The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-10-10
pecting Agatha pressed on them while

| stIt gave hubiChIt w nOhltl1 Eutblk.
That hour he vowed, though, should
be bis last Of dalliance with a tempts.
ton that was getting too strong. Res
olutely he would avoid Leonie hence.
forth, resolutely devote himself to
Agatha. And so for days he did,
dulling his own spirit into unutterable
aching, bewildering Agatha, VIII G
thought the two had quarreled, and
filling with pain unspeakable the heart
that was just learning its luckless
secret
GLOW the child frets over your leav.
ing! said Aunt Helen, pityingly ;
and Leonies sister, gazing at her,
white and listless, wandering through
the garden, wondered, with a sudden
fear, was it for that alone she sorrow.
cd,
4 doubt, double -barbed, shot through
her mind. Guiltless herself of falsity
in single thought, it seemed un.
worthy, evil, reasonable to two she
loved. But truth or treason it must
be. Which, for the peace of all, she
must find out.
1t wanted only two days of her
marriage, and OF the last evening but
one ner nearest friends were gathered
at The Beeches, all noting approvingly
the close attendance of Mr.. Ordc at
her side.
Once only he left his post, when
Leonie, who had obstinately refused a
single song, suddenly yielded and
sang, not the gay air that used to suit
her best, but the very saddest of her
strains, with tremulous pathos that
ended in sob. Then Godfrey Orde
drew slowly towards her, as if scarce
master of his steps, and, as the notes
ceased, looked down into her fever.
bright eyes with such glance as love
of Agatha had never wakened.
Standing near, with his young host
ess, was the rector, looking ten years
older than when he came to Wynford.
People said the place couldn't suit
him.
"Your sister sings with tears in her
voice. said he, and, waiting vainly
for response, saw to his pain that tears
were trembling, too, on his compan.
ion dark lashes.
81 am-tired," said Miss Temple.
"Will you tell Aunt Helen to bid all
good night for me!' and turning
swiftly away, abruptly left her guests,
of whom one departed soon sharing, if
not comprehending, the pang that
drove her into solitude
"She was tired'-a plea that barred
all talk with Leonie that night, all
share in next. days preparations for
the festive morrow Godfrey Orde,
coming as usual, early, was met by a
message only-"Would he return to-
wards evening"" And when he did
return, for the first time Agatha de-
scended from her own room and went
for last hour with her lover.
Leonie, too restless for all company,
wandered hither and thither; now
flushed. now pale; betaking herself at
last to the small Study where, with
her more than sister, she had worked
and played her way from childhood up
to now, and thence, with door fast
locked, she watched two figures pace
across the lawn, intent on speech so
earnest neither turned or noticed her.
A book was in her hands; what
book she never knew A rose she
had idly plucked fell to the ground un-
cared for. AS the two passed from
sight the self control, so difficult to her
impulsiveness, forsOok her utterly.
Back into the room she shrank, cover
ing her face, with sharp cry of pain
whispering, $50 false! 80 false! Ten
thousand times l have deserved it all.
And yet it is so hard y
While she sat shivering through her
trouble sunbeams sank into twilight,
wood pigeons cooed forth their slum-
ber songs in boughs without, and in
the gloom she dared at last to weep
for herself for him who, worst pang
of all, shared her great grief for
Agatha before the very thought OF
whom she covered guiltily.
"But she shall never, never know =!
she cried, through her tears, 'If only
she can 60, and l can die, why, she
| need never know.
"Never know what I" said a soft
sad voice close by and the next in.
slant l.eonie was in her sisters arms.
80, Agatha" she entreated, striving
to get free, "let me go g.! Don't come SO
kindly to me Don't ask me what
mean J"
swat |" answered Agatha, with q
wonderful calm on her pale face. 81
can tell you, Leonie, what it all means.
That two of us have nigh made a ter.
rible mistake, but have found it out in
time. l was slow to see it, Lono, but
/ know it now. I have no right to
Geoffrey. He loves you best"
"Hush He belongs to you, not me.
1t has been tangled skein for us, but
this lie the only right way out of it
and Geoffrey sees that it is so.'
"But, Agatha" urged Leonie, tremb-
ling between exceeding pain and mar,
velous joy, she has never said
IA word. know he has not. Both
of you meant to be faithful to me. Per
haps'-with wistful faltering in hei
tender voice-"it was my fault you
could not be. There, darling, there =
AS Leonie wept passionately on hel
bosom-"let Geoffrey come to YOU hi
step was sounding on the path outside
"and thank God for all of us, this houl
is not too late y
How this extraordinary news was re
ceived by the household and wedding
guests, by poor, disappointed Mrs. Ord'
by the whole startled parish, we mus
leave to our readers imaginations
Long before the ferment of eXcitemen
had subsided a quiet marriage haC
taken place--so Agatha had willed it
and all yielded to her-and with hi
bride mot portionless, as, to his con
trite surprise and his mothers comfort
he discoveredD Geoffrey Orde wa
speeding away to the far East.
Till the hubbub of discussion wa
past, Agatha Temple deserted The
Beeches, and, returning after weeks o
absence, brought back in her brave sc
1 a -.