The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-29

red lips with Kisses.
Nathaniel Holt fled from the spot like
a hunted deer His veins stood out like
whipcords, and dry, voiceless sobs broke
from him as he sank down on the messy
turf and buried his face in the cedar
spears that lay inch deep on the moist
ground. Never again could he take
Elsie NIarian's false face i'll his hands
and kiss it with lovers kisses. For she
had willfully give,. up the pure, honest,
love of his guilless heart for the love of
a man, who, in the sight of God, if not
in the sight of men, was legally bound to
another Perhaps he had been mistaken
in himself, but this he knew, he had
made an idol of her and given her such
love as no human being should lavish on
a fellow creature, be they ever SO per-
feet, and God had seen the foolishness of
his idolatrous love, and punished him
sorely for it.
After his passion of grief had spent
itself, he arose and turned into the path
that led homeward, feeling very much
as if he had stood beside Elsie Marian's
grave and saw her laid in it. His face
had grown white and hard and stern in
that short but bitrer struggle, and the
brown eyes were full Of grief too deep
for tears. He felt faint and dizzy when
he saw Elsie standing at the meadow
gate alone, and the light of her newly
awakened love in her blue eyes.
"Nathaniel"-she speaks nervously,
for her womanly instinct tells her some
thing is wrong-"what has happenedl
You are late.
"Just this, Elsie'-he takes her hands
in his and turns his set, white face away
from her-"I have lost something out
of my life which | shall never, never
own again-an untrouhled mind; and,
Elsie, dear, forgive ME if [ have mis-
taken gratitude for love. and held you
against your will. Take the man of
your choice, Elsie, and heaven grant you
may not find your happiness dead-sea
fruit"
"Oh, Nathaniel r. Elsie's tears are
falling over the hard, brown hands; 81
did not deserve Your love-I do not de-
serve your kindness now"
eco - he says, gently, and Elsie
slips past him, leaving him to conquer
the rush of feeling that threatened to
overpower him. At length he felt
strong enough to face his future, and
went to the house with look ON his
face that told his mother the hour she
dreaded had come; for with the keen in
stincts of her sex she had foreseen the
result of Lewis Walton's attentions and
was more grieved than surprised when
Nathaniel told his pitiful story.
Elsie was married. The first snow
had Just whitened the earth when she
left the Holt farm, the wife Of Lewis
Walton, strange pallor on her beauti-
full face, a strange dread in her heart
for some thoughts had come to her in
the eleventh hour, that were neither
pleasant nor enrolling, for they taught
her that her life had been mistake, as
far as stability of feeling and purity of
purpose were concerned; for the white,
weary face of Natheniel Holt was
dearer to her heart than the handsome
face OF the husband at her side.
The Winter days rolled on. News
of Elsie Nalton's triumphs came now
and then to the quiet farm house and
stirred Nathaniel Hollis heart with a
touch of his cid pain, for he could not
forget that all this beauty and grace
might have been his. Lewis Walton
might value it as child prizes beau
tlful toy; he would have idolized it as a
devotee worships the beauty OF his god
dess-and for this feeling alone he felt
the great treasure OF Elsie's love had
been denied him.
But a rumor was stirring in the fash
ionable world that had not reached the
quiet old homestead. Men looked with
pity on the lovely, trusting wife; women
smiled and sneered behind their fans;
and still Elsie never dreamed aught Of
the shame and disgrace that was gather
ing around her.
When the news of her tickle hus-
bands elopement with a dashing widow
reached her, she threw up her hands
with a cry of Observation-Disclosures
Nathaniel my sin has found me out ~
Three days later the dead body OF her
husband-for railroad accident had
ended his career-was carried home to
her; and Elsie, broken-hearted and full
of bitter remorse, followed it to its last