The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-12-19

| At tho first important station, the
FIRST place at which the train stopped
for any time worth mentioning, / excr.
cised little diplomatic bribery, and,
changing our carriage we were in
stalled in compartment the windows
of which bore the magic word 'en-
gagged" Pauline and were alone.
took her hand in mine.
my wifef' l said passionately,
"minc, only mine. forever.''
Her hand lay listless and unresisting
in my own. l pressed my lips TO her
cheek. She shrank not from my kiss,
neither did she return it-she simply
suffered it,
Pauline" whispered, ''say once.
Gilbert, my husband
She repeated the words like child
learning a new lesson. My heart sank
as her emotionless accents fell on my
ears. l had hard task before me!
l could not blame her. Why should
she love me yet? Me. whose Christian
name. think, she heard yesterday for
the first timer Better, far better, in
difference than simulated love. She
had become my wife simply because her
uncle wished it. could at least COM
fort myself by thinking the marriage
| bad not been forced upon her; also that,
SO far as could see, she entertained no
| dislike to me. | did not for one mo-
ment despair. | must now WOO her
! humbly and reverently, as every man
should WOO his love. Certainly. as her
| husband, did not stand in a W, sc po-
sit;on than when | was her fellow-lodgcr
and OLD Teresa was following my every
movement with her black suspicious
eyes.
] would win her, but until l could
claim the rights which love would give,
l resolved to take none of those with
which the law had invested me. None
save this, and this only once.
Pauline" l said, twill you kiss
me? Only once | ask it. 1t will make
me happier; but if YOU would rather
wait until we are better acquainted, l
| shall not complain
She leaned forward and kissed my
forehead. Her young lips were red and
warm, but they chilled me-in that kiss
there was not a suspicion OF the passion
which was thrilling me.
drew my hand from hers. and, still
sitting beside her, began to do my best
to make myself agreeable to the woman
| loved. if felt distressed and some
what disappointed, | concealed it and
strofe to talk Pleasantly and naturally
tried to ascertain what manner of
woman | had married-to get at her
likes and dislikes-to study her DISPOSE
Il bn, Lon, ha,.
wishes-read her thoughts and event
ually to make her regard me as one
Nho would spend his life in rendering
her happy.
When was it tie idea first struck me
the horrible idea that even the pecul-
iarity and novelty of the situation
could not altogether account for Paul
ines apathy and lack of animation
that shyness alone could not he entirely
responsible for the difficulty / expert
enced in max ng her talk to me. even in
inducing her to answer my questions?
| made every excuse for her She was
tired; she was upset; she could think of
nothing else save the rash and sudden
step taken to-day-more rash for her
than for me-as |, at least. knew that |
loved her. At last |. too, sank into
silence, and miles and hours went by,
willis the bride and bridegroom sat
side by side without exchanging a word.
much less caress. 1t was strange
situation-a strange journey!
And on and on the train rushed north
ward-on and on until the dusk began
to Green over the flying country: and |
sat and looked at the liStlcSs but bcauti-
full girl at my side, and wandered what
our future life would be; but l did not
despair. although the rattle of the train
as It whirred along seemed to resolve
itself into a dreamy rhythm. and rciter-
ated without ceasing old Teresa s sullen
words: ''She is not for love or marriage
not for love or marriage"
Darker and darker it grew outside,
and as the carriage light fell on the
pure, white face OF the girl beside me;
rs | watched its never changing eX-
preston, its beautiful but never varying
paIlor, strange fear came over me-a
fear lest she was wrapped in an armor
OF ice which no love would ever thaw.
Then tired, weary and almost dispirited
l sank into kind Of sleep. The last
thing could remember before my eyes
closed was that. in spite of nv resolu-
ton, ! took that white. we'll shaped,
mresisting hand in my own. and slept
still holding it.
Sleep! Yes, it was sleep, if sleep
means anything but rest and peace.
Never, since the night heard it, had
that woman's stifled moaning come
back 10 me so clearly: never had nv
dreams so Yearly appro 'ched the real
ity of the terror which the blind man
had felt years ago. Right ankful l
was when the haunting cry rose shriller
and shriller, and, at last, eliminated by
resolving itself into the shr.ekin@
whistle, which told me we were near to
Edinburgh. | looSed my wife's hand
and recalled my senses. That dream
must have been a vivid One for it left
me with the beads of perspiration clam
my on my brow.
Never having been 10 Edinburgh, and
wishing to see something OF the city, l
had proposed staying there for two or
three days. During the Journey had
suggested this to my wife. She had
agreed to it as though place or time
was n matter of little moment to her.
Nothing, it seemed to me, awoke her
interest
We drove to .he hotel and supped to-
gether. From our manner we might,
at the most. have been friends. Our
intercourse, for the time, being confined
TO the usual civilities shown by gen.
t!eman toward a lady in whose society
he is thrown. Pauline thanked me for
any lit lie attention to her comfort, and
that was all. The journey had been a