Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-07
CHAPTER xI.
THE COVENANT OF FRIENDsHIP.

Lne next aIbernoOn, Out, HaSuIaliys HUH
better in mind and body than she had been
the evening previous. She had slept, with
few Interruptions, for fifteen or sixteen
hours, and had been vainly urged by Nora,
who had placed herself at the side OF the
lounge on which she lay, to take some solid
food. She was, as may be inferred, very
glad to see him whom she pronounced " the
best man in the world. y
To this the doctor replied, "You must
not make me ridiculous, Christina. by your
praise because happen not to be another
Philip Royden."
She told him her whole story, from her
earliest recollection, in SO ingenious man
uer that he was even more struck than he
had been, the night before, with her good
ness and her innocence. There was a
charming simplicity about her which ena-
bled him to see how she would viclously
attract man like Philip Royden, because
he could so readily deceive her, after once
gaining her confidence. She still believed
she had been very wicked, and that there
could be nothing but misery in store for
her, despite Archer's declaration to the
contrary.
81 shall never be respected any more, F."
she said; I've been stained, and the stain
can never be effaced. What man, or what
woman, will look upon me now as they
would have done, had 1 not siuned ?"
'Many of the little world, the truly
moral world. Charles Archer, for one, you
may rest assured"
"Ah, doctor, most noble as you are, you
would be more generous in theory than you
could afford to be in fact. Even you wonld
not, could not, treat me now as you might
have done before-b before"
Wouldn't 1? Then 1 am humbug
and poltroon. despise man who as
sumes what he won't live up to. /"
Suppose, my good doctor-it is merely
q suppositlon, you know-that you were IN
love with me, and wished to marry me.
You would learn all at once what had hap
pened. Can you believe you would marry
me then y"
"You're putting the case strongly. Chris
tina, and as it should be put, for test of
sincerity. Give me few moments to re-
feet, that I may answer conscientiously. :"
In less than minute he added "This is
my answer, Christina Uhlger am ready
to take you as my wife before all the world,
before both worlds, the big as well as the
little one. VIII you take me?"
"Great heavens, you are not in earnest
must be dreaming again. 0 doctor, doc.
tor, doctor, what are you, angel, man or
devil ?" She seized his hand and covered
it with kisses and tears.
81 am in most earnest earnest, Chris
tina. l am rot aware that 1 have ever
been quite so much in earnest as I am at
this moment. "
"And you do not love me either; you
have not known me twenty-four hours.
''No, Christina, I do not love You, as
love is generally uuderstood-at least not
now. What 1 may do, it is impossible to
tell. have the deepest pity, the greatest
sympathy for you. wish TO protect you,
to keep you from harm, and the best as
well as the safest way to do this is to make
you my wife. VIII you accept me ?"
She again clasped his hand, but uttered
no word. Emotion rendered her speech
less. She rolled from the lounge before he
could prevent her, and sank on her knees
at his feet. she made lovely and touch
ing picture, her deep blue eyes gazing up
into his with an expression of worship
through streaming tears. Her yellow hair
soft, shining, copious-unloosen by her
sudden movement, had fallen over her
graceful shoulders down to her waist.
Her wrapper, though loosely cut, disclosed
the curves of her fine figure; her innocent
face was so eloquent, and her whole atti-
tude so natural, yet so attractive, so per-
fectly pictorial indeed, that Archer, with
whom love of beauty was intuitive, per-
mitted her, 50 lost was ne in admiration,
to remain for nearly minute at his feet.
But, recovering from his esthetic trance,
he lifted the girl in his arms and placed her
again on the lounge, saying " You should
not kneel to me, Christina. It seems like
a sarcasm it puts me to shame. "
cit is natural for women to kneel where
they worship. You are 60 good that you
appear to me like god"
ssYou do not know me, my dear child.
The divine does not belong to me. have
never realized more thoroughly than now
how very human am.
1T is divine humanity, then, doctor !;
for you have offered to marry me from
mere pity, and such pity is more divine
than human"
Il pity you, Christina, from my Utmost
soul; but have not named pity as my mo-
tive for asking you to be my wife. "
You're too delicate for that. I'm a
woman, and need not be told Woman's
instinct reveals to her more than words
ever can"
"Aud then you won't have me, Chris
tina?"
81 beg you, doctor, not ask me any
more. I'm not very strong now, as you
know. But, but" and she paused before
she continued. No, no, thousand times
no Ill loved you with all the love of a
weird of women, would not allow myself
to become your wife. would not take
advantage of your generosity. If were
weak enough to yield, should always bit
terly repent of my yielding"
"But, Christina"
"Do not tempt me, " she cried passion
ately. lyon have proved your sincerity
as l did not believe man could or would.
am so grateful to you, SO very, very CRATE
full, that l would give my life-but that
would be little-to serve you. | cannot
make you happy; but I would not make
YOU wretched. will thy to think. as you
are kind enough to say, that l am unfor'
- -o,TI,, x,-;ol-a al -