McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-10-02
Of mine, SO that l trembled and was

still.
Merciful heaven! what was it / rea
therep Could it be that he loved me
and that he had wooed and won Alic
for her gold9
should have said before that Alic
was an heiress. had no dower-no
even that of beauty; but Geoffre,
Branscombe, / would have sworn wa
not man to be bought or sold, to bu,
and sell; and yet, if not, his eyes hat
lied, for they had told me it was me h
had loved.
l don't know just what came to nj
in that hour, that moment, but though
l realized his baseness, yet | could no
snatch from my lips the cup Whose
sweetness slaked their thirst l held i
there and drank.
We spoke no word of love, but every
day found him by my side. was ne
longer listless; / was brilliant, ever
merry. | laughed and sang, as on,
might laugh and sing at the feast OF
| death.
| And so a fortnight passed, and still
he fingered; but his return was fixed
III thC DlOIlO" VII llldU ldSU cfcllllD
we wandered down upon the beach,
silvered by the moonlight. Standing
N its rays he turned and faced me,
clasping his hand over mine as it lay
upon his arm.
''Mable,' he said, 81 love you, child.
You are but a child, and l am a man
who has outstripped you in the race of
lite by twenty years. But will you give
yourself to me, dear?
Has it been my own blind fancy
which has given birth to the sweet hope
that | alone might make your happi-
ness?"
He paused then waiting for my an
swer. Only a minute passed, but l
awakened from my dream. l had not
thought his baseness ever could find
words; had not thought my sister ever
would know his perfidy.
Only a minute, but had torn out my
heart and trampled it beneath my feet.
L turned upon the man with hot, fierce
passion; forgot that 1 had led him on;
L forgot my own baseness, my own love.
What burning, scathing words l used
l know not, but when had finished he
offered me again his arm, from which
l had withdrawn my clasp, and walked
back to the house. Yet, as he left me,
still without word, l felt, strange to
say, only my own guilt. He had not
borne himself like one convicted of
wrong.
The next week 1 went home. Alice
was the first to meet me, and that night
she crept into my room, and knelt
down beside me as she had done once
before.
"Darling!' she whispered, ''next
month [ am to be married, and you are
to be my bridesmaid
81 cannot" | answered. Don't
ask me, Alice! 1t would kill me!''
''Do you really love Inc so well, dear?
But you will not refuse me this? 1t
would mar all my happiness, Mabel,
and am so happy. When you have
seen Harry-when you learn to know
and to love him for himself-you will
''Harry!' [ gasped, ''who is he?"
'Harry-Harry Stretton; the man l
am to marry; Why, Mabel, you told
me you knew it all. Is it possible you
did not know?''
And then she told me of the engage
ment which had been entered into dur
ing her Christmas Visit-an engage
ment fully ratified and approved by
er guardian whilst was so i'll.
1t had been this she had been about
to tell me-this l had refused to hear
Oh. the burning shame with which l
listened at last! And then wild i'm
pulse seized me to tell her all the truth.
She would know now how pitiable l |
had been, even though l bought her
hate and contempt, as doubtless had |
bought Geoffry's.
[ did not spare myself as [ told the |
story. In silence she heard me through,
md then she sealed my lips with the
Kiss of love and pardon. All night l
oattled with my misery and remorse.
Alice expected her lover the next day.
felt I dare not meet him.
In the afternoon she came into my
DOM.
'sSome one wishes to see you in the
library, DEAR" she said. "Will you go
lown?"
She spoke so quietly that suspected
nothing, and asking no questions went
lown stairs, and crossed the hall to the
DOM designated.
thought it empty for moment as l
losed the door behind me, but at the
ound some one stepped from the win
low recess-some one who advanced
me step and then stood with wide-open
rms waiting to close about me.
No need for me to tell the story, as 1
lid my face upon his breast, and felt
lis kisses rain upon my hair. Alice,
ny noble, darling sister had told it all.
Did I deserve my happiness Per-
vas the great noble heart of my sisters
guardian.
Alice had her wish-I was her brides
maid; but after the ceremony was
nded which made her Harry Stretton's
BELOVED wife, took her place beside
he altar, no longer bridesmaid but
ride Henceforth my sisters guar