The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-08-18

or accept-there was no need tc in
suit it,
And, turning on his heel, he LEFT
her. Was it only the humiliation
she had meant to infli.t, but which
had reacted upon herself, which eau
sed the hot blood TO dye her face
and the smarting tears to rush tc
her eyes2
She watched him out of sight,
holding himself proudly erect, and
the sunlight falling full on his fair
hair CLOSELY cropped) as he held his
straw hat in his hand, to let the
summer breeze play about his bare
temples.
Could it be that something was
going out of her life she would fain
have kept there? Once she started
forward, his name upon her lips, but
she did not utter it. The man was
mad. What destiny did lie offer
her? Only farmers wife! Then
she sobbed, but checked it, wonder.
ing why she wept.
In a weeks time she had gone
back to her home and The old gay
life awaiting her. She had not re.
covered her roses, Ter friends said
She had thought to amuse them BY
relating her rustis Irritation, but
somehow they never heard the story.
Her lips were dumb.
She had gone back 10 her old life,
and of course the old amusement Of
playing with hearts, but it had los,
its zest.
Of all the men who focked abou,
her standard land as she was rich
and young, and beautiful, there were
many, there was not one, held up in
silent and unacknowledgcd compari
son with that other, but failed in
the test.
e i
How grandly lie had rebuked hel
--how scathing had been his scorn
Was it for this he lived SO constant
ly in her thought that neither BY
night nor day could she drive hin
out? Pshaw! she hated herself TO
her pitiful weakness.
When October came she. deter
mined she would go abroad; but ont
morning, when September had no
half sped, sitting alone in her luxu
rious room, letter was brought te
her.
1t was from John Raleigh's moth
er, and it told her that her son wa:
dying. The letter ran thus:
"He had a sun-stroke last week, ant
has been delirious ever since. III.
doctors say it was but the climax to in
tense nervous strain, otherwise it woult
not have proved fatal. His delirium
has revealed all to me, and I write tha
you should know that my boy nigh
live if life were sweet to him, but whcr
consciousness comes it will only be t,
the old trouble, and he will sink under
it. He was my all, and you will hav'
killed him, for your summer pastime.
They were cruel words, and thu
girl sat reading and re.reading then
with widely staring eyes, which
seemed to pray for blindness, tina
she might shut them ont. At las
she arose, and mechanically prepared
for journey, as though carrying GU
the studied intention Of months "a
Their than the half formed impulse o
a moment.
She was as yet scarce conscious o
her purpose, when, at nightfall, sh
stood a suppliant for admittance a
John Raleigh's door.
A sad, weary-faced woman softl.
opened it, and stood as though mute
ly asking her errand.
"John?''
This was all that the white lip
could utter.
HE is sinking fast" answers
the mother. "You know my boy?
For as yet she had not OWNED th
truth. The woman her son love
was cold, and cruel, and heartless.-
Not even the knowledge that he wa
dying would bring her here. so sh
reasoned, when, with low, chokin
sob, the girl before her fell on be
knees, with outstretched, implorln
hands.
"You said," she walled, "that b
would not live, because life was n
longer sweet to him. Let me go t
him-let me tell him how dearly
love him, and how cruelty I hay
suffered! Let me ask him to liv
for me!'
Then two gentle hands lifted he
face, kiss fell on her brow, voic
murmured, ooh, my child! give hil
back to mep' and then she foun
! herself within the sick.rnom on