Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-08
"Come what will no power on earth
shall separate mo from YOU

|
shall separate me from YOU"
Morn. noon, and night these word
came back TO her, and with them
hope TO feed upon, Surely all would
be right, shs thought. lilo could mol
give her up he was only angry will
her he would come 10 understand
aud forgive her, and then oil would
be we'll again.
These were uneventfal days, till,
one morning, tho news was brought
to Saidee that Aunt Ruth could mol
live that, contrary TO expectation,
the peculiar troubles that had resulted
from her injuries were developing
fatally, Her gentle heart smote her.
for often, often, this latter time she
had regretted her promise In her
anguish, wished she had broken it,
Awhile, remorse banishrd all else
from her thoughts but love is q
mighty king, aud poor Aunt Ruth
had not been long under the sod ere
1t regained the mastery.
Ho would surely write, now that
Aunt Ruth was dead he would sure.
ly understand.
So she was musing ono twilight,
when there came O knock at tho door,
and q letter was handed into her,
At the sight Of the familiar writing
she could not repress u rapturous cry,
despite the presence Of tho new serv
ant, who knew nothing Of Wilfred
Hare her trembling fingers could
scarcely break the seal. And when
she did
Only q wedding-card, the little note
she had written him, and the line -
at is but rightI should restore TO
you your pledge"
Wilfred Hare had proven himself
She read it, she broke into ct OF
hysterical laughter. and then, not
knowing what she did, she dropped
it, and went down and out over the
lawn, far into the maple g'ove.-
Looking ahead dreamily, she saw
Mark Vale coming toward her. He
had heard OF this ; he was coming
vaguely, with only the thought that
he must comfort her.
She waited for HIM, she stretched
out the hand which still held the card,
with dreamy smile.
"Mark," sho said, "did you know
Wilfred was married ! Did you
know"
She. could say no more, the full
reality had broke.
He had endured much. he could
not endure the look on her face
With a sudden, uncomfortable i'm.
pulse, he threw his arms around her
and drew her to his breast.
"Oh, Saidee ! forgive me, forgive
me, but cannot see you so +
So cried Mark Vale quite terrified
at his act, striving vainly to loose his
arms. To his surprise she did not
resist him. He even tancied she
clung to him.
"Do not send me away !" voice
foated up to him. 81 have only got
you to love me, and I know you
love me very much"
Was this delusion, or was she
mocking him in her despair ?
"Saidee," he murmured, bewilder-
edly, "do you mean that-that you
could marry me 7"
He was all she had. Hers was
nature to crave prop; it seemed to
her that moment, that never a love
was 20 sweet to woman as Mark Wales
was 10 her
Il loved Wilfred," she answered,
brokenly. "But l have lost love, and
| must have love or my heart will
break. Dear Mark, if you can love
me so, l will be a good wife to you"
'.Saidee !"
With the one word wherein lay biz
soul, he drew her gently, almost rev.
erentially, closer to his madly' beating
heart.
And so he married her, and he is
content. For she never repulsed him.
his love seems always sweet to her,
and sometimes, Of her own will, she
comes and, Ltwiniug her arms about
his neck, kissed him tenderly.
About year before his death some
one sent William Callsn Bryant . pic