The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1884-09-03

ieIltl y upeAteu 70 nel WomAhly
heart,
There was a deep silence in the
room for a long time.
Then a hoarse voice said- 4
"You have seen BatbaraTa
"Yes, | have seen her.
Gas you describe"
aYes."
eAnd you despise me as fai.hle,s
to her andto you"
@No, | do not despise you. | am
sorry that you did not know your
heart better when you came TO
ask me to be your wife,
All her pain and love was well
hidden in the cold, proud voice
which Fannie Pleasanton assumed,
to cover her breaking heart.
But after a moment she said,
more gently, Barbara has been
very Ill, and is still too weak to
bear any great agitation. You
must be patient and leave her to
me. When she is well enough,
you shall see her."
"Fannie, you will break our en-.
gagement2 You will dare The gos.
sip that will be the result Of any
change now? You will not trust
me 20 tear out this old love, and
beiever true and faithful to you.
i am not so weak but l Gun do 90,
if you will trust me-
"But l will not" was the quiet
reply; will marry no man whose
heart is not all mine. I will have
no memory Of another love for my
constant rival. We can still be
friends, Cyrus, but never again
lovers"
He had no words TO meet the
steady resolution of her voice, but
yet he took no coward's plea for
shelter.
He would not say, even to his
own heart
"she never loved me; she is glad
to throw me off,"
He knew she had loved him, be.
ing too purely wOmanly to give
her hands where she had not al
ready given her heart.
He knew the sacrifice she was
making. lie took both her little
cold hands in his, lifted them rev.
erontly to his lips, saying
MAY God bless you for your
goodness to her. Twill come again
when you send for mo-"
So he left her, taking the dream
Offuture happiness she had carried
six months next her heart, with
him.
She would not trust horsolf to
think.
Obtaining the doctors permis.
sion, she brought Barbara to her
own stately home, and nursed her
back to health, restoring her to her
lover, but telling hOf nothing Of
her own sacrifice.
Before the winter SHOWS came
there was a quiet wedding, for the
doctor had strongly urged a warm.
er climate for the invalid.
She was very happy, this pale
little Barbara, when, sheltered by
her husbands love, she took leave
of her kind friend, and went away
to seek the soft air of Italy, to court
health in balmy breezes.
She was very happy in hor hus.
bands tender care, his caressing
affection in the winter mouths,
when even the warmth and frag
rance of foreign air would not
bring back the lost strength.
Little by little she faded away,
always happy, even when she lay
faint and dying, in her husbands
loving arms-neyer guessing any
divided love or duty had ever
threatened to separate them,
Gently and painlossly, as a babe
sinks to slumber, little Barbara
sank into tho last earthly sleep,
her head upon her husbands breast,
his tender words soothing her, his
loving touch careSsing her,
Softly they laid her under the
evergreen yorduro, and Cyrus turn.
ed his face homoward, widowed and
sorrowful.
Two years later Fannie Pleas.
anton returned from her COnLinon.
tai trip, taken Immediately after
Barbara's wedding.
A little paler, a little gravor,
Cyrus found her when he called at
her house,
Nevor IN liv;nr oorv 1;d Lo t.II