Litchfield enquirer., 1880-09-16
CICELY.

| -'- ClCELx.
"You don't say anything, Cicely?' and
Hamer Dare looks searchlngly into the white
face before him. 1t is showing little, and
up here on the bleak hillside it is bitterly,
biting cold. But they do not think of their
outward estate" these two, who but yester-
| day were leach unto each Gods greatest
good" Only yesterday; and since then there
| has happened that which forms gulf as wide
| as death. For what can sever two hearts so
| utterly as mistrust? -. .,.- d.. ..-.t..
"What am to say?" answers Cicely Nor
| reys slowly, not lifting her eyes from the
snowy ground; then with a nervous little laugh
she adds II will say goodbye Surely that
| is all you require!' .. .,..5
Don't, Ceeyl" he pleads, rs that to be
| all?'' - s..-, -. -. -. y >
81 could add Bon ooyage, MI. Dare" s,s
| And now she looks at him steadily, with
| cold, scorpfnl eyes. Beautiful eyes they are
| laughing eyes generally-but now there lie
no laughter lurking behind those long silken
ashes, and, instead of sweetness on the ROSY
lips, there are pain and bitterness, for to her,
has come the greatest trial that can befall a,
woman, She has given. her heart and soul to
the man who stands beside her, and in return
| she finds that he is the promised husband of
| his cousin-Esther Dunraven. .e. ft-.5
81 know deserve more than you can say
| to me; it was brutal shame, but you charm
ed my very soul, Cicely. Before could be
ON my guard had forgotten everything in the
one mad wish to hear you say you loved me-"
She turns away impatiently. 81. II put off tell
| ing you day by day when you had said it.
How could / have the moral courage to
''To tell me that you had been deceiving
me throughout-to make me see how blind
how besottedly blind | was in believing you
| to be gentleman! Oh, if any one had told
me that my trust in you was groundless, /
think l would have died rather than believe
| it,, she says passionately. II suppose you
will say you were silent from pity for the girl
who lost her heart TO you? Please say so. 1t
| will not hurt me- Nothing will ever burt me
again. Hamer, oh, Hamer, how could you ?"
And then the clear voice breaks, and for one
minute she soDs her heart out, with Hamer's
| arm around her and Hamers kisses on her
brow. 1919 - .. ..- p.,. :
'My own darling, don't cry SO! can't
bear it! Let us take the law into our own
hands, and throw the other thing overheard.
1t is surely far better to do 80 then to ruin our
| lives for the sake of keeping the conditions of
an unjust WALL" pleads Hamer excitedly.
81 do not intend to ruin nv life," says
| Cicely, as she leaves his embrace-woman-
| like, hiding the wound her love and and pride
your own promise"
(Which was given years ago, when / was
young fool, mutters Hamer.
''And your fathers will to marry girl
whose money all comes to you in case you do
not marry her Is that correct?
| ''Yes. ConfOund it, she hasn't apenny
That's the one thing which prevents my tell
ing her l won't fulfil my part. Was ever any
man in such position before, Cicely? If
could dare to hope for your forgiveness I
would beg for it on my Bonded knees"
t'In the snows You must learn prudence"
she says, with q hard little smile; ''you
would want something more than moral cour-
age to bear the agonies Of rheumatism ~
Hamer's face reddens angrily. No man likes
his heroics turned into joke. Then there
is silence; each looks into the future and feels
that from henceforth life will be blank.
The snow is descending faster, and the
north wind bowls past them. Ccely wraps
her furs more closely round her, and nerves
herself for all that Can be said now-the one
| word Good bye"
"Will you let me see your home, Cecy {?
And we will finish this tomorrow. 1t is get
ting far too cold and late for you to be OUT
just the same tender tone of ownership which
has been so sweet to her before
"Thank you, no. | can take excellent care
of myself. And there is no tomorrow for
you and me, Hamer," she returns, trembling.
Say goodbye now"
But he does not take her outstretched hand.
"Cicely." he says hoarsey, ''if have sim
ned. it was through my love for you. Heaven
knows you are the very light of my eyes.
You do not think that su er. tell you
every word you have said to me-and you
have said some very bitter ones-has gone
through my heart like a dagger. You stand
calmly there as if you were not sending me
away to lifelong misery. Remember, | sail
for India next week. Can't you say you for
give me, though l know L. have been viii
lain P;
She knows that Esther Dunraven is in
India and that when he returns she will be
his wife, and she will not listen to her own
heart which even now is yearning for his
love. .s a.. 5.srtt J:' tg e>. .4t..
Il can't forgive you, Hamer. If / loved
you less, perhaps I might" she says piteous-
ly. 81 feel so hard, so bitter. Perhaps it is
a just punishment for my making an idol of
you.", ts.g.E 4bst5 II. IN saE .G
Don't bring your fathers gloomy ideas
into the question. If had told you myself
about Esther, / could convince you that I am
not SO entirely bad as you think me but now
you have heard it from some gossiping wo-
mans letter, can't hope for justice" a-.,.., q.
She does not answer, except to say Good
her in his arms and is showering passionate
despaiIing kisses on the lips that are no longer
his ...sl. ....4..,p -..4
7 ut would be kinder to let me CO." whisper
ed Ccely and then he kisses her once again.
But she does not kiss him and in silence
more cruel than any. hard words she turns
from hi him, and they descend the hill togeth-
err ..-.
liAt the gate they part. Cicely cannot speak
if she would, y for her tears are coming fast
Hamer's voice is low and broken as be takes
her hand and and they look into into each others
eyes. n E, -
."Heavef, bless you, my dearest! You may
thinklmore kindly of me some day when you
remember that my greatest fault was in loving
you more than my own honor. hre 7asa.5g,5
So, in the failing snow and the bowling
north wind, they pursue their different ways,
and Cjcely lNorreys feelsthat for her never
again will life be bright or beautiful.
More. than two years have passed since
Cicely Norreys said Good bye" to her lover
| tainly SO sad But the heart knoweth
its own bitterness.p She, had loved, almost
worshipped, Hamer Dare; with her whole
strength she had believed in him wholly and
entirely; all her ideas and thoughts had been
centered in him. When she had discovered a
flaw ip her idol it had well.nigh crushed her;
and the parting with him had been as bitter as
/ death No one Knew that be had ever been
more than friend for naturally he had per
snaded her to keep their engagement secret
| til liesshould openly claim her. To girl of
Cjeely's proud nature this was tile one drop Of
balm; and she Eeselgedh that tire story of her
| unhappy love should never be known And
now the reaction has Bet il, she rebels holly
against the veid in her heart, and rushes into
any excitement which offers - Naturally she
is called fiirt; but she Is bot that for no
| man has ever known her to trifie with his feel
tings. 'Sheis prettier' than ever, and great
d, al more fascinating but she would give the
whole world to be once more the, simple fresh
| hearted girl that loved Hamer Dare and, be-
lieved il human nature. 49,
Ii is brilliant June Afternoon Italian skies