River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-07-20

| the candle; but. save by little, tired
! look, he saw from his covert and distant
observation in her eyes, she welcomed
his return to her, all unquestioning his
absence. He found himself growing
irritated, almost angry.
evil you drive with me this after
noon?' she asked him, one morning,
eyes," he answered.
And at five o'clock, the perfect little
trap stood waiting its mistress occu-
pancy-the horses paving impatiently,
while the groom held their heads, and
he lounging near, waiting Miss Field
ing's advent.
Fifteen, twenty minutes passed, and
she did not come. The half hour had
struck before, with hasty apology for
her delay, she took her seat, and gath
ering up the reins in her little gloved
hand, gave the ponies an impatient
touch of the whip, which made the
groom's scramble for his place almost
" aterloo.
Max, quickly observing her, noted
that her face was unusually pale, and
although there was no redness about
her eyes, he could have faRcied there
had been recent tears there. However,
she talked merrily and brightly as was
her wont, and soon the sea air brought
back the color to here cheek, and
chased the lament look of sadness from
her eyes.
"What lovely sky" she exclaimed,
as a sudden turn i'll the road brought
them in full view of sky and ocean,
and at that moment the sunset gun
doomed from the fort.
The horses made a sharp swerve.
The road was very narrow, with large
boulders on either side. Almost be-
fore anyone could realize how or when
it was done, the wheel Of the phaeton
had struck one of these, and the girl,
totally unprepared to resist the sudden
shock, was thrown heavily to the
ground. Almost as rapidly, Max was
beside her.
For the instant he thought her dead.
Her head had struck a small stone, and
a tiny stream of blood was trickling
from her temple, making her pallor
more CHASTITY. The thought that she
might be dead came to him with a
sickening awfulness. Death and this
bright, beautiful being seemed so wide
asunder; and yet in a moment, per-
haps, they had been united; but al
most with the dreadful fear came its
relief.
She opened the lovely eyes, and tn e
white lips quivered, while she made a
feeble motion to rise. He drew
brandy-fask from his pocket, and
made her drink then, when she lad
grown little stronger, he lifted her in
to the carriage, and supporting her
with one arm, ne drove slowly home.
AS they approached the hotel, she
called strength and will into action,
and gaining the first entrance, escaped
with but little assistance into the house.
By mutual consent they made no men
ton of the accident.
For day or two she was confined to
her room but when she reappeared,
save that she was trifle paler, She had
never before looked more lovely.
81 thank you so much, Mr.. Elliot, for
your kind care for me-" she said, as
they stood together on the moonlit
piazza.
''Do not mention it," he answered,
coldly.
These past three days had been filled
to him with q strange experience. His
revenge had grown distasteful to him,
he told himself. 1t could not mend
Fred's broken heart, and his own
could only harbor scorn.
The next week he saw but little of
Miss Fielding. He avoided her where
ever he could do so, although he noted
that she was growing wan and pale.
"What are you doing, Max ELLIOTT"
asked Mrs. Redfern, one morning, as
she came upon him seated by an open
window of the long drawing-room. 81
told you once that Nora Fielding's
fault lay not in her non-p oss 2ssion of
a heart, but that no man had touched
it. | could not say that to-day. Have
you no scruples, no remOrse? ?"
''None. If what YOU tell me be true,
| should only exult What could feel
but scorn for q woman who could lead
a man on to wrecking his life at her
feet? But you need have no fear.
Miss Fielding is a capital actress, that
is ALL"
'Mark what l say-yoI will recall
those Words" prophesied the little
matron, sweeping angrily away.
''Never !" mentally calculated the
man, vaulting through the low window
to the piazza with sudden feeling that
the house stifled him, but not prepared
to find himself face to face with Miss
Fielding's self.
She had been sitting with an open
book disregarded in her lap, her eyes
gazing seward, and she had heard Of
necessity, every syllable which had been
Eyes, have heard all, she said, in
reply to his questioning look. "You
came here to revenge your friend, Mr..
Elliott. Well, your revenge shall be
complete. You say he suffered. So
you have made me suffer. Why should
| seek to conceal what is acutest pain
To confess? Was it my fault that l
could not love Fred Ronalds? Was
it my fault that his own love made him
blind? If so, | have been punished,
and my punishment is your reward.
To it / add the humiliation Of this
avowal."
Never had she looked more lovely,
never more proud, than when she
stepped from the throne to the level
of suffering womanhood. His scorn,
his triumph-where were they? Swept
away as by mighty food, and reveal
ing the naked truth, of all which yet
might be, of all which so nearly he had
lost.
Before she had OWNED his purpose,
ne had gathered her two hands in his
strong grasp.
Mora My darling, forgive mel
he murmured. II love you, and my
love has made me blind indeed "Oh,
my darling, l came to mock, and l
stayed to worship l give up my re-
venge to you. Will you, more gen.
erous than have been, refuse to take
it?"
Not that !" she answered; and now
the bright eyes were filed with dim
ming tears. "But in taking it, it IS to
give in return my love, my heart, my
life ! All, Max" she whispered, softly,
a little later, sis it always the womans
fault that men say she has no soul?
Shall we expose our one priceless jewel
to the gaze of every curious passer-by
on life's journey?'
And he, with the jewel forever his,
safe-locked in his stronghold, is fain to
admit her words are true, even while