Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-09-28

Will O cuuuucIs AI6 you not very
imprudent?"
II love you," ! said; "forgive me
for telling you now. I have such a
fear that you may vanish and make no
sign" :
"But my past9"
"Let the dead past bury its dead"
"And you would take me on trust n
she said, unconsciously drawing nearer
to me, "even when you hear what was
on that paper which the mock police
man put before my eyes SO brutally
and suddenly"
"You need not tell me-" I cried, "I
would rather not know"
"Ah, shall not take advantage of
your trust" she said, sweetly; "you
must know all. Come tomorrow
night; shall get over this shock by
that time"
I went home in a whirl of rage, yet
with gieam of hope in my heart. /
had composed myself tolerably by even
ing, but when the Scotchwoman
ushered me into the pretty boudoir,
with its hangings Of Seyres blue silk
and punches of late roses everywhere,
| felt once more sweeping over me the
tide of doubt and fear that almost
amounted to terror. Who was this
woman on whom I had set my heart,
and what mystery enshrined her?
els your mistress quite well?" /
asked of the kindly-faced woman, who
had fingered a moment to throw open
the blinds.
"Na sa vera weel," exclaimed the
woman in broad Scotch, "but Miss
Beth's ma the lass to gle way to the
.vapors and sic like, SO she bid me say
she'd come doom"
You've been with her a long time,
I believer" I asked with a sudden
curiosity.
81 nursed her, sir, a bonnie lassie,
too; but I was beguiled away by a
fause loon into matrimony, and /
served weary seven years for my sin.
Women are aye weak-hearted, sir. I'm
only back yeaa the moo"
So she had been away during the
years so full of fate to her loving mis-
tress, and could tell me nothing even
if had stopped to question her. But
was not to hear all from Beth Dun
bar herself? What quaint, odd name
it was, but somehow it suited her
rarely. She came in, looking very pale,
and the dark eyes were more melan-
choly than ever. But she smiled as she
said:
perhaps, after all, you will laugh at
me when you hear my story"
An immense relief came to me with
these words. If it were within the
possibilities that any one could laugh
at her story there could not be any
dark tragedy about it.
"Let US go into the garden she
said; sit is quite alpretty place. I am
sorry to leave it."
You are decided about leaving it ?'
I asked.
"Oh, certainly. The good people
here have repudiated me-" she an
swered. II do not care to explain to
them, but do want to set myself right
with you.''
The evening was delicious of
those soft, balmy nights that makes
amends for scorching day. Beth wore
a pale blue dress, and carried soft,
fluffy blue fan in her hand. She looked
so sweet, so gracious and womanly,
that I wondered at the fatuity of the
people who could read dark mysteries
of crime in her face.
Il have not had two husbands" she
said, with faint smile; mo, 1 have
never been Oh, well, / suppose the
rumors have reached you. I was ig-
norant till that brute put the paper
before my eyes last night--with pos
sible accusation-and sketch Of a
hanging where was the victim"
"Il have him arrestedr' I ex-
claimed, in a rage
"Oh, it is over now. 1t viii not
hurt me again" she said, "and we need
not allude to it-only / want to tell
you that, although have never been
married, have been engaged !"
Her voice faltered on the last words,
and my heart sank a little. l was
jealous of her past. could not bear
to think that any other man had
touched her hand, let alone set the seal
of betrothal on her sweet lips.
Let it all go-let the dead past go
ii it is really dead,' I said. sIf
there are no embers left of those per-
isht d fires tt at breath might kindle
again."
You VII know how impossible
that is when tell you that both are
dead"
a faint chill went creeping through
my veins II a blood-curdling manner
at these words. Was there fatality
about the woman. after all?
/ was only sixteen when I was en-
gagged to John Saxton, my fathers col
lege friend" Beth said. He had
made large fortune in India and had
never married. When he came to visit
us i was frank, happy child, and I