The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-02-12

look here This was sent me yesterday"
And sbe placed sheet of paper in the
little, trembling, outstretched hand.
II was covered with the handwriting OF
him of whom they spoke, and it was a mad,
passionate declaration Of his love for her to
whom II was addressed. There was neither
name nor dsto--only his signature, bold and
free.
"Clare, you believe now ?"
"Yes, believe" she answered, softly.
"Leave me to myself"
The next day, when Eben Furval called,
daintily- folded note was put into his hand.
Eagerly he tore it open, to read these words:
al must ask you not TO see me again. You
are better actor than /. have wearied Of
the farce. Doubtless, with the world for
your audience, you can find some one better
fitted to play my part"
This was all. Thus had the child striven
TO hide the wound from which was pouring
what she vainly hoped might be the life.
current.
With bitter curse, ending in groou, the
man crushed the paper in his hand
"oh, God r. he said, beneath his breath
"After all these years, is this second time
to be MY rewards Is there no truth in wo-
man 2"
And his soul echoed, "Nonel"
But Glare had been half-child, half-wo-
man. Only yesterday her eyes bad looked
with worshiprul light into his. There was
some mistake, some treacher7. He could
not let her thus escape him. He had been
world-worn and weary. Her love had been
like finding the cooling spring in the arid
desert. Must he pass it bv, and perish Of
thrst2 Not so / He would write to her,
and beg her to tell him if indeed she had
but played with him. IF so, to let her sill
ence answer; il not, to bid him come to her.
His very soul seemed to pour itself out
upon the senseess sheet. The next day he
himself saw it delivered ot her door. What
he unhappily did not see were the hands
that received it,
at will but make the child grieve more"
reasoned her aunt; and, with the seal un-
broken, laid it on the flames.
For what had Clare hoped as the weary
days went by Had she expected any ans
wer to the poor little note with which she
had struggled TO bolster up her prde7
Pacr and wanner she grew as her hope
died. Truly she was "under the spell," said
her aunt, sadly but her own lips were
dumb, until the strain on brain and heart
gave way, and the name she had held so
long unspoken was breathed in every accen.
of love and despair from her fever -parched
lips, as she lay tossing in delirium.
Her aunt, good woman though she was,
could have cursed the names owner as she
listened, shuddcringly, TO its repetition.
"My one poor little eve lanb" she would
whisper, tearfnllyj "why might he not have
spared you ?"
But one day when the whisper had spread
abroad that Clare yelling was dying, man,
haggard and white, forced himself into her
presence.
"Let me see her!" he en.reated.
Some spirit rose in the crushed heart at
sight of him.
"You would see your victim ?" she qucs-
toned with scorn. "Wat until your work
is complete--it will not be long"
"If you have a woman's soul within you,
tell me what you mean I" he answered.
"My victim2 Do you know that ono little
month ago my dearest hope was to make
Clare my wife2 All heaven! l thought
she shared it then. But they tell me she is
dying. Let me see her at once!"
Was tho man speaking false or had she,
who had meant to save the child, brought
her to this passH
"Wait here" she commanded and hur-
ried from the room.
When she returned, she carried sheet Of
paper in her hand.
"This was sent me" she explained. "Did
you write it?"
He glanced over II, and his face paled.
"Yes," he said. "Ten long years ago
| when was lad of 20, l loved the woman
, to whom it was addressed, and she played
with and Tilted me. For time / lost all
, faith in woman, until-until met Clare,
4 She taught me what it was to love again
but this time with the endless passion o.
. man. The woman l once loved is a widow
Q now. To you may confess she has striver
vainly to allure me back into the tolls
. Doubtless she has sent you this paper, Tell
me'--a sudden light dawning upon him
"did Clare see and believe tdis ?"
| The woman bowed her head.
! "Forgive me I" she murmured, brokenly
"Help me to nurse my darling back to life
{ and together we will make her atonement.'
D 1t was a hard struggle they had set them
selves, but they conquered.
S Perhaps even in her delirium Glare knew
who answered to his name, or who bsld her
, this may be, certain it is that one day the
blue eyes opened, to look with dawning re-
! eOgniton into the pale, handsome face o.
l her lover as it bent above her.
/ "Hush, my love-" he whispered, as she
, was about TO speak. "I am with you, never
to leave you again. 1t has all been mis-
take, darling-all except our love, which
has won for US the victory"
Was she dreaming7 She did not know
but, nesting closer in his arms, fell into the
sweet, refreshing sleep which was the turn
, ing point from death to life.
A month later, and in the gray old church
was quiet wedding,
"who would have believed it ?" said tho
world.
This time it really looked as though they
were both "Under the spel;" and so indeed
they were, but the name Of the magician s
wand was-LoUsi
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