The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-10

Urwm 81
- ekHrm-he was restless, and his thu thno-t'.I
4 wandered back to what might hae -,
9 some years ago, when he married n o,;ri
who loved him only for his Atbeer,s
s! wealth, and who (when the seTr;t;as'
failed in which old Mr.. DarrelIba5 :,
vested-the whole of his money. ma ba
was ruined man, his sons ppsnacts
also( left hlm-his six months pride
( leaving behind her cody wordsl-nota
intlmat1ng, that she could share povertv
I with no one, and that he need rot saeir
her, as she never intended TO return
And he never had sought her: but the
! love he had borne her was as warm in
his heart now as 1t had been on the dav
I they were married. And as he sat at
his easel there, In the field wheie little
Lillian had left him, he wept for the
memory of her who, in those days. had
not been worthy one throb of his noble
several days elapsed uerore rgsaNs sae
little girl again, but during that time
she was hardly once absent from his
/ thoughts. He had lived such a lonely
| life since his father died (broken down
/ by the trouble that had come upon him
in the loss of his wealth, and, with
nothing to care for In the world but the
Z
come across his path like ray of sun
shine In the darkness. But one day, as
he was returning home, she came dane
ing toward him, and seizing his hand as
If their acquaintance had been of years
instead of days, she Immediately began
an animated conversation, such as only
children can begin on the spur of mo-
ment.
Ernest was certainly amused, if not
interested; but as their way along led
them past the brook where they had
met before, Lily broke away from HIM
and ran eagerly toward it She looked
back once or twice to laugh at Ernest,
and in doing so tripped over q stone
I hidden In the grass and fell forward into
the water
A cry burst from her lips. but imme-
dlately Ernest came to the rescue, and
ere she became totally submerged, had
succeeded IN drawing her out upon the
bank
Wet clothes and a severe fright was
all the harm the child had sustained;
and as Ernest proceeded to wrap round
her thick plaid shawl, which he gen
orally carried with him to protect his
feet from damp grass, she began TO
laugh at her little adventure.
II have gathered my water lily now,
said the young artist, smiling; ''and 1
would not exchange it for all the others
In creation"
He took her, entirely enveloped in the
warm shawl, up in his strong arms and
continued his walk, now in the direction
of Lilian's home.
Il am so sorry-mamma viii be out,
she said, lifting her beautiful eyes to his
s.,
thanked you herself. But do you know
which way to go?"
Il want you to direct me, Lily" he
said
The distance was short. rs he sup
posed; and as they reached the gate q
a pretty villa residence, which had often
attracted Ernest's attention before by its
quaint picturesqueness. Lillian informed
him that this was "her home"
Il thank you so very much, said the
child, as she stood once more upon the
ground and rang the bell. Il wish
mamma could thank you herself don't
know how to. j"
''You need not thank me at all, dear
child" Ernest Darrell assured her, with
the old shade of sorrow darkening his
face. 81 only hope the consequences
of what has happened may not be
btIlOuS. ne ItLldlutu Will nGI liL4iAl "a
middle-aged woman, whom Lillian called
nurse" came forward to claim her
young charge; and then, after giving a
brief explanation of the whole affair,
he babe Lily goodbye and walked on.
About week subsequent to this event,
Ernest Darrell happened to be passing
the house where little Lillian dwelt, when
he heard her voice calling after him
down the sunny road:
Come back-Oh, please come backP
she was saying, in breathless eagerness;
mamma does want to see you so much,
and thank you for saving me when L fell
in the brook
And Ernest felt his hand grasped in
the child's, and almost before he was
aware of it, she had led him through the
gates and up the steps to the porheo.
Then across the wide hall she dragged
him, laughing and chatting gaily the
while, into luxuriously furnished room,
where her mother sat.
A beautiful woman, with dark halr
and Oriental ewes, rose from an ottoman
at their entrance and came toward them.
At least, she came half way, and then
tottered back, with a deathly pallor
overspreading her countenance; while
e-Ernest-dropped Lilian's hand and
stood gazing at that agonized face.
''Marian-my wlfel
''Ernestl oh, is it possible that we
meet at last?"
There was dreadful silence, during
which, at a sign from her mother, Lillian
fed, and those two were alone-after
seven long years.
The stern, grave face of Ernest Oar
ren was sterner and graver still--even
Lillian might have shrunk from it then
and Marian, the woman who had
bEghted his life, fell at his feet.
"Ohl Earnest, my husband = my
much-wronged husband-forgive mel'
she cried. 81 have suffered deeply
ever since that day left you"
Suffered" repeated Ernest, IN cold,
rigid tones. "Have you ever thought
of what have suffered?"
eyes, yes; ten thousand times.n re-
piled Lilian's mother, In voice we'll
nigh choked with emotion. 'sBut mine
has been the undying worm of an accus-
ing conscience. Oh, Ernest, 1 have
been justly punished for my wickedness.
never knew how dearly 1 loved YOU
until had lost you-unt1 / had sacri-
feed that which I would have given the
best years of my life to bring back. Re
member what 1 had always been-a
spoiled, petted child, with never a wish
ungratihed, and 1t seemed so hard to face
poverty-even with you. i was very
young-only seventeen, remember. Err
nest-and all through the dim vista of
years that lay before me I saw nothing
but want, penury and deprivation. 1
fed in a moment of madness, delirium-
anything you like to call it-leaving be-
hind me that cold note, In which
| bade you never seek me. I
did not go home, for my parents
would have Immediately have com
municated with you. I went to an
uncle, who loved me only too well-sin-
full wretch that was-and told him a
lie, that you had deceived me, and that
1 married beggar whom believed TO
have been rich. He was a bachelor
and lived secluded hfe, away from ali
! IL 49, -