Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-04-21
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gagged to him if she had not loved him
and if she loved, or rather because sh
loved him, she could have no heart-roon
for any other man.
But Glen knew better. she ha,
found out that she did not love Alfre,
enough to marry him: and when he
mother demonstrated with her for &C
ceptiLg Franks too evident devotion
there was sharp and angry scene, il
which, as usual, the mother conquered
aud Glen assumed the airs of injury anS
c,ldness toward Frank best calculated
to bring his passion to climax. On,
fire September day, Alfred had gon,
early IN the morning to the village, t.
at, end to some business about the farm
ard, not finding the man he went to see
'.t home, he returned much sooner thar
he was expected, and found all the fam
lily at breakfast; but he had breakfasteG
early, and, feeling headache, to which
he was subject, coming on with unusual
severity, he went up a flight of outer
stairs, that led to the servants rooms
and so through to his own apartment
without being seen or heard. His north
window was open and all the blinds
closed. The day was sultry, one of the
"three hot days" always allotted to Sep
tember, and he pushed his sofa close to
the easement, in order to get the fresh
air. Della came in soon, to attend to
his room, which she never allowed any
one else to touch; but he cautioned her
not to let the family know he was at
home and i'll, for Mrs. Aliens pertina-
cious attentions always tired him. So
he lay there in a cool quietneSs that
soothed the sharp throb in his temples
and at last dozed into "a light sleep,
from which earnest voices aroused him.
A wide two-stOried verandah ran on the
north side OF the house, and just by his
window stood group of chairs, for it
was favorite resort of his friends in
hot summer moons; so that now, Mrs.
Allen being busted with Adeline, who
suffered from the heat excessively, Glen
had taken her book to the upper We
randall, and Frank had followed her,
having watched his chance. There had
been much p0uting on her part and
questioning oil his, before Alfred awoke,
aud the first words the involuntary lis
tener heard were:
oh! Frank! dOnti Don't talk about it.
Mother says must marry him. have
promised. shall disgrace myself and
her il don't. 1 mustI / mustw And
here the voice broke in low sobs.
My darling Glen, you must not.
Don't you know you love me best?"
"Ye ye-yesp sobLed the, girl. with an
unhesitating frankness that showed this
was not her first confession.
Alfred was paralyzed, and Frank went
on: Then you must know it is wrong
and disgraceful to marry him and not
me-"
But Mother!" returned the girl. Il
must mind Mother. If don't, she'll
make me, anyway. She never will let
me marry you. in the world, Frank. She
gave me an awful talking TO only last
week. She says shall ruin all our pros
poets; that she is poor and Addy sick
and you can't support us all, and Alfred 4
can. She says she wants home in her
old age; and OH can't tell everything
she said. 1t was tso dreadful"
"NonsenseT answered the man be- |
SIDE her. I'D like To see her help it."
Just here Alfred, awake to his posi- |
tion, moved, the sofa cracked, and the |
two fled away, thinking the housemaid |
was ordering the chambers, and had, |
perhaps, overheard them; but they left |
behind them misery they could not
coInprehend-that keen, first wound |
which loss of trust andtlove inflict only |
ON such tender, simple soul as this. In |
vain he fought against the witness of |
his own ears. He had heard unmistaka-i
bic words, sobs, kisses. The wreck of /
Ills life had come in few short min
utes, and he was stunned, heartsick, in
credulous. He had loved, did love |
Clementihe with the whole force of his
loving nature; with the clinging, head
long, faithful passion that belongs rath-
tr TO woman than to man. For the Yerv
/ essson that he had lain at her feet and
worshlpped her, she had not responded
10 him. II was Frank. the strong, domi.
nant, liicisive man, who could capture
her 10y force Of arms and rtJc over her.
e whom she Yielded. Her place was
the wonau $ place beside him: her rela-
ton to Alfred wilS unnatural aud chill
Ing. Like MIST w,'as tyrAlifS. ste hated
a slave, bui ab.,sed ueFS,2i bt fore a real
MS er.
But reason WAS hot of any moment to
the griesinS lover who lay there cut tu
ihe heart, his very physical nature gave
way under this shock. He had beer. SO
guarded, 50 tenderiy cared for thai sur-
low found him helpless; and when
Della stole up, after dinner, to see il his
head Was better, she found him tossing
with fever, and dispatched Hiram di-
rrctly to telegraph DIR. Packard. 1t was
weeks before Alfred recovered from his
Illness. Frank Rivers had gone 10 Bos-
ton at once, without telling Mrs. Allen
his plans for the future; but lie kept up ,
constant correspondence with Glen,
v ho drove or walked daily to the viii :
age, her mother being too busy with
both the invalids to watch her golngs ,
md conings, and rather giving the girl :
he credit of extreme anxiety about her !
over, now that she might lose him. ;
Very slowly Alfred recovered. His {
everlsii symptoms went a long time be- 7
ore he regained any strength. He Ie- !
NAMED listless, feeble, wretched, in a \
most unaccOuntable WAY tn DIR. Packard, +
Vho found for once Il patient on whom ;,
is fayorite tpnie ii,d t:n If "a, w.I.,i,-
lsted ereiy exprl iment and deIied ali /,