The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-01-30


wedding. She loved Elsie with moth
rr's love already, and Nathaniel us the
antumnal months driftrd by grew
trltlc thoughtful, for Lewis Walton,
who had been II summer guest in the
m"ighborhood, still fingered and still
rnlltd on Elsie, who tried to hide her
growing fondness Tor his company. He
wns wealthy, iudolcnt and gifted with n
persuasive tongue. Elsie loved ease,
lack",! firmncss of principle and will: and
though she imagined herself faithful to
Nathaniel, her heart was slowly hut
surely being hcgUiled away from the true
aud stcadtast love ui an upright man.
Nathaniel watched her with II brooding
tenderness. He wis ~ loyal himself
that he wonllinntinctivcly noice any way
rrinG on Elsic's part, hcthought: yet the
eyes "f love are often blinded 10y self
confidence, and when Elsie came Ia him
and laid her golden head upon his arm,
~ she often did i'll the autumn cleaning,
Nnthnniels happiness WIS too deep to be
drlusivr, and he would hold her t. his
hr ast rs ii nothing could ever wrcst her
from his faithful arms. Poor Elsie.
it'll" did she know Of the passionate
depth and power of this strong mans
love. His homage was hers by right,
ant SIT" accepted il rs some princess
might the service of her Nassals. She
never Thought how dcsolatc that lie
w,Vld hr ii hrrrlt of her luvr-how bar
rem ot hope ur Happiness would he his
uark"ncd future: for if hc erred i'll any
s,ns, il WAS iii the strength and purity of
the love he laid nj her feet
The purple haz" of Indian summer
WAS living on the hills. The sun sailed
through the mist like II great ball Of
flame, and pillows Of dead brown leaves
swept up the rgvlnrS, us Nathaniel Holt
trudgrd down the mountain path, his
brown chcrk flushed with exercise and
his EYES kindliug with love, ,s the old
farmhouse with its many windows staiu-
al with amber, and tall gables druprd
with SCARLET runners, came III view. His
mother sat On the porch, hath,d iii rift
uf ruhv sunshine. but he looked in vain
i"r Elsir-Elsir who had promised to
conc up the mountain path to meet him.
Something like the murmur OF voices at
tractCd his attention, and turning into n
side path he cam" upon Elsie and Lewis
faces turned from him. Wnltun's hunt
ing jacket and gun lay on the ground,
and Elsic's hat had fallen ut her feet.
while the fair glowing lac" was uptumcd
L. the hlZy November sky, as ii she dared
not, vet luugrd 10 meet the fire of the
blAcl. eyes that seemed Ia read the inner
most thoughts Of her soul.
"Eisir-Ehic," the soft persuasive
voice WAS saying, be wise, and listen
t. m". You do not love Nathaniel Holt
~ women love men they rAarry."
" Nathaniel is So good. aud has been
like brother to mr since mammals
death, murmured Elsie, by way Of pro-
test, while Nathaniel stood rs ii rooted to
the spot, his breath comil:; i'll thick. hot
Tnsls.
That is just it, Elsie; yuu have mis-
taken your feelings. Instead of the love
YOU will give him you will reward his
great lovr-tor h" dos love you deeply
with warm siatrrly affection. All!
Elsie think in tim.'-I love you rs | have
never loved before, and Elsie, yoI love
me, said Lewis Walton, ~ he put his
arm around her slender waist, and drew
Elsies happy face to his bosom, and
covered the warm red lips with kisses.
Nathaniel Holt tied from the spot, like
Il hunted deer. The veins ON his temples
stood ont like whipcords, and dry, voice
less subs broke from him, rs he sank
down on the InUssy turf, and buried his
face in the cedar spears that lay inch
deep ON the moist ground. Never again
could Ia, take Elsie Marians fair, false
face in his hands and kiss il with q low
cr's kisses. For she hGd willfully given
up the pure honest love Of his guilclcss
heart for the love Of Il man, who in Gods
sight, ii not in the sight vi men, was
legally bound 10 another Perhaps he
had been mistaken i'll himself, hut this
he knew, h" had made an idol OF her,
and given her such love ~ no human be-
ing should lavish on II fellow creature,
be they ever So perfect, and God had
seen the fuolislmess Of his idO!atrous
love, and punished him sorely for it.
After his passion Of grief had spent it.
self, he rose and turned into the path
that led homcward, feeling very much rs
il lac had stood beside Elsie Murian's
grave, and saw her laid in it,. His face
had grown white and hard and stern, in
that short, Int bitter struggl", aud the
brown eyes were full Of grief too deep
for tears II" felt faint and dizzy when
he saw Elsie standing at the meadow
gate alone, beautiful bloom on her
Young face, and the light Of her newly
awakened love in her blue eyes.
Nathaniel" she speaks ncrvouSly,
for her wumanly instincts tells her some
thing is wrong, "what has happened,
you are late. "
"Just this, Elsie, he takes her hand
in his and turns his set white face away
from her." have lost something out
OF my life which ] shall never, never own
again, an mtroubled mind; and, Elsie,
dear, forgive me if have mistaken graf
itude for love and held you against your
will. Take the man Of your choice, FL
Sic, and Heaven grant you will not find
your happiness Dead sea fruit"
ooh, Nathaniel" Elsic's tears are
falling over the hard brown hands; -
did not deserve Your lovc--I do not de-
serve Your kindness now"
"G"!" he says, gently, and Elsie slips
past him, leaving him TO conquer the
rush Of feeling that threatened to over
power him. At length he felt strong
enough to face his future and went into
the house with look on his face that
told hls mother the hour she dreaded had
come, for with the keen instincts of her
sex, she had seen the result Of Lewis
Walton's attentions TO Elsie, and was
more gricvcd than surprised when Nath-
amel told his pitiful story.
Elsie was married The first snow
had Just whitencd the earth when she
LETT the Holt farm, the wife Of Lewis
Walton, IA strange pallor on her beautiful
face, strange dread in her heart, for
some thoughts had come to her, even in
the eleventh hour, that were neither
pleasant or ennobling, for they taught
her that her life had been Il mistake, IA
far as stability Of feeling and purity of
purpose were concerned, for the white,
weary face of Nathaniel Holt was denrer
TO her heart than the handsome face of
the husband by her side.
Tho winter days rolled on. News OF
Elsie Walton's triumphs came now and
then to the quiet farmhouse and stirred
Nathaniel Hollis heart with touch Of
the old pain; for he could not forget that
all this grace and beauty might have been
his. Lewis Walton might value it, az
child prizes a beautiful toy; he would
have idoliZed her, rs some devotce wor-
ships the beauty Of his goddess-and for
this feeling alone he felt the great treas
ure OF Elsie's love had been denied him.
But rumor was stirring the fashiona-
BILE world that never reached the quiet
old homestead. Men looked with pity,
on the lovely, trusting wife, women smil-