Middletown transcript., 1883-11-30
earnestness to him from the rocker in

which sat beside him. And
Loves time came for him and me
with fond, answering look, he twined
his arms about me, and drew me to his
breast.
"Little Elsie, !" he whispered, "you
know how dear you are to me ?"
Loves time, loves perfect moment,
too rare space for many words. A
little we sat there, beneath the hush of
its enhancing, and then" Dear" lie
spoke, & have always been a dutiful
son. We must go in and tell Aunt
Barbara .
l started from him in alright.
could not, I could not. A sudden
strange feeling came over me that |
would rather die. But his arms were
about me allunnoting, he led me into
the sitting room.
knew the ecstasy in his eyes; de-
spite me, 1 could not hide the soul in
mine. She looked up at US with-a
frozen smile on her face, moan:
"Oh, Richard, Richard, do you not
kno wthis can never be ?"
They were the last words that ever
moved Aunt Barbara's lips.
1t was form of heart-disease, the
doctors said. Some sudden shock must
have brought the end.
1t was fearful living the hours tile the
others came !; alone with Richard, who
had grown so strange, so moody, who
would barely speak to me. I could not
complain l knew what must be his
grief, the weight of that secret dared
not question, and which he did not
vouchsafe. But it was hard and,
despite it all, my heart leaped joyfully
when the next day, towards evening, [
heard him seeking me.
He came, and with all the old tender
ness looked down into my face. De-
spite it all, l could not resist him
only shrank a bit at his words.
" Elsie" he said, gently, but firmly,
i" we must be married. Just now, my
dear"
Married, Richard ?"
Yes, dear, before they come. Do
you not know they will take you from
me that they will say that it is not
proper for you to stay here with me
You would have to go with them,
Elsie. Come I have one without who
will unite us: it is the one thing we can
do"
1t was awful, awful-most in the
presence of the dead who had spoken
those words. But could not resist the
the look almost of terror
in his face; in the clear eyes read
surely that, whate'er it was, there
oomed no sins between US, and without
another word [ put my hand in his
md stood up for this strange wedding.
They came, they went, to wonder at
It's strangeness, and at last we were
alone. [ could but be sad amid my
happiness: I could but dwell much
lpon the mystery which as yet I dared
lot question, which he did not vouch-
,afe.
The more that business called Richard
often away these days. One rainy
afternoon he had left me, wandered
through the house, striving to pass the
time as best could Studying apicture
lere, opening a drawer listlessly now
md then, till finally, in one, my eyes
fell upon a little book l remembered
often to have seen in Aunt Barbara's
hand. With no thought OF intent, only
.he same listless way, L turned its
CHANGED to the written
page:
81 have kept Richards trouble
secret so far, and will try to till 1 die.
My poor boy shall not live under such
a ban, at least till hope is dead. 1
grieve to have Elsie go, but it must be.
| have been spared this thing before,
the case is all too plain the
dear child is loving him in advance,
will she help loving my boy
when she shall see him =? She is so |
young, SO innocent, she will let him see
it-and he Could he resist, just now,
the sweet face, the pretty ways
+" 1t must not risk must save my
brothers child. If there was only
hope, sure hope-but alas there is
not. All is well, just now but it is
all uncertainty, they say, when the
cloud may fall again, perhaps to lift
itself never more"
What did they mean, the strange,
strange words ? With no idea, no
fancy, unscrupulously now turned the
leaves for light to find others, but all of
the same mysterious rendering, all-all
the same to me. With a cry dropped
the book, and stood shrinking, shiver-
ing, with only the consciousness of a |
great fear upon me, some trouble that
was all blank.
Would only Richard come ? 1t grew
at last all a dream, a hideous night
mare from which 1 realized ecstatically
one look of his fond eyes, one clasp of
his arms would free my soul forever. I |
could not free myself; how long I
stood there shrinking, shivering know
not, but there came at last that blissful
moment when I heard his step without |
the door.
'Oh, Richard, my love, my love,
where have you staid so long ?" With !
this cry of joy went to meet him
with all the passionate love of my soul
l looked up TOTO face shrank from,
though it was Richards; a haggard
face over which the rain-wet locks
streamed wildly, set with shining eyes
and a frightful smile.
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