Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-04-05

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tered, as he gazed upon the pale,
beautiful face before him and for
a moment, the cruel words he was
about to utter, were hushed IN his
breast. A pair of beautiful eyes
were turned upon him with a look of
sweet, childish simplicity and conf
dence ; and a voice, IS low and pleas
ant as loves first whisper, murmureds
aWhat is it, Ralph? What is it
you would say?'
The large, flashing eyes of the
young man were turned and riveted
to the floor, and in a still, tremulous
voice, he proceeded:
"Madge, 1 have wronged-most
deeply wronged-the noblest, purest
soul l have ever found in woman ;
a soul. in whose presence my own
sinful nature seemed to grow purer,
better, happier. And 1 deemed you
some strange child of light and beau
ty-a being too good, too pure for
earth, and, apparently, only placed
here to serve as an example Of I'M
perverted, interrupted nature. l
never 8 forget the time when first !
saw you. The evening curtains were
just falling, and the last red ray OF
sunlight kissed the back Of your
mothers chair like a blessing, then
glided gently away yer the hill tops.
By her side you stood, Madge, with
your bright eyes beaming in hers,
watching every movement of her pale
features, when1 made my first visit
to your cottage. l saw you and ]
loved you, Madge; loved you with an
earnestness of which / believed my
self incapable. But mine was the
love of the SUMS ray, nurturing the
flower at morn and destroying its
beauty and freshness at noon, for
rested not until l had won your deep
!, est affection not for the purpose OF
4 cherishlng it forever a s a priceless
jewel, but to satisfy the selfish de.
. sire of my heaft-to know that 1 pos.
, sessed the coveted treasure. 1 did
this knowing that you could never be
my wife. No; you were too pure,
too good, 1 knew, to fill that station.
even if Fate had not cast our fortunes
in life so widely apart, You know
my father is a man of princeiy for
tune, and l, being his only surviving
heir, he is anxious to see me occupy
some eminent position in life-a sta
ton that only fortune and talent cal
procure. He has become aware O.
our attachment, and has shown mt
how rash would be the act and tn,
misery it would entail, if I were tt
marry a girl whose fortune"
"Stay, Ralph Moreland, stay you
cruel WORDS spoke Madge Robert
son, as she raised her proud, queen
ly form, from the sofa where she hat
, been sitting; while her dark blu
eyes flashed with a strange, un
natural brilliancy, and her Who'll
n frame trembled with emotion, s'if 20
would not destroy my reason an
completely crush the life-blood fror
my heart, speak not those piercin
words. You know how often 70
Is have knelt at my feet and humbl
,e begged for a home in my heart. D
v you not remember? Oh, Ralph, sure
ly the words l have just heard wei
spoken in jest; you know how Ions
r how ardently 1 have loved you've!
4 worshipped, wildly worshipped you
Oh, God, Thou knowest it all! Ralpl
4, look upon that aged invalid-m
J mother-and know that when a fe
more suns shall rise and set, h
course on earth will be ended, and
he be left alone, friendless, unprotecte'
Oh, why did you seek to win tt
H. love you knew you would SO soon r
pulse and Destroy"
E "Do not reproach me, Madge,
- pleaded DR.. Morelsnd, IN an excit.
, tone, 'sfor God knows the agony
endure already. Say only that "
can forget, Madge, that your gri
!, will pass away like the dusky shad
L. of night before the king of day.
only wait one moment more TO he
that 1 am forgiven"
Us And Ralph Moreland paced t
floor in a hurried manner.
Madge Robertson at his words, hi
sunken, half-fainting, at his feet !; al
she knelt there, the snowy robes ia
=, ing in spotless folds around b
}, matchless form, while her silke
golden tresses fell like ripping su
beams over her pearly shoulders b
small, white hands were clasped &C
vulslvely over her stainless bosol
which ross and fell with her sorrow1
breathings /; every trace of color h
faded from her face, leaving che
and brow as white as monument
oil marble; her large blue eyes wore
troubled, sad expression, like mot
!, tain lakes that had just been rock
by the st~orm-king's mighty breat
III, on her sweet, young face, was 10
of such sublime resignation and I
earthly devotion, that Ralph Morela
stood speli-bound, as he gazed up
her. At last, the bloodiess |
parted and in a low, hollow vol
she exclaimed: $50, Ralph, 2
cen Stay not to seek the forgiveness o
u poor, powerless girl, but rather Sc
redress before the throne of II