Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-05-19

She understood so well why he came,
because now and then Lillian's name
drifted into the idle talk, and because, as
he grew stronger, he dared speak of her
and of the love he had borne her. 1t
was mingled pain and pleasure to lis
ten. If only she had not learned her
own heart the pain would have been
less. But she was destined to learn it
more fatally, yet, as, one morning, stroll
ing through the woods together, the
sharp report of hunters gun close be-
side them startled them both. The next
instant her companion sank white and
senseless on the sward beside her, while
the affrighted hunter, whose misaimed
charge had entered his arm, fastened
| forward.
"Bring assistance, qulckly!" exclaim-
ed Edith, while she raised the heavy
head to her lap. "Oscar, speak to me, :"
she moaned "Oscar, Oscar!'
Over and over again she repeated his
name in the same accents of despairing
love, until they seemed to force their
way into the lfe-pulses of his being, and
rouse them to activity.
He opened his eyes with half wan
dering look, as though dilirium must
have overtaken him.
At this instant the hunter returned
with assistance, and half hour later the
wounded man had been borne to the rec
tory, the wound dressed, and the knowl-
edge given that it was merely flesh
hurt, painful but not dangerous; yet his
recovery was tedious affair.
He grew moody and distracted. It
gave him more time to think of Lillian
and his loss, Edith thought, even while
she wondered why his eyes followed her
with such a strange, questioning look
Once she entered his room with some
freshly cut flowers in her hand.
"Where shall [ put them Mr.. Der
ing?" she inquired.
"Mr. Dering ?" he answered. "Did
not once hear you call me Oscar. Or
was it a sweet fancy waited from dream
land ?"
Again the crimson tide dyed her face
"Don'tp' she said, as though he had
hurt her, and fastened from the room,
bearing with her the flowers, and it seem
ed to him the light and sunshine.
Had he been blind all this time, and
was he just beginning to see?
A grand ball was to be given at Ames
court, at which Lillian insisted that
Edith should be present. The invalid
was fully recovered, and he, too. was
summoned to the feast.
Miss Ames had plunged into constant
gaiety since the breaking of her engage
ment to Oscar Dering, but it all had
failed to fill the empty place in her heart.
On the evening of her ball, she picked
up the paper sent down by the after
moons mail from London CHANGING
idly over its pages, she suddenly started
at seeing the name of the man to whom
she so lately had been betrothed.
1t was a published decision of the
court that owing to some disability, the
title could not descendto Oscar behring's
cousin, but, together with the estates
must remain in his possession.
He was, then, Lord Dering still. Foo
that she had been! But the decision
had been made public but few hours.
He would never dream of the accident
which had brought it to her knowledge.
! Tonight, while he still thought her in
ignorance, she must win him back.
Never had she been more capricious
with her toilet; never had she looked
more ravishingly lovely than when she
descended to receive her guests.
1t was late when he entered the spa
cious drawing-rooms.
81 have been waiting for you," she
said, In her sweetest, lowest tones.
"You honored me too greatly, Miss
Ames," he replied.
"Let us go into the conservatory, she
added cit is cooler there"
He offered her his arm.
From a distant corner of the room,
Edith saw them.
"She need not have feared" she
thought, bitterl y-only, the next mo-
ment, to reproach herself with her sell
fshness. CT will not begrudge him any
happiness" she said to herself.
Have you forgotten the last time we
were here together, Mr.. Dering?" Lii.
Liam was asking at this moment.
"No," he answered, gravely, looking
quietly but supposedly into the beautiful
face beside him.
"Can one ever retrieve a mistake, .
she asked, "when one finds it out?''
CT do not know" he replied, toying
with an exquisite rose beside him, as he
continued: "Can one cause the rose
blighted in midsummer to bloom again
In the depths of winter ?''
She knew then what he meant, and
also knew that it was too late to retrieve
the past.
owe are dealing in similies,'' she ex.
claimed, hiding her wound with PROUD
smile. "Perhaps it is the place. Lei
us return to our guests.
An hour later Oscar Dering led Miss
Loring to the same spot.
~ love you, Edith he said simply.
81 thought my heart was dead when ]
met you. know now that it had never
lived. Ny darling, will you be my
wife?"
ooh: Oscar, you are sure, sure Of
YOURSELF"
81 have been made sure tonight, he
answered, drawing her close to his heart,
and breaking off the splendid rose with
which he had toyed an hour before, tc
place it in her hair.
"She was too happy to question his
words or their meaning too happy ever
to let Miss Ames' congratulations sting,
when she said, scornfully: