The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-06-16

hOW AOh Lp'hhOb ANS eNAC'AS AN SANAS
dreary place."
She looked down with a conscious
blush. OF course he would take her
away now, as his wife, to his own
home.
"Have you no friend or relative to
whom you could goP" he inquired.
mo-" she answered, with cold chill
creeping at her heart.
"That is a pity. Marcia is going
back to her school. Could you not go
with her, or teach school of your own,
as she doesP"
"I am not as clever rs Marcia. 1
could not teach school"
"Then what will you dol"
"I don't know" she answe cred family.
He looked at her moment. She had
become very pale. The light had died
out of her eyes, the color from her
cheek, and she had halt turned away
her face, and was looking out upon the
dreary field and river.
He took seat near her.
esther, it is time that you and un.
derstood each other. You know l love
you, and were l not so miserably poor l
should be glad to take you away from
this place and make you my wife. When
/ proposed doing so l thought-that is,
most people said that your aunt would
leave you the greater part of her prop
erty, and she was supposed to be
wealthier than has proved to be the
case. Consequently l imagined that l
should have enough to live upon in
comfort until could make a practice.
You know am but beginner"
Esther slowly turned and looked at
him with large, clear, wondering eyes.
Were you going to marry me for
for money!" she asked, with just tinge
of scor1 in the last word.
Certainly not" he replied, loftily.
=" / merely understood that we should
have enough to live on. AS it has
turned out, why, we should starve--
that is all.
He walked once or twice up and
down the room, then stopped in front OF
her.
" Esther, a man could do more mean
and selfish thing than to marry without
money, and so make a slave of the wo-
man he loves. Don't you agree with
meP"
II don't know"
"But know all about it, young as
am. have seen enough of that sort of
thing. An unhappy. broken-down wo-
man, shaving over cooking, washing,
heaven knows what-while her husband
tolls for their daily bread. Esther, l
love you too well to expose you 10 such
you would prefer being free from your
promise to me, / should consider it
Sc fish to oppose it,"
She made no answer.
"Of course" he resumed, coldly-
"of course, if you prefer that our en-
gagement should continue, l shall hold
yyself in honor bound, even though il
be many years before we are able to
marry"
mo-" said Esther, slowly" 1t
is better that the engagement should
end"
II am glad you see it in SO sensible
light. 1t Will save you much future
unhappiness.
Yes"
"It is hard to give you up, but there
is no alternative. And weshall remain
friends, Esther, and | will come to see
you sometimes"
mo, would rather not. And l
would rather that you should go now,"
she added, chokingly.
Il will go ifyou wish it. Ard hope
you will be happier, Esther, than it y, u
had married u poor man like me, to lead
IA life of poverty and .privation. God
bless you! Goodbye"
She passively gave him her hand. 1t
was cold as ice, and her eyes had a
frozen, far away look as they followed
him to the door.
Poor thing! l feel really sorry for
her, but she will get over it," mused
Doctor Farnham, as he passed briskly
through the field, with his cane whisk-
ing Oft the feathery heads of the sway
ing broom, and with the high heels of
his polished boots grinding down the
tufts of moss in his way, and leaving
them crushed AMI dying behind him.
Esther went to the window and looked
after him as long as he was in sight
looked with an agonized, straining gaze
until his form disappeared in the dreary
twilight. And then she Gazed around
at the bleak wintry prospect-the bar
ren field, the cold, dark river, the SOM
ber pines-and throwing up her clasped
hands above her head, murmured with
white lips: "Oh, my God! how shall l
bear itP" and sank insensible On the
floor. So old Chloe found her, and ten
derly put her to bed.
Marcia was not altogether heartless,
and she did her best to persuade her
cousin to leave the lonely old farmhouse
and seek more cheerful home. She
even, probably moved by some feeling
OF remorse at the part she had had in
depriving Esther of her fortune. offered
to obtain her a place as gOverness, or
lady's companion; but Esther refused
it all. She expected, she said, TO live
and die at the old farmhouse.
Oh, the dreary winter days, when
snow lay deep on the ground and the
river and the pines sang their perpetual
dirge as the chill wind swept over
them! And the long, weary nights,
when horror of loneliness seemed TO
brood over the deserted old house, and
it seemed to Esther, in her sleepless
dreams, that light and warmth and
summer sunshine would never again
look down upon, or upon her life.
One evening she sat alone, reading by
the light of the pine-wood fire. while
Chloe in the next room prepared sup
per
1t was bitter cold and windy night
and Esther suddenly started up in