Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-02-28

talRed Oh giving ner anotneI yedT, put
opposed that earnestly.
"Whatl would she sacrifice me, as
well as herself to Maya And SO the
gentle creature yielded to my wish
which was the young girls also-for she
wrote that her education was quite suffi-
cient now to enable her to get her own
living and relieve her sister of the bur-
den she had borne so long and lovingly.
"a very proper sentiment,"I declared
approvingly, and some of the unjust
prejudice which l had conceived against
the unconscious giri began to pass away
from my mind It was settled that May
should come home for the holidays, and
as soon as she could secure a position as
governess, Milly and I should be
married
Alas, those Holidaysl She came-the
brightest, the lovliest creature that ever
nv imagination had conceived OF, and
before she had been in the house one
week had learned what it was to love.
Did Milly suspect change in me2 l
could not tell Grave and quiet always,
saw no difference in her, except that
she grew quieter and more pale, and that
might be the effect of the close, summer
weather. hoped so, l priced and es-
teemed my gentle love no less, because l
had learned to love her sister more, and
my conscience reproached me constantly
with the memory of those simple, tender
words:
81 love you dearer than my life."
To have won such love and then to
cast it away-oh, it would be villainousl
No, let passion urge me as it might, I
resolved to be true to my obligations and
my honor.
cannot tell how my resolution might
have served if May had tempted or en-
couraged me to a different course; but
the girl gave me no hope-none.
She knew that 1 loved her, oh, was
sure of that. And dared to think, to
hope, to fear that she loved me; some
subtle intelligence passed between our
hearts and souls and so informed them;
but by neither of us was the knowledge
confirmed by either look or word
And change had come upon all
there. Something intangible shade
&o.1 l,,,4
unshared; there was certain relief, in
spite of the quick pang of loss and sor-
row, in the intelligence that May gave us
suddenly one morn1ng-she had sue
ceeded in obtaining position, and was
going away at once.
No one opposed it. For moment
some recollection of noble women who
had sacrificed themselves and their own
hearts for the sake of those they loved,
flashed through my mind, thought:
seMust we two suffer to secure the
peace of one?"
But put the ungenerous thought
aside-ashamed of it. Why should the
true and loyal heart be sacrificed to the
tickle ace that could not be leal and true2
And beside, it may be that Milly does
not dream of my falsehood, thought;
for l believed had kept my secret well.
Whatever she dreamed of or whatever
she knew she made no sign. Her pale
cheek whitened another shade while May
was speaking, and her eyes shot one
swift glance from the girl to me, but
said nothing, and it was understood that
May should go.
Through the few days that remained
before her departure l lived like one in a
dream. To the last it seemed to me that
something would interpose to detain her
that Milly would speak-would sacrifice
herself, even at the last, to both of u.s.
But no-when the hour of parting came
l realized that all such hope was vain
God forgive mel In that hour l almost
hated Milly. /.
1 put the girl into the cars, and in
that last moment heart spoke to heart
Goodbye said-scarce knowing
what said. God bless you, love, and
pity meP'
"And help you" she whispered, ''to
do your duty Oh, be good to her, she
is herself so good-and indeed she loves
you-dearer than her lifep'
There was curious smile on Milly's
pale, sad face, and a strange light in her
eyes, as l rejoined her
s'she is good and noble girl she
said, more to herself than me, 1 thought
-"and love her-ah, wait awhile-asI 1
love you; you will both know some day,
how welll'
That day came all too soon. Three
weeks had passed since Mays departure,
and had quite made up my mind to
shrink no longer from the fulflllnent of
my pledge, SO asked Milly to fix upon
our wedding day.
Her face flushed crimson first, and then
turned pale, and look of pain dawned
in her eyes.
1'Not yet" she said. BE patient a
little longer yet, " and then she pressed her
hands upon her breast and half whispered
-'sgive me only a little longer timelp
Ibid not urge her, why should / I I
believed that she saw the change in my
feelings and was panied by it. Igrieved
that this should be SO, but what could
do We were all doomed to suffer.