Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-03

tonight. Kiss me again, my noble Philip.
You will come early tomorrow; and you
will not make me wait very, very long for
our marriage? 1 am so anxious for the
hour when concealment shall be unneces-
sary. Let me go with you to the door.
I'm foolish girl, know. One more kiss,
Philip. my love, my husband"
She still chung to him. saying, 81 trust
you, dearest; will trust you to the end. .
He was moved through all his vanity
and selfshness he caught her in his arms
with the words, My poor child I am not
worthy of you," and then tore himself
away.
She went back to her rooms she lifted
the window noiselessly, and, though the
night was cold, watched him, unperceived,
by the light of the lamps as he went down
the street, sending kisses and blessings
after him. When he had passed out OF
sight she drew down the sash quietly /;
threw herself upon sofa, and, with a
singular sense of desolation, wept herself
TO sleep,
Philip Royden, when he visited Chris
tina Uhlger that evening, had made up his
mind to have an understanding with her.
to get rid, as he styled it, of all that senti-
mental rubbish about marriage. He had
no idea how intensely she felt on the sub
ject, how sacred she had regarded his
promise. In fact, he had no conception of
her nature or character. She was a girl
who belonged to the common people; she
was daughter of mechanic she had
earned her own livelihood.
What right had she to the fine senti-
ments she had expressed? She had talked
like lady; she had shown refinement,
sensibility, keen sense of honor. He had
never heard of girl in her position pos
sessed of such notions. He had imagined
her to be like the Partisan grisettes, with
WuOIl ne Ad1 DtS1 81 VIGIL kiiAo
knowledge of Europe was great, compared
with his ignorance of America), and whom
no gentleman ever dreamed OF making his
wife.
True, he had promised to marry Chris
tina, but his promise was designed merely
as shield to her modesty. He had hardly
supposed she would expect him to redeem
his word and it was.evident now that she
did expect it. The subject had, to his
mind, never assumed serious form until
that evening. 1t had often been men,
toned, and he had outwardly accepted it,
without believing in the need of its fulfill.
ment. as
The extraordinary emotion exhibited by
Christina when be bluntly answered
Never" to her earnest question, had
startled and annoyed him. She
was entirely pure in her own eyes
sh. had considered herself, from
the first, as his wife, and that the nup.
tial ceremony had simply been delayed
for his advantage. She had actually
loved him as fine women with fine
surroundings love gentlemen. How very
strange! He had seen such things or
the stage he had read of them in novels
but he had not looked for them il
real life. He knew the world, he hac
iattered himself; but, like SO many, ht
knew only the worst part OF it, believing
the best part to be fictitious. He hat
had at last clear revelation of human
nature, and the revelation haS troubled al
well as surprised him.
When he parted that evening from
Christina, he esteemed and admired her il
a way that was new to him. He nigh
have loved her, had he been capable of ;
passion so disintercsted. Philip Royde,
was not inherently bad, though he seemed
SO. His great lack was principle. VANITY
and selfshness formed so large portion
of his composition as to leave no room
for the good traits. His rearing had beel
bad indeed he had had no rearing, despit
the pretentioua piety of his parents. Hi
sister he had never understood, and haC
kept aloef from, having been morally o
immorally educated by loose men of ex
pensive pleasures, whom he had taken a
examples for conduct, accounting them a
gentlemen. In the unhappy girl he hat
dishonored and deliberately betrayed h
had suddenly discovered a conscience
which ought to have been his own; and
SO disturbed his egotistic serenity that h
resolved to avoid it in the future.
ITO be Continued.