Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-08-17

times. and how she tried to smile
and it calue faint like. ana her hands
grew icy cold, and her voice stopped
It's singing But | wouldn't regard
these things then: and, God forgive
me-. often and often | wished Der
mont wOuld never come for L was
selfish. and full of blind love for
the meek, innocent creature.
We'll. tie time came. but 10 lover
came with it: the two weeks were
over, and the bridal made ready. We
had a few Of orr own people, and the
priest made Mary mine: and she
seemed quite gentle and content,
and / Thought more beautiful and
lovahle than ever l don't know why
it i. na'am, that q sorrowful face
should go 60 nigh to the heart, but
So il is.
we were to have a fine treat; and
while the woman prepared that in
one room, the younger folks We're
making merry in the other. We
heard & knock at the door, and then
some one spoke. Mary sprang for
the door and l, ma'am yes. held
the poor child back with a grasp that
left the mark upon her arm. I held
that child from the heart that"
Roberts eyes were distended As if
with horror at the recollection. and
then suddenly drawing in his breath.
he sank like a stricken child upon
his knees, and. scarcely above
whisper, uttered,--
Tell me truly, ma'am, was it not
my duty then at that moment to have
given her to her lover?"
Most assuredly, Robert. God
| forgive you that you did not
Il did not. and she SO beautiful, So
lovable, and the priest had bound
her to he. She was mine | could
not, would not resign her to another
The very peril Of losing her made
me more fiend than human"
What did Mary say, Roberto
Poor girl. she only looked into
my face. SO still, so sorrowful, her
blue eyes without a tear. ard her dear
cheek white, and the light girls all
away from one side Of her face, Just
as they had fallen when I trust her
back. l thought she had stopped
breathing Then the door opened
and closed softly, and the room was
hushed as if for the dead.
My mother whispered how Der
mont was there, and how she told
him all; and that he was sitting by
the door with no power to move. And
then she turned to Mary, and said,-
"He only asks one kiss Of We, Mary,
and then he will never trouble we
again
Zone, Robert, only one,' said poor
Mary, rising to go.
I've are my wife, Mary, and James
Dermont shall never, never kiss your
cheek and [ held her with q strong
hand. Mary neither spoke ncr
moved"
Robert, Robert, you may well
pray God to forgive you"
l stayed my speech. for the man
was crushed at his own recollections.
"A[ary never uttered his name from
that time forth. She strove to smile;
she was gentle and good; and, oh. SO
quiet that l would have given worlds
to have met an angry glance. l
would have given worlds to have her
reproach me. But night and day l
watched over her. was doomed to
early lose the being l had wronged,
and whose patient misery was con
tinual reproach to me. neglected
everything to meet her slightest
wishes; while she. as she never re-
preached me, so did she forbear to
call upon NE for the slightest atten-
ton. She had forlorn aspect, as a
plant will have that has been left to
the mercy of storm"
"Did she live long, Robert?"
The poor man started with a sharp
expression of pain.
Zone day my mother came in and
told us that Dermont was dead. 1t
was not a year from that fatal night.
The third day Mary was in her grave.
A blossom Of beauty, and a bud
never unfolded to the light. My
mother-for women feel differently
about such things from what we do
my mother babe me bury Mary
beside of Dermont, and l obeyed."
Robert" I said, "you are ill.
This is so unlike you, that 1 cannot
believe it to be a real truth you have
told me-"
SAY, ma'am, it seems like terrible
dream to me. have tried to think
it over. l have tried to find an ex-
cuse for my cruelty But poor dead
Mary-it is too, toe true. It was not
love that bore her-it was the love
of power-the tenderness of a broth
er; but could never bear opposition.
l could not sacrifice my own will for
the happiness of any creature till
this great grief changed my whole
nature"
"But whereas JEANNE all this time?
Did you conceal this strange story
from herr"
God forbid. l told it to her when
first found what it meant to lore an
other. And tonight she babe me
talk with you, thinking you might see
it in different light from what
did"
mo, Robert, no; do not hide your
great fault from your own eyes. Dare
to Look it in the face, and repent
therefor. Mary was no wife of yours
in the sight of God. and you should
have yielded her to the lover, the be-
trothed lover, whom you defrauded
by a miserable quibble-for days and
weeks are not to be named in the cal
endar of woes between true hearts"
Robert bowed his head in silence.
At length he resumed, in tone trem-
bling from anxiety
JEANNE is not in the least like
poor Mary, and yet now when she is
moving in the very room where poor
Mary used to sit so quietly, and she
is silently making this small work, l
have more than once shnddered to see
Just such look pass over her face as
Mary had. l sometimes fear am to
be punished in a still greater manner
that the fOur wars of apOnv iC NOT