie
tongue tried to utter blessing but all
brightness faded from the eyes. the wo
man was dead.
Two young girls knelt at the sdside
Constance Owen was the name [ one
with sallow skin large brown eys and
Edith Ormond, as she called, wit ring
lets of gold floating around her faiI neck,
and whose head was leaning upa the
shoulders of Constance, who had from.
ised the dying woman to lie 6ster,
protector-mother even-to .he fair
maiden at her side.
The strong, homely, faithful girl allied
Constance was an adopted daughte OF
the dead lady-one of those waits Il the
street, whose only hope in life is u the
charity of some tender-bearted strark yer.
She, however, repaid her protector y a
love and regard as flial as that OF ier
own daughter, and when her deaf. : I'd
EIrs. Ormond bade Constance olhn
make her the solemn promise recSs?d,
the brave girl not only did not falter, ut
whispered once more to the stricken arl
at her side
Eyes, Edith, for the sake of the lcSe
your dear mother gave to the orpht .n vii
1 love you better than myself-forelveII'
Two years passed-two years flne
Edith the beautiful and Constance tlr,
brave had lost their best earthly friant.
The former had grown more lovely ayel
than the promise of the dawn of her ra-
diant maidenhood; the latter more home.
ly larger featured, in the face, but with
years an added dignity of mien, a nore
intelligent light in the quiet, tender
brown eyes, and force of character better
defined in every movement. There came
many suitor to Bonnybrook-so the
little country seat belonging to Edith
was called-but, so far, the little 60,
quette did not pay much heed to any oi
them. She was chasing the butterflies
of fancy around that garden of Eden
first youth. Bat at length her beauty
grace and perhaps high social position,
brought one day to the gates of BonnyA
brook one DIR. Paulding, a superior and
rising youpg rhysiciar WIG lived in the
CITY ciuss ;, al Wien he Nd found
his way TO that pleasant ur,
somehow he discovered p;Nents in that
vicinity very frequently. Was it Edith's
fair face that made him take that bloom7
ing highway SO often1
He was indeed fascinated by her brigl
girlish beauty, and one evening after
had been wandering in the gardens,
der the moon, soft pleasant words m
have been spoken, for after he had s one
Edith, with flushed face, dashed into
the room where Constance was av.iting
her and throwing her arms arouns her,
said in happy, trembling voice:
"Oh (! darling 1 am SO happy. He has
told me he loved me-.
Constance spoke not wore. Edith
was held moment TO beating heart, a
soft kiss touched her forehead and the
next moment she was alone.
"He loves me, he loves me !" and
Edith looked out over the gardens, from
which the dews of night wele distilling
all their odors; she gazeda the beauti
full moon and peopled ths shadows with
images of the man who Lad first stirred
her young life with diyjle music of love.
A month after the pleasant confession
had been made, Edith was called to the
mountains of Vermont 10 attend dying
aunt, the only sister Of her dear mother,
and she had to proceed alone, as Bonny-
brook would have la,ked a guardian il
Constance had accompanied her-Dr.
Paulding's duties atterly denying him
that pleasure.
Constance was tngrossed III her home
duties and saw bst little society, save a
few rustic neighbors, who only recon-.
mended themselves by their goodness OF
heart, and certainly not by the brilliancy
of their wit Or understanding. Once IL
while DR.. Pudding would ride out to
Bonuybrook, as Constance told him,
''from the fotce of old habit" but soor
it seemed that the man of medicine and
science did bot carry ON the conversation
with the usual ease, grace and spirit
What had come between Constance Over
and hiNseif? Something inexplicable
The noble woman found strange, rare
pleasure in the society of the gifted man
the scholarly man a sympathy with the
large hes7aed, intellectual woman which
he had never known or experienced IL
any other sex. ''True," he said to him
self, 'she is not beautiful; indeed, meas
ured bq the rules of beauty, she is posi-
lively ugly. But who can gauge the
charms of melodious voice. or deny the
tenderness of an honest, kindly eyel"
And she, too, muscd in this wise
'sThis DR.. Charles Paulding is marvel
ously gifted man. What powers of Ian
gusge, what treasures of imagination ht
possesses ! What noble career he hal
More him; and Edith"-here she coult
n5 think of that clinging tendril
ltke growth of the oak
Its strength. Ye