Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1882-10-13

~ ~ olutfS nad been 1
saved hey he'd reached one of the !
banks oL 'ley had been picked up b, |
the On"'on .oats. The uuick Soutb. 7
ern dusA was upon them before Adele |
bad done more than open her ewes and
shut them again. Neither he nor She /
had been seriously hurt, but tbey were
aosoiWely alone IN the the thick night /,
and tie lushing river. What else
could 'tey do than comfort one anotb r.
poor cLudten, sitting side bv side in
the ci'Le made 10y the big branches.
and tre rembilng at all the dark. unknown
tumult oi the torrent, till suddenly
with shock that might have wrecked
them hal not their clothes been caught
on the branches they were anchored on
amud-fpit, and the stream was sweep
ing by
The morning daVned redly over the
sea-liRe. river. Flat beat and raft and
steamer went along ; but no one saw
the s'enaIs, or seeing, no one needed
them. Another weary night, famished
and itlnt, but keeping each others
oourake up and at noon of the next
day they were taken OIL. But in the
two days and nights Maskelyn hid
learned that she loved him. And when,
in turn, she learned that her love was
in VAN, 1t was only by force Of arms
that he hlndered her from seeking the
watery death from which he had rescued
htr The poor little passionate tropical
creature!
de faw her however, no more for
month after the time that he left her at
her fathers door in New Orleans, where
he found the black robed parents, who
had themselves been saved, but who
had thought their child lost, received
her as one raised from the grave, and
would have given Maskelyn their all as
her presefver. But Maskelyn did not
present himself there again aud it was
not until his return from a trip through
the 1eighboring region that Adele's
father was able to find him and to be
seech him to accompany him if he
would save his child second time from
death. And he found her on the brink
of mGaness.
Compelled by their kindness and
their grief, he could do nothing but
remain, and add his efforts to theirs. 1t
was 6 superb home wealth and art and
climate could hardly do more to make
it perfect Perhaps the sense OF its case
and luxury were delicious to the tired
and penniless young nan. And then
there were always flowers, music, paint
ing, servants moving like shadows, car
dinal warmth and blessing and the
lovely young creature whose trouble, in
his presence was beginning to tighten
All, yes you see I am excusing Mas
kelk trying to make you excuse him.
But it was all to be foreseen. Three
against onel 1t was the world against
one For here at home was an obscure
yogag woman, with her barely comfort
abs support ; and there, on the other
has were beauty, wealth, distinction,
a9 1 the promotion ard success thai
I c6JS u the train OF suoh things.
! it was none ofthese that weighed
su emily with Maskeyn. 1t was the
en Thought that his own action, his
oWlF thoughtlessness, his imprudence
had stimulated the passion that was
driving the pitiful young girl to the
nadhouse He felt that the sacrifice OF
his own dreams of happiness was tritie
IN bis way of expiation. And for me =
pray do not smile at the idea he some
how subtilely felt that he and | ere
one that | could only desire and urge
hlm to absolve himself from any wrong
doing in the affair that it would be
ny wish-as it is my wish-that he
should not suffer a life long burden OIL
his conscience, whether that conscience
was morbidly sensitive or not, Tor the
mere sake of cur own present content,
which never would be content, III fact,
while he was restless under an accusing
spirit and was wretched in his want
Of ease.
And so he married Adele.
Perhaps it wouid have been better
had he written me the s5ory of it, and
not have left me to my imaginings.
But he thought the course kindest to
me was to let me think him a villain,
aud be healed of my hurt the sooner.
And then, tOo-you must not think ill
Of me for saying 1t Il appeared to him
so altogether lively, and to lie loved,
that he could not but believe, cost HIM
what pang it might, that [ should
speedily be happy in the love Of one
should hold to be better man.
And from that hour his career began
the career of no commercial traveller,
but That of the son of a rich aud power
ful house, put forward for fresh honors
all the time, now governor, now senator,
and when the war came unwilling to
take arms against either his native North
or his adopted South, going with the
others to the villa on the Mediterranean
where life was long dream of idleness
and ease. He was a good husband,
am glad to know. He never allowed
himself to feel that Adele had done him
an injury; he forced himself always to
look at the other side, and value the
advantages he received through connec-
ton with her father. She was a gentle
little being, always beautiful, never
altogether perfectly strong in mind or
Will again, but lived and brelthed
through him for twenty five years. He
conld be proud of her, in a certain way,
at Southern springs, in congressional
life as they went through Europe; her
exquisite grace, her dark, large eyed
loyeliness. the simplicity of her always
perfect ladyhood, if one may use the
word, We're things always to admire,
and crowds followed her. He also
admired her; he had tender care 'or
her gentle attachment to her, and if
he n6Vel loved her she never knew he
did no. She hardly remembered that
he mad ever had his poor pale passion
in the North. She died at last, think
ing OF him as only her own, and thank
ing MIN for the bliss he had given her
IN ms long faithfulness. Bat his poor
pale passion had become an ideal thing
to him' sort of pole star round which
his soul fevolved so entirely as to be
automatic and unconscious in its motion.
lie ana not actively and all the time
remember it, but it helped to shape his
course aud it was always there.
Ana at last, then, Maskelyn was his
own master once more. But of me in
his freedOm II d;l x,oA oao,,. - -, -