Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-30
self. 1t is only that [ am to stay with
Aunt Ruth for the present-that is all,

self. 1t is only that I am to stay with
Aunt Ruth for the present-that is all,
Mark. r
She truly said she did not know WHY:
she felt very traitress thus openly to
blame Wilfred Hare. She did not real
ize, poor Saidee! how pleasant Mark
Wales devotion had suddenly become to
her-how plain she was making this.
But he could not see. He walked on
beside her silently, little dreaming he
was aught to her to-day beyond what
he had been before Never had life
seemed SO dreary to Mark Vale--not
even that black morning when he learn
ed she was to marry Wilfred Hare. Then
his unselfish soul found solace in the
thought that she was happy; now he
stood in presence of her misery-he, who,
had he the power, would not have per-
mitted the winds to blow roughly on
her-and could not save her its least
pang.
He understood Wilfred Hare better
than she; it would have been easier,
perhaps, to resign her to any other man.
1t was not strange, that in this hour,
realizing his own loyalty and tenderness,
he should rail at justice and the veriest
of myths.
The days passed slowly, dreari!y, to
Saidee; with each, her love for Wilfred
Hare growing deeper, her grief sharper
more uncomfortable.
"Come what will, no power on earth
shall separate me from your
Morn, noon and night these words
came back to her, and with them hope
to feed upon. Surely all would be right,
she thought. He could not give her up;
he was only angry with her; he would
come to understand and forgive her, and
then all would be well again.
These were uneventful days, till, one
morning, the news was brought to Saidee
that Aunt Ruth could not live; that con-
trary to expectation, the peculiar trou-
bles that had resulted from her injuries
were developing fatally. Her gentle
heart smote her, for often, often, this lat
ter time, she had regretted her promise;
in her anguish, wished she had broken it.
A while remorse banished all else from
her thoughts; but love is q mighty king,
and poor Aunt Ruth had not been long
under the sodere it regained the mastery
He would surely write, now that Aunt
Ruth was dead; he would surely under
stand.
SO she was musing one twilight, when
there came knock at the door, and a
letter was handed into her. At the sight
of the familiar writing she could not re-
press rapturous cry, despite the pres
ence of the new servant, who knew moth
could scarcely break the seal. And when
she did
Only wedding-card, the little note
she had written him, and the line:
cit is but right l should restore to you
your pledge"
Wilfred Hare had proven himself.
She read it, she broke into fit of
hysterical laughter, and then, not know
ing what she did, she dropped it, and
went down and out over the lawn, far
into the maple grove. Looking ahead
dreamily, she saw Mark Vane coming to-
ward 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
a dreamy smile.
''Mark," she 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
sudden, uncomfortable impulse, he threw
his arms around her and drew her to his
breast.
"Oh, Saidee forgive me, forgive me,
but cannot see you so p
Go a1-:aI MorI- Vono c11ito 1oJ Of
his act, striving vainly to loose his arms.
He even fancied she chung to him.
"Do not send me away!" a 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 mock
ing him in her despair?
"Saidee," he murmured, bewilder-
edly, "do you mean that-that you
could marry me?"
He was all she had. Hers was ma
ture to crave prop; it seemed to her
that moment, that never love was so
sweet to woman as Mark Vane's was to
her.
81 loved Wilfred," she answered,
brokenly. "But [ have lost love, and
/ must have love or my heart will break.
Dear Mark, if you can marry me so,
will be good wife to you. %
"Saidee
With the one word wherein lay his
soul, he drew her gently, almost rever-
entially, closer to his manipulating
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, twining her arms about his neck,
kissed him tenderly.
Noticeable.
From the Boston Transcript