Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-12-08
Life for Life.

A bright harvest moon shone full |
upon Oscar Rcdcliffe' S face, as, with
his handsome head erect, his straight |
young figure drawn to its full heighth,
he fastened his keen dark eyes upon
the shrinking figure at his side.
At that moment, eleven strokes
from the village clock sounded on
the still air, while, in the distance,
through the trees, glimmered the
light from Madam Riviere's chateau.
ssOscar," she said, in low, trem
bling tones, s'is it thus that you an
swer me? Have you no word of pity
for me? Or lacking pity, not one
of sympathy with my misfortunes!
Do you not appreciate all that | do
and dare in meeting you here tonight
my husbands jealous anger, did he
discover the truth-the worlds un-
compromising scorn? To tell you all
to have you think less hardly of
me, if may be-to explain to you the
mesh of circumstances which were
woven about me so that | could not
escape
Explanations are not necessary
to me, madam. Are you aware that
| have broken an engagement with
my betrothed to obey your summons
this EVENING"
sBetrothed "-even in the moon
light the man saw the sudden pailor
which marked cheek and lip, as the
woman at his side gasped out the
word. "Betrothed !" she repeated,
after a moments pause. Cruel
one Have you then indeed SO for
gotten? Oh, shame oh, humiia-
ton! And | sent for you to ask for
you to forgive, when already you had
learned to forget
NAY, madam; calm yourself
Partially to tell you of this, | acced-
ed so readily to your commands
Surely, as the Baroness de Riviere-
do l properly pronounce the tltle?-
the fact of my forgiveness can weigh
but little -
Oscar, hush, Do not bury ne
under the weight of your scorn.
did marry an old man for his gold
but it was at my fathers bidding
and to save him from dishonor. The
name my husband has given me
will ever honor. But [ could not re-
sist the temptation, when / heart
that you had returned after year:
absence, to your home, to see you
look once more into your face, anc
hear from your own lips the precious
assurance of your forgiveness.
should be glad for forgetfulness a
we'll, but | cannot cannot -
The mans face softened as h
looked. The downcast face of tn
woman at his side was very beauti
ful. The slight frame shivered will
excitement. He drew a step nearer
and laid his hand upon her arm.
s'Blanche," he said-and as th
old familiar name fell from his lips
it found an echo in his listener
heart perhaps | have been to-
hard, but the memory of that far OF
time is very bitter. and if at las
another woman's smile has, in
measure, wiped it out, you should re
ioice, rather than murmur. / ma
have judged you harshly. You mus
, remember that had | fastened a cof
fin-lid upon your beauty it could nc
have been more utterly lost to me
All, then, indeed, | should not hav
felt it lost, but for a time. AS it is
, it was for eternity"
| "Ah, Oscar, / buried myself, m
heart, my happiness, on my weddin
day. Say you, too, have felt a pang
that you do not despise me for send
! ing for you to tell you this when al
ready you had given the VOWS swor
: to me, TO another.
"They were hurled back at IN
5 feet, thank God A hand, lovely q
your own, stopped and rescued them
For her sweet sake, life once NOR
grew precious. Her image came t
fill the vacant place your hauntin
. presence mocked with its emptines
!. "a ghost, a shadow-which torture
$ while l could not clasp it. The sur
; shine of her smile chased away tt
gloom of the grave within my hear
Yet tonight she has missed me ;
her side, and / have come at yol
e bidding. But it is growing late. L.
l. me lead you to the entrance to I'll
n park and leave you"
g "True | had forgotten how tt
moments few. | came to ask yt
"a to forgive mel find forgetfulne
v renders it unnecessary. Now | az
" you to remember me-tO think som
u times, when you clasp your wife clio
: in your protectingslove, of the lone
:, woman who no longer has even
+. memory to cheer and comfort he
Il and-and if You ever tell her the st
ry, to add. was not all to blanl
$. Good night !''
= = And waving him back with o
,e. white hand, she disappeared amo
do the trees.
Sc A few moments he stood motto
lat less. The interview had shaken h
re more than he would acknowleds
On Past memories like ghosts, cal
trooping before him, when sudder
a girls face seemed to smile up
ing him throuph the darkness. and [