The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-10-28

'But telt me Wn8t Is the maIter.
Something far more than common
must have driven you to a state of
feeling like this"
Yes, something has happened /;
something more than terrible" and
she repeated the words as If weighing
well their Importance " something
hat you will never ~know-that none
but God and DIR. Malcolm will ever
dream ofuntilthe grass is grown green
above me.o
"Maude, Maude, this is terrible.
Y will not-you capnot-keep this
secret from mel"
81 must, and will. Ny life-my
whole life-is blasted but as God is
your judge, think no evil of me, for |
am innocent either in thought, word
or deed. of anything wrong
"Maude. L will not listen to such
words. You shall tell me the secret that
is crushing you to the earth. Think
of last night, of the promise you made
in the sight, as it were, of God and his
holy angels, and refuse me if you cam
"That spell is broken-that promise
is void" she answer, d, with a sigh that
was more like the wailing of a broken
harp string when suddenly struck by
a careless hand, than by a human
voice. "Yes, that dream is broken.
Happiness and I are strangers hence
forth and forever. Here is your ring;
take it. 1t shall never rest upon u
finger of mine again. With its parting
| take back all that ] ever promised.
| cannot, will not be your wife"
"Not my wife! Now L know that
you are mad indeed"
mo; you wrong me. If you only
knew all you would not judge me thus
harshly."
"Maude, Maude. what am [ to think?
You are suffering, suffering; far beyond
your nature to bear, and you deny me
consolation Of sharing your sorrow; of
attempting to tighten your burden"
You must think what you will,
only no wrong Of M; I have not the
power of altering it. AS 1 have already
said, when the grave closes over me
you will learn al; but until then,
nothing."
"Then you never loved me?"
"Never loved you? Great heaven! I
have never loved you half IS wildly
and deeply as at this moment"
"Take back this ring and tell me
all.n
"Never. You know not what you
are asking"
An hour of vain effort-an hour of
e%ntreaty, urged by elcquence and in
tensiied by love, satisfied him that
she, so gentle and yielding to him
before, had become iron In this. She
would not renew her troth-would not
take again the engagement ring-and
he bowed his head upon his hands,
and strong mar as he was wept like 8
little child.
"But one thing, Ma1de, my dsrl.
ing" he resumed, after a long pause
of bitter thought. "Tell me if there is
no way in which I can help you If
not as a lover, at least IS 3 man
mo, none; but there is q favor |
would ask of you," and she looked up
pieadingly, her eyes streaming with
tears.
"Name it. Anything that man "a
ever do shall be done"
sit is but little. Never seek me
again until I send for you. Will you
promise me that?"
'If you will promise to call upon me
as a brother when I can be of sven the
most II fling assistance"
"I promise before God"
"And [. May He not deal lightly
with the one who fl cst ignores the
compact. But is there no single thing
that 1 can Go for you before ] go?"
None. One word might reveal all.
My trust is in God-God and DR.. Nal
CON-"
"Doctor Malcom,' he repeated,
almost savage. doctor Maicom
By Heaven he shall tell me +" ana
he clasped her in his strong arms
kissed her warmly before she had
time to resist, and darted away, deter
mined to fl ad the physician and force
the secret from him.
But he calculated without his host.
Doctor Malcolm was not the kind of a
man to divulge condolences, even
if lightly made, and much less So when
il was n Of vital Importance, snd so
the half distracted lover flew to the
mother for information-snd met with
a like success. The poor, fiji icted
woman wrung her hands and wept
bitterly but had nothing to tell. The
terrible secret had been kept from her
as well as him.
And SO a long, weary week passed