The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-09-23


y q, = s's'-s Fwsiling for the dis
Gr'-oe upon her house, and Clare's terri
bic pallor and mute, sorrowful despair,
gave me an additional pang that | had
brought double trouble upon her.
There remained but one day now be-
fore that on which Hilarie was to appear
in the felon's dock, and on the morning
of that day Clare came to M with the
old wistful tenderness of manner, and
pressing her cold, white cheek To- mine,
so that could not see her face, she said
in n SLOW, sad voice, "Gerald, if Hilarie
dies, what will you do?"
"Hilarie must not die p" I exclaimed
passlonateiy. Unheedlng my words,
Glare continued:
Gould you not love me again, Ger
ald?"
Perhaps my silence answered her, for
with long, sobhiug sigh she stopped
and kissed my hand but, when l would
have taken hers in mine. she turned
from me swiftly and hurried from the
room.
/ never looked upon her living face
again. Late that night they brought
her home, white and dripping, from the
Mere, near Alton Woods, aud with
letter addressed to me, opened it with
shaking hands, and there futtered at
my feet the missing fragment Of her
marriage certificate. Yes. hers for,
when Joined, that which was thought to
form part of the letter G. was in reality
part of the initial c. III the name of
Glare. HilarIe Glare Beresfogd -
Poor, sinful Glare, whom we had always
called by her second name until we had
forgotten that she too, was Hilarie.
In her letter she told how she had
grown to hate and fear the man who had
been the hero of her thoughtless school
days, and had lured her into that fatal
marriage how her love for me and dread
of him had conquered all sense of right
and wrong. until his threat OF exposure
had impelled her to commit the crime
for which Hiiarie Graeme stood accused.
Sne told how Hilarie had met her COM
ing from the scene of the murder. and
knew her to be guilty h Nv she had
agreed to keep silent that | might be
spared all pain and shame, and how,
finding Hllarle had won the love Glare
had sinned for. she had determined 70
seek rest and oblivion in the dark waters
of the Mere.
Need | dwell on the 10y of that time
which followed, when Hilarie's innocence
was proclaimed and she was free TO re-
turn 10 tne nome Sne Dau never tnOugnt
to see again ? She wept bitterly for
poor Glare, and devoted all her tine to
the bereaved parents, until they grew TO
love her rs their saving angel, aud as
the months rolled on peace and happi-
ness returned to Beech Hall, and that
was a proud aud blissful day to me when
sweet Hilarie Graeme became Mrs.
Gerald Forester.
The previous morning Hilarie had
blushingly placed in my hand scrap of
crumpled paper on which was written in
Hilarie's delicate caligraphy few lines
containing passionate avowal of love
for a certain "Gerald," which brought
vividly to my mind the moment when 1
had surprised Hilarie in the grounds of
Beech Hail.
And was this the paper, Hilarie p
'sYes, Gerald" she answered, blush
ing roster than before.
.'Oh, darling, why did you not show
it to me then p asked, remembering
that ugly doubt that once tempted me.
Nay, dear" she whispered chow
could L let you know I loved you so ?'
And somehow her answer contented
me.-Chicd0o Tribune.