The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-07-26

1
world of sobbing and tears. 1t was a
good thing to think of the sufrcrings OF
| others, and try to ignore your own; n
good thing. But my misery! the misery
| of the girl called Helen PreStonl
| This girl was something of genius,
| the people said. She possesses the gift
| OF song and she was handsome, too,
men said. And she had two chances
i'll the world, and if she had had money
enough to have utilized her gift Of song
she might have had three.
But she had smirchcd her soul, for
all her beauty and gifts, had been false
to herself, to God and humanity;
false, too, to Reginald Dacre, for she
kept her love for Alan locked up in her
heart.
81 have sold my soul for houses and
land," she said, "and | am wretchcd.
Nlea culpal Mea culpal''
81 have sold myself with open eyes, -
she said, "knowlngly, with malice pre-
pense. I have no one to blame. That
Alan forgot his VOWS did not make 1t
right that l should forswear myself"
But the sea, with it's fuss and fret,
made my heart ache, and the turbulent
water seemed wOoing me thitherwaru.
playing Ill old song, caused a choke in
my throat. l would go and invoke
grand airs from the organ, and may
haps l should forget the seas roar.
1t was my wont to go there to prac-
tice, and | knew the service would not
be held for /; half hour. The lights
were turned down to Scmi-darkness,
and the old sexton, with whom | was Il
favorite, had left the key in the door for
me. The moon shOne across the organ
keys and across my face; and the trail.
ing folds Of my white dress looked
almost ghastly in it's light. O quaint
old church, q quaint old chimes! Too
soon | would he far away from you,
over the sea- to my Suitor'S lordly home,
carrying with INC II heavier heart than
my years should warrant.
But it was too late to look back, and
the fault WAS mino. | had ruined my
own life, and must pay the price. Be
cause | had been forbidden the desire
OF mine eyes, l had sealed my fate.
had bound my hands, and had intoned
Phoebe Cary'S wailimg words:
81 have turned from the goOl gifts Thy
bounty supplied me,
Because of the one which Thy wisdom
denied me;
l have bandagcd mine eyes yea, mine own
hands have bound me,
| have made me Il darkness when light was
around me,
Now cry by the wayside, o Lord, that
might receive back my sight,"
"Pcccavi," cried, and my head sank
upon the organ and tears stained the
red roses at my throat.
''Ilelen," and my head was gently
lifted and Alan Leighton's tender eyes
met mine. "Alanl" was all my aston
ishment could utter.
'My girl, you have suffered" he
CALCULATED, in tone of exquisite ten
!cH"ca33. "l!ol2m, my first and only
love, how we have been wronged. Only
an hour before [ embarked ! heard that
you were not the false woman you had
been painted to me. Mrs. Granger
wrote me eighteen months ago that
you had married Mr.. Dacre and left
with him for Cuba. a subsequent let
ter without date or signature, inclosing
the tiny pearl pin l had given you, left
me no room for doubt. l left England
forever, and have been on the wing
ever since, finding no rest for my heart
on sea or shore. Helen, suffered as
few men suffered because of losing you,
and because Of your apparent falSeness.
But l could not waste my whole life
because of a wOman'S untruth, so tied
up the broken threads and tried not to
look back. 1t was by change | met
Herman Sloan, and in the midst of
mutual confidence, he asked me why
had never returned to America and to
the beautiful Helen Preston, who had
declined all suitors, and was still
mwcd. Helen, I embarked that after
noon, and am here, never to be parted
from my darling. When will we be
married, sweet?"
''Marricd! Alan" and the drcary
present recurring to me, L withdrew
myself from his arms, and almost un-
consciously my lips framed the words:
81 had died for this last year to know
You have loved me. Who shall turn on fate?
| care not if love come or go
Now; though your love seeks mine for mate,
1t is too late"
''To0 latel Helen, my own love, eX-
plain your meaning, for Gods sake"
Then came broken diSjointcd tale
Of my sorrow and my temptation when
| heard of his handsome and high-born
bride, of my WEAKNESS of the hall; of
Mrs. Granger; of myself; of Mr.. Dacrc IS
constant wooing, and at last Of tho
little note only this night thrust between
the leaves Of his book, making Alan's
coming forever too late for my happi-
ness.
Rapid hoof-beats along the road, and
my courtly lover came in sight.
"Saycd, Alan," and my words came
thick and fast.
"Engagc him in conversation, Alan,
regarding the Hall, Mrs. Granger, the
weather, stocks, etc, etc, will escape
by the vcstry then, 0, Alanr'
"My darling, my bright daringl" but
| broke from his clasp and sped away
like a chamois to the Hall. / did not
heed that the roses fell from my throat,
that portion of my lace ilomce graccd
a thorn bush, or that my hair, unloos-
cncd from its fastenings, hung about
my shoulders. think if | had pos
sessed piece Of paper. should have
held it aloft, and shouted, Il rcpricvel
Il ropricvcl
Shall | try to tell Of how secured
the note and hid it in my bosom, of
how | ran mp stairs and pcepcd for one
moment into the mirror, twisting up
my shining hair, and trying to hush
the loud beating of my heart, of how l