The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-06-07
OUT OF FATk'S LABYRINTH.

Julian Cresleigh laid his cigar down
carefully, and looked seriously, straight
in Melville Vests grave face.
"Do you love her, Melville~
While Mr.. West returned the straight
serious look with all his heart in his blue
eyes.
"With all my soul, Julian"
'Does she love your"
And such a look of passionate pride ac.
companied his prompt answer.
my little darling! ! am sure of herl''
"Then," said Mr.. Cresleigh, slowly,
ponderously, as if the question was un-
answerahle, except in one matter-of-f fact
way, ''if chat is the case, you and pretty
little May Warren are in love with each
other, why don't you marry her%'
"You naturally wonder why" Mel
vile said, gravely. almost wistfully;
"and when | tell you that my little May
has refused to'marry me for three years,
and is sorrowly resolute as ever, you
viii wonder all the more. knowing, as |
have ju-t now told you, how truly we
love each other.'
Cresleigh frowned inquiringly.
81 confess do not understand such a
conundrum," he said. "If I loved a
woman, and she loved me, not all the
powers on earth could keep us apart"
Melville smiled gravely.
"My little May is not like other
women," he remarked. tenderly, rever-
emily. "She is all that is noble, and con-
scientious, and honorable; and, while l
realize she is spelling both our lives by
her rigid adherence to what she believes
her duty, l yet can not but admit its
honor and nobleness."
The frown on Cresleigh's handsome
forehead deepened into positive wrinkles
81 give it up" he said, with sigh.
'Let me tell you, in dozen words,
my darling's story: When she was 10
she is % now-she spent a summer with
friends in the country, and while there
children will be foolish always-she per-
mitted the attentions of a Young farmer,
more from a spirit OF girlish fun and CO.
quetry than aught else, and became en-
gagged to him, in the same spirit of heed
lessness, which she did not realize until
she had returned home and thought the
matter seriously over, and confiled the
affair to her friends. Every effort has
been made to break the engagement, ex-
cept a public attempt, that would be in
finitely disnraceful for my little girl to
endure. But Morgan Fletcher-that's
his name will not give her up. He de-
clares she promised to have him, and he
swears he will have her. He is rich, and
a decent enough fellow-but May War
rens hush md! He writes her once
week, and has for several years, although
she has persistently refused to see him.
And there the matter rests"
"Humph" Cresleigh calculated for
chilly.
"Of course May will never marry him;
but she thinks that so long as she accepted
his offer she is not morally free to marry
any one else"
"And so both your happiness and hers
are to he ruined because Of one mistake
lin child's life"
Such look of tenderest love, and
pity, and faith shone out of Melville's
grand face!
"Don't say ruined, Julian, for, not
withstanding the strange barrier between
us, we are very happy in each others
love; and May is a woman to worship
with all the strength of ones life."
Nor could Julian Cresleigh understand
how such relation could be maintained, /,
when there were so many cogent reasons
for having it otherwise.
Melville West went from Cresleigh's.
Office to the unpretending little cottage
where May and her elderly sister lived,
all his heart stirred by his recital Of their
romance.
"To-day is one of the days when 7 feel.
/ can not accept the fate in store for me, ~
he said to her, passionately, wistfully, as
he took her in his strong arms. "To see
you here, SO patient, so gentle, so sweet.
and loyal to me, and know I may not
have you for my wife-to know you
work for your daily bread, while / have
riches to spare. May, May! be pitiful,
and break your word to that other"
She looked at him with such brave,
sweet eyes.
"How can 7, dear? I am penniless,
and l am only reaping the reward of
girlish folly, repented of as soon as COM
mitted" ..,..t-
While hundred or SO miles away
from the little suburban cottage where
May lived, Morgan Fletcher paced the
sunny, western piazza of his farmhouse,
that self-same winter afternoon-as tall,
robust, coarse-featured man of nearly 40,
with shaggy, auburn beard and hair, and
bright brown eyes, that were almost cru
ely positive in their glances. ~"
He had just been handed two letters
by farm-Doy who returned from the
village post-office; and one, in May War
ren's delicate handwriting, had been
eagerly read, while an eager, almost
hungry, look had come into his eyes as
be quickly tore it open to see few lines,
cold, careless, as May always wrote.
"And the first for nearly three
months!' he muttened savagely, as he
bestowed upon it a second reading, then