The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-06-25
would be Harvey Callender's wife! But
she shrank away

of tender reproach that hurt her SO keenly
"Dear, have been strong in. hope and
trust, or else I'should have never risked
SO much in coming to you tonight. I have
Travelled good many miles to save you
from being the wife of man know you
do not lOve-to tell you want you to be
my wife, dearest. Dou you hear Are
you glad, as am, to be my wife, Florie ?'
She grew pale and affrighted. Somehow
her life had come.
"Tell me, what you mean," she said
piteously, "for don't at all understand" ;"
ut is just this" and he laid his hand
caressingly on her arm, 'you love me, Flor
ence, and love you. That is enough, to
my thinking, to effectually prohibit you
from the awful sacrifice you have been led
into SO nearly making. But aside from
this, dear, there is reason why you
should not marry Harvey Callender-why
no good, pure woman should marry him p
Her eyes dilated, almost in terror.
what do you mean? Don't you see
you frighten me awfully ?"
Such look of compassionate tenderness
came into his handsome eyes
"My darling little girl! When would
cherish and comfort you all the days of
your life !"
"But you must not talk SO, Leon. Only
Mr.. Calender has that right now. And if
there is no reason why"
She hesitated, blushing painfully.
by Jove, there is reason why he
should not speak to you. And he shall
not! Florie, Harvey Calender is rogue
and deep-dyed villain! He passes him
self off for widower, when, as God hears
me, his wife is alive for saw her myself
not week ago."
A little, stifled cry pulsed up from her
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 ",
"Dear, I see You do not believe me-
rather do not realize it. Nevertheless, it
where his wife is, and let your belief be
based upon his answer-not on mine, the
man who loves you-who will save you 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 is3'
But there was 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. sit is all TOO terrible to con-
horrid; and it can't be true,
for he was to have made me his wife to-
morrow"
It was the second time she had said it,
as if no man could have had reason to
treat her, of all women, SO cruelty.
1T is true" Lieutenant Marion said
quietly, "and have risked being refused
entrance to this house to save you. Go
ask him. Then come back to me, dear
for always, foreverp'
And this girl, who thought she would
rather have died than been Harvey CAL
lenders wife, went rapidly into his pres
ence with little, herce prayers in her heart
that it might not be SO awfully true.
Mr.. Calender looked up from the
library table, instantly springing to his
feet at sight of her deathly face.
"Child child what has happened to
your"
She went straight up to him, in an in
tense, desperate way.
"Mr. CALENDER, is it true that you al
ready have a wife 2"
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 yon to
marry me ?"
Butt am told you are married man.
am told by a-a party, who saw your
wife very lately Mr.. Calender, as God
hears you, is it true? Have you wife :?
Were you ever married 2"
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
ence," he said gravely, as he rang the bell;
and moment later, Mrs. Marion came
in, her stately dignity unruf1ed, when
Mr.. Calender, in few, well-chosen words,
to her what Florence had asked
him.
my daughter" she said quickly, "a
word or so will explain to you what l
hoped you would not know, until, as Mr.
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
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
to have the keeping of her
darling's happiness; and, Florence, the
reason why your cousins portrait is faced
his name is never spoken
lis because it was he, Leon Marion, who
was the woman's lover"
Florence stood still as stone. her sweet
face deathly, with an agony that was more
tina n thousand deaths.
81 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, my
pure, white lamb. Yonr 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 kent ?"
She bowed her head, as some fair, fragile
flower droops its petals when gale
passes over it-only moment or so.
when. by Gods sweet mercy, he revealed
it all to her.
Then she liftedft 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. II am
so sorry for you; have never loved you
as should have done. You know that;
and IL thought loved my cousin. But"
-and such look swept across her face