Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-01-14

first. Slowly and distinctly the words
came but felt that he meant what he
said.
Heaven forgive you, Helen McDer-
mot; for at this moment feel as If |
never could ~
Then he went away: and l was left
alone, too utterly heart-broken to utter
words to stay him. He never looked
back-never once. watched him till
the green branches hid him from view :;
and then l walked away, to be alone
with my misery.
And SO we parted-my love and L
under the punk and white blossoms in
the old orchard. But, oh, if could
See him once again, to kneel at his feet
and tell him how he was mistaken-if
[ could only hear his dear voice whisper
forgiveness-I should be happyl
Harold left that night without word
or a message for me. Helen came to
me in tears to ask for some explanation.
''Poor little Nora ~ she sobbed.
"Dear, he will come back--poor Harold
Oh what did you say to him His eyes
were full of tears and he could hardly
peak when he said Goodbye Oh,
Nora, a man must feel very deeply when
he cries like a womanl He made me
promise not to tell you till he was gone;
and he took that little gold heart out of
your work-box. dear. and said. Il sup
pose L may keep this as a recollection o.
happy time that after all was simply
mistake ?'''
Don't, Helen ~ l cried. ''Oh, stop
you will drive Inc mad ~
Three long days came and went, and
l watched and waited for Harold's re-
turn for l thought he would surely
come back, when in a calmer moment
he had considered how little ground
there was for disagreement. Alas, l
did not know then the real reason that
had sent him away, and only fancied 1t
was foolish lovers quarrel that few
words would explain And So L
watched and hoped, and started at
every sound, every step, and longed for
the moment of his return-the moment
that never came.
"Here, Nora" said Tom, tossing a
letter across the breakfast-table to me.
"From Harold, who, L conclude, has
come to his senses. POst-mark dublin
not so far off after ALL"
With my door locked, l tore open
the letter and read 1t al through to the
end in blank numb sort OF way, ,and
then sat still and tried to realize it all.
Goodbye - ran the last words.
Heaven bless you and make you
happy My last wish is that We may
never meet again. Surely the world Is
wide enough for us two ~
Tears of bitter shame and sorrow
coursed down my cheeks as | read and
re-read Harold's letter, and saw too
late the game of crOss-purpOses we had
been playing
Captain Warner, the officer in the
cavalry regiment''- Charlie's regimentl
What did it mean?
Again and again l read those last
words before | could fully understand
II all-those last words SO full of min
giej sorrow and reproach.
~ am going away" he wrote -
''away to the other side of the world,
and in all human probability shall never
set foot on British soil again. 1t was
that l heard of your en-
to Captain Warner. Nora.
think you it is such a light thing to
wreck mans happiness-to blight his
whole lifel Does not your conscience
upbraid you that, while wearing one
mans likeness and being engaged to
him, you can lightly break that VOW
and unreservedly give your heart to an
DtherI Who he Is l know not /; but,
from the bottom of my heart, | pity
him. Oh, Nora, you can never know
how loved you, my first and last love
how blindly and fully believed and
trusted in you! Now that all is over,
all proved false, feel as if l could
never have faith in man. woman, or
child again ~
Hour after hour passed unheeded,
and vet each minute was bearing him
farther and farther away over the wide |
blue sea, away to another country,
had been false, when all the
line my heart was breaking for love of !
lim. Ny engagement to Captain War |
ler-what was it? \ fabrication from |
to end ! oh, why did not |
Harold ask me? One word would have |
it all.
Again and again did Helen piteously |
mplore me to let her IN but not even |
ny own sister could see me in the first |
hours of my sorrow. Afterwards the |
whole world might come; but for one |
lay | must be alone to battle with my |
,rief and remOrSe, and weep in solitude |
,ver the grave of my dead hopes. |
When the darkness came, l knelt down |
md prayed that might one day meet |
Harold and tell him how he had mis-
judged me.
never told Tom and Helen the facts;
buried my sorrow in my heart, and |
lOped that time might make all plain. |
Harold told no one not even his |
he was going: and |
weeks heightened INTO months, and |
months into years, yet no tidings came,
ill at last Harold Broughton's name
.eased to be mentioned.
Make our house your home," said |
Tom and Helen and so l lived on, as
,eople will live, in spite of all sorrow
md disappointment,
Five years have passed, and, at the
.ge of twenty-three, l am living on
With the vague hope that has never |
Iuite died-the hope that | shall see
Iarold before l die. Charlie came
lome yesterday. He is the same dear |
ffectionate brother as of old; and, |
lone with him, | told him everything
ust as it happened, how | had loved |