The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-07


certainly still less to understand HI
conduct, but during all those thre
years he never once wrote 10 the VI
man he had loved and left, never on
word in three long weary years \
their expiration he was In Paris, wher,
he met the young attache, either mar
rled 10 some other woman, or certainl,
out of his way. \ few questions asked
OF mutual trieads informed him thai
lady love had neither married nor died
And at last after So long time, wher
there was no possibility left for hin
showing the grace Of faith, and trust
he saw he had been outrageous In III.
conduct, and was as frantic to return a,
! he had been to leave the States Back
he came IN hot haste, losing no time
until he stood once more before the
massive doors of the II street mansion.
the lady received the reply that she
begged to be excused An Urgent re
quest penciled on card brought her
into the room, lovelier than ever, but
with curlouG, undefnable change in
her.
Impetuous as before, he plunged in
the midst Of elf-condemnation, ardent
protestations, aud passionate regrets
She tried once or twice TO stop his flow
of words, but he would not be hushed
until he had said all he came to say
had asked once more for the hand he
bad given up, and awaited her reply. |
don suppose he had ever realized Just
what it would be. | don't pretend to
he A.. IL 1
them. She beard him patiently to the
end, and then said IT is too late.
Wy trust in your affection is utterly
destroyed, and without perfect mutual
trust there can be no happiness in mar
ried life. = But | have loved you.
and you only, as faithfully all these
years we have been parte as man ever
loved
She looked at him with sad incredu-
llty in her soft wishful eyes and answer
ed quietly: 1t is imp ,ssible if you
had loved me you could not have kept
up this cruel, heart eSs silence for three
whole years. You would have suffered
too much yourself You could not
have loved me, and kept silent. >
10 his passionate relteration, she only
said: 1T is your own work" You
taught me by long hard lesson that
-of my fait9 n9t 'Gyf IS gone, ad sa4pas hsn il
cannot restore it. Do you suppose
suffered nothing? Is it possible that if
| could believe you | would deny my
self what was the one thing of all that
life holds that | valued most Do you
realize how empty and barren it makes
III <ho Il ,,1 III, 81, /
would deliberately choose such fate
| would give the best years of my life to
believe you, but | cannot; my faith
died, that long three years anguish of
silent, hopeless despair has complete
ly extinguished it. | cannot believe in
you-let us part" They parted. He saw
the uselessness of further importantly.
Too late, he comprehendcd the nature
of the woman who mad loved him.
She went on her quiet way, filling her
life with good works. He rose step by
step in the busy world Of politics till
he was made President. 1t was twenty
years or such matter after parting as
lovers and their next meeting was at
his Inauguration ball at the White
House, when both We're in middle life
ne Ildu uOL cApcClcu W Sce HcI, WHcH
he did. The shock was 50 great that greet
ing her slightly, he passed into another
room, and to the horror of his friends,
fell in dead faint on the floor. And thus
it ended He lived alone and she was
likewise faithful to the love Of her youth,
but the two lives we're passed apart.
Oh, it seems such waste. such
pathetic sorrowful thing, that loving as
they did they were yet solitary and
alone
1t was told me, Il do rot guarantee
the truth Of it, or, indeed, any OF this
story, that since Mr.. Buchanan
death the lady has always worn mourn
iny. But do not know 1t was sor-
rowfu! story, and have often watched
her with the keenest sympathy as
thought Of her lonely unsatlsfied life,
and the lonely grave wherein sleeps the
lover OF her outh.
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