The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-01-25


with Mr.. Varll 7" she said.
F." 1 thought should find him here,''
he replied, In n low voice.
81 thought, however, that / heard
you agree to call for him at the hotel
this morning"
"You did, but was 30 behlndhand,
that / thought, instead of waiting for
me, In all probability he had come on.
1 trust am not intruding, Miss Var
li?"
Intruding2 Not at all /" she said,
In careless voice.
am very fortunate" he continued,
''that am able to see you alone--if
only for an instant"
Have you, then, anything to say to
mep she asked, candidly.
Much; have very much to say to
you," he replied, In an eager voice.
/ am listening" she replied.
Forgive me, Miss Varli--forgive mel
1 am -agitated-feverish, this
morningl"
81 have nothing to forgive you; had
/, / would freely pardon. But pray
inform me Of the cause Of your agita-
ton ?"
He came quickly to her side, seated
himself near her, and said, "Are you
quite ignorant of the cause Of my emo
tiop ?"
"Quite," she replied.
"You must be aware that no man
could live near you daily, through
nearly two months, without being in
danger. No man can see you daily,
hear your voice, breathe the air that you
breathe, and not"
Here he stopped, for he had ventured to
expression upon her face froze the words
upon his lips. She was smiling, but
how strange was the smile With her
natural courage, she had courted this
moment; but she had presumed too
largely upon her strength. At the first
fervid words which passed his lips, all
her selfrespect, memory, and modesty,
revolted at their sound.
She had not prepared herself against
the horror of that moment, for she
could never have measured its repul-
siveness.
During many awful moments both
were silent; he affrighted-she frozen,
crushed, as it were.
Little by little, however, Margaret's
face unclouded. She passed her hand
qnickly across her forehead, as though
to chase away some persevering thought
She appeared to seize strong determin-
alton, and, turning to Sivory, she looked
him steadily in the face.
"So-you love mep"
He was not prepared for these strange
words, judging by the shock his words
appeared to have given her. He antici-
pated that she would command him to
change the conversation-to hold his
peace-to leave the house. But she had
completed the sentence where he had
broken it off as he saw the expression
upon her face. She had come to his
assistance, and put his very thoughts
into the words he would have uttered.
But overcoming his amazement, he at
once sought to profit by the occasion
she herself offered, to urge on her the
passion which had taken complete pos
session of his heart. If Margaret could
determine upon an awful resolution, he,
Sivory, the man of action, would not
lose any chance thrown in his way.
| BY sudden movement, which she did
not forsee, and could not have prevent
ed, he caught her hands, and, looking
at her with return of all the eagerness
of the glance she had bestowed upon
him, drawing her towards him that she
might surely hear every word he had to
say, he cried, "Yes, love you as
have never loved-as never thought 1
could love. You are my first and only
love. If you could but know with what
truth 1 speak If you could but com
prehend how wretched am when moi
near you-how my only happiness is in
your presencel The first time I saw
you thought 1 had never seen any
woman so truly beautiful, but did moi
love you then. / have battled very hard
with myself, Margaret. / have sworn
not to see YOU again. / have tried to &c
away-to leave England. But 1 have
had no power to do these things, anC
your brother has brought me to YOU
side day after day, and could not refuse
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