Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-07-15

is only that am to stay with aunt Ruth
for the present-that is all, Mark"
She truly said she did not know why;
she felt a very traitress thus openly tC
blame Wilfred Hare. She did not realize,
poor Saidee! how pleasant Mark Wales
devotion had suddenly become to her, low
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
weary tU Mark Vale-not even that black
morning when he learned she was to mar
ry 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 permitted the winds to blow
roughly on her-and could not save her its
least pang.
He understOod-he knew Wilfred Hare
better than she; it would have been easi.
er, perhaps, to resign her to any other
man. 1t was not strange that in tins
hour, realizing his own loyalty and ten
derness, he should rail at right and JUS
tice, the veriest of myths.
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. Whilst she, looking up timidly at
him, was beginning to think If he would
only take her hand and speak one little
word of sympathy, life would not seem
quite so bare.
The days passed slowly, drcarily, to
Saidee; with each her love for Willred
Hare growing deeper, her grief sharper
more uncomfortable.
Come what will, no power on earth
shall separate me from you!"
More, 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 so 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 uneventlul days, Till, one
morning, the news was brought to Saidcc
that Aunt Ruth could not live that con.
trary to expectation, the peculiar troubles
that had resulted from her injuries were
developing fatally, Her gentle heart
olIluIt hCl, lblY bllIIi blbtui Iillo luItti
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 a mighty king, and
poor Aunt Ruth had not been long under
the sod ere 1t 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 a knock at the door, and a let
ter was handed to her At the sight of
the familiar writing she could not reprCss
rapturous cry, despite the presence of a
new servant, who knew nothing of Will
fred Hare, her trembling fingers could
scarcely break the seal. And when she
did
Only wedding card, the little note she
had written him. and the line:
"lt is but right should restore to you
your pledge"
Wilted Hare had proved himself.
She read it, she broke into fit of hys.
terical laughter, ard then, not knowing
what she did, she dropped 1t, and went
down and out over the lawn, far into the
maple grove. 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 a
dreary SMILE.
"Mark," she said "did you know viii.
fred was marriedI Did you know"
She could say no morC-the full reality
had brekc.
He had endured much-hc could not en-.
dure the look now on her face. With a
sudden, uncomfortable impulse he threw
his arms around her and drew her to his
breast.
ooh, Saidcc, 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 fancicd she clung to him.
"Do not send me away" voice Heated
up to HIM. 81 have only got you to love
me, and know you love me very much. "
Was this deluson, or was she mock
ing him in her despair
'Saldee, he murmured, bewllderedly, ,
do you mean that-that you could marry
mep"
He was all she had. Here was a nature
TO crave, II prop; it seemed to her that mo.
mCnt, that never a love was so sweet to
woman as Mark Vale's was to her.
81 love Wilfred," she answered, brok-
enly. 81 must love him till | die. But
have lost love, and | must have love or
my heart will break. Dear Mark, if you
can marry me so, will be a good wife to
you"
"Saidee!"
With the one word wherein lay his soul,
he drew her gently, almost rcverentially,
closer to his madly-beating heart.
And so he married her, and he is con-
tent; for she never repulses him, his love
seems always sweet to her, and sometimes,
of her own will, she comes, and, twining
her arms about his neck, kisses him almost
tenderly.
Sometimes he fancies she is beginning
to love him-just little-and that little
| is heaven for Mark Vale.
She has lost love-she must have love-
| | think il will be well with him,