Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-07-20
81 loved him. answered Christiana,

very simply, "and I thought he loved
me. I was but sixteen then, simple
mountain girl. He came with Regal,
the artist. I was watching my fathers
sheep that day, and they talked with me
long time. Mr.. Somers came again
and again. He told me of the great
world; he said was beautiful and fitted
to adorn it. He made me dissatisfied
with my simple surroundings and the
people had always known. He told me
that he loved me, and he said that I must
go away with him to the great world.
was very happy for few days, and then
Mr.. Regal, the artist, came to me one
day-the day of which I once spoke to
you. He told me Mr.. Somers was a
wild, reckless young man, that he did
not mean well by me, that he had left a
beautiful girl, far above me in social po-
sltlon, In America, whom he was to make
his wife; that must not see Mr.. Somers
any more. Bat I did see him once more.
[ told him what his friend had said, and
he laughed 1T is quite true,' he said;
Il am very fond OF you, Christiana, but
[ could never makeyou my wife. When
he said that, turned and left him. He
followed me, but shut the door in his
face. The next day he left the hotel,
and Inever saw him again until tonight. %
Carl had listened with clinched teeth
and hard drawn breath. He was white
as death, and trembling in every limb.
He bad married this mountain girl, and
lifted her to his station in life, because
he had believed her wholly unsophisti-
cated-her heart entirely his own and
all the time she had loved another man.
''Go on" he said, as she passed
"tell me ALL
81 have told you ALL she replied,
quietly" all save the sorrow and the
pain and the bitter loneliness of the
months that followed For one cannot
kill love I'D a moment. [ knew that Mr..
Somers had not been a true friend to me,
yet when [ knew the wide sea lay be-
tween us was very, very lonely. And
when you came think l cared for you
just because you were an American, at
first, and [ married you because you
would take me to the world where be be-
longed?"
E'Great God and you dare tell me
this to my facep' he cried.
"Yes-1 am going to tell you the
whole truth. married you without
loving you, and in very little time I
learned you did not love me. I heard
you speak another woman s name in your
sleep. [ saw you look at her picture. I
heard what that young man in London
told you, and'I saw how unhappy you
were for days afterwards. Then I felt
very sorry for you, as indeed I did for
myself. But after time [ felt differ
ently-remember I am telling you the
truth, Carl grew to love you; but 1
knew you did not care for me, and [
would not trouble you with it. But I
have been very unhappy for many
months. Tonight, when I saw that
man so suddenly and unexpectedly, it
came upon me like blow. It was not
love of him. It was more like fear, and
a strange rising up of my past before
me. That was all. It was not the
emotion which made you so white and
trembling when you met Edith Morrow,
Carl"
Carl had risen, and was excitedly
walking to and fro. The revelation was
so unexpected. so startling. The knowl-
edge that his wife had loved another
man somehow made her seem doublv
precious. Edith Morrow seemed a dis
tant dream. Chrlstiana was the only
woman in the world, and she was lost to
him!
He put his hand over his eyes.
ooh, God, [ cannot bear it!' he
cried. GO thought you were all mine,
Christiana.
She rose up and came and stood be-
fore him. There were tears in her beauti-
full eyes, and she put her white arms
about his neck
81 am all yours" she said" yours,
Carl, if you will only love me. And,
dear, you must be very good to me-
very kind to me, even if you cannot love
me-for our child's sake"
Carl Westoven looked down on the
fair, flushed, tear-wet face of his beauti-
full wife, and he drew her to his breast in
a sudden passion of ardent love and I'M
utterable tenderness.
"Let the ipast all 60" be whispered.
"Let us forget everything but our
present and our future, my darling. No
matter what has been in either life, we
belong to each other now, for ever and
ever till death parts us.
'Till death parts us, she repeated,
softly, and it seemed to both that they
were newly welded.
A few weeks later Carl Westoven and
his wife were hidden to the wedding fes-
tivities of Edith Morrow. Grant Somers
was one of the guests, but though Chris
tiana chatted pleasantly with him, she
showed no trace of emotion in his pres
ence, Carl, noticed, who, it must be con-
fessed, watched her narrowly. And
Christiana was equally happy in seeing
her husband so unmoved as he congrat-
ulated the fair bride, who had no longer
any sway over the heart that was at last
wholly her own.
That was years ago. And this very
summer, Carl and Christiana, and their
beautiful fair-haired boy, are sojourning
in the mountain home, with the dear old
parents, who, thanks to Carls generos-
ity, have every comfort and many of the
luxuries of life, and who worship above