The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-03-20


glory in it with you, and if you fail, as you
might, my darling, you will still have your
husbands loye to turn to for consolation.
Ethel, could you consent to this?"
Ethel arose to her feet. She knew that
by taking her for his wife, giving her the
home Willard was to have given her, but
which his uncle had decided had better be
made to pay, Frank was cutting himself off
from any chance of share in his uncles
wealth.
Frank" she said, "did you hear am
going away tomorrow? Uncle has given
me the little sum of money my mother left
me, and am going to face the world"
ayes, heard it from Aunt Sarah," he
said. "If l had not Ethel, think you !
would have spoken as l have done9 you
were staying here, would have waited till
the pain of the present had time to grow
less; but l could not let you go forth to bat
tie with the world alone"
Drank" she said, laying her hand on
his arm, and raising her tear-wet eyes to
his face, al loved Willard, and the wound
he gave my love cannot heal at once; but
but now" her voice growing piteous-"I
respect him no longor,and of course my love
must die; but, Frank, it has not died yet"
"You will not go away, Ethel? Tell me
you will wait awhile, and think longer over
| it,"
al will 60 away tomorrow, Frank; my
mind is made up. Bid me good bye now
you may not see me again."
She did not love him, but he loved her,
and they had grown up together, so she
made no resistance when he drew her to
him and kissed her tenderly.
Good bye, Ethel" he said. "And may |
God forever bless you !"
Eight years passed away, and in the farm
house where Ethel Warden had spent her
youth, Willard Ashton and his wife had
made their home.
Yes, his wife: for whether proud, wilrul |
Ethel, with her dreams of future greatness,
was forgotten or not, he had married an
other-another who lived only few years,
and who then lay sleeping, with her baby
in her arms, beneath the bright, green grass.
She had been his uncle's choice, and to
please him, Willard had married her, as he
gave up Ethel.
But as far as he was capable of loving,
Willard Ashton loved Ethel but not till
she was gone did he fully realize this, and
had the choice been given him again, he
would have chosen her before all else.
Yes, he loved Ethel, but he had lost her,
and when he had given her up for the sake
Of his uncle's wealth. might he not as well
marry his uncle's choice? 1t made little
difference whom he married he had made
his choice, and by it he must abide.
For five years nothing had been heard of
Ethel, and during that time Willards young
wife had been laid TO rest.
Frank had come to live with his uncle as
well, for at Willard's marriage their home
had been broken up, and it made no differ
ence to him where he lived, and he agreed
with his uncle that it was just as we'll to
make one home of it, as things went just
then.
One evening they sat down to surper,and
somehow a stiffness seemed to have fallen
over them all, when rap was heard at the
door.
"What do you think ?" said Ezra Marten,
coming quickly forward; al have sold Rose
farm"
Ezra Marten had been a tenant on the
Rose farm for many years, but about two
years before he had become possessed of it.
"Sold the Rose farm ?" the brothers re-
peated, both remembering it was there they
had promised to take Ethel Warden.
eyes. Got thousand more than gave
two years ago. Like to see the new owner?"
And before they could answer,he had dashed
out, and ushered in lady.
A tall, slender woman, robed in heavy
silk and costly velvet.
"Here she is," cried Ezra, triumphantly,
"and worth her weight in gold, they say
to the public she is known as"
"Ethel-Ethel Wardenl" came from two
pairs of lips, for she had thrown back her
veil, and her bright, dark face was smiling
on them all.
The next moment Aunt Sarah was folded
in Ethel's arms, and kissed to her hearts
content.
Yes, it was the Ethel of old, with the deep
light in her dark eyes, the flush Of health
on her rounded cheeks, the old, impulsive
manner.
Suddenly she passed over to the old man.
al was so wilful and disobedient in the
old times, uncle" she said, "but you are
glad to see me are you not?"
James Ashton had been really fond Of
Ethel, in spite of his harshness to her,which
had all come from the fact that he could not
bear contradiction from any one, and would
never yield his will to that Of another.
"Yes, I am glad to see you; Ethel"
he said, earnestly and she knew it was Ethel
Warden he was glad to see, and not the fa
nous artist.
So Ethel took up her room in the Rose
farm house, where, years before, in her girl
sh dreams, she had pictured life with Will
ard Ashton,
Once Willard Ashton came to her again,
pleading for the love he had once held, and
thrown lightly away-the love, he knew
was dearer to him then, than all else on
earth; but Ethel only smiled and shook
her head.
"No," she said,my love for you died many
years ago, Willard-it could never come to
life again"
"You love another" he said, quickly.
All over her dark, proud face, swept a
crimson flush.