Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-14

close widows cap shading her nut -brewn
hair, and her pale cheeks. Never had 4
seen that dear face 50 sad and - white.
She grleved for mel Her black dress
had no sign Of returning brightness about
It, being s0mbre and heavy, with long
Grape vail from the black bonnet.
My wifei Ny little lovel How
longed to spring out, fold her IN my
arms and see the brightness come back
to her bonny brown eyes and the deli
cate flush to her cheeks But would
mott The first meeting was too sacred
for all these curious eyes 70 witness.
So / nestled against the pillar that
screened me, drew my hat over my eyes
and listened to the service. 1t was all
over, and the congregation were rustling
in their seats when the clergyman read
distinctly the bans between-'sG George
Hudson and Clara. widow of the late
Captain Richard Vaughn"
The whole place reeled and grew black
before me. IL did not actually faint,
lost all note Of time and place, till the
sexton shook me gently, and looked
up to find we were. alone in the church.
/ reeled out upon the porch hearing but
not needing the sections comment:
"A drunken sailor.
But in the air q mad desire to face my
wife, to know if / was In truth, so
utterly forgotten, seized me. remem-
Der well having heard Of George Hudson,
although had never seen him. His
father was an iron manufacturer Of i'm
mense wealth, and the owner of . superb
residence, newly built, when was last
at home.
The son was then abroad, but report
represented him as a very handsome, &C
complished man Of twenty three, courtly
as was to be expected from city-bred
son of wealthy man. He was nearer
Clara's age than was; was he also nearer
her heart than her old husband had ever
been7
hurried over the familiar road, tor
turing myself with these questions, and
must have rushed over the ground at
head-long speed, for before Preached the
cottage | saw little black-robed figure
ahead of me that recognized at once.
Again the instinct that warned me to
spare her the shock of my sudden appear
ance, made me pause and allow her to
enter the gate in front of the cottage,
while stole round the fence and went
in the rear gate. From q clump of
shrubbery, covered thickly with summer
foliage, /, well hidden, could see and
hear all that passed in the cottage parlor.
My father-in-law was there when first
looked in, alone, reading q paper with
his eyes restlessly watching for some one
to come.
did nof yooa,, n he ~, aax,os5~o,,,,o,
scarcely know why waited, hidden
and watchful for Clara to come. When
she did come it was with flashing eyes
and crimson cheeks, such as / had never
seen before. Her voice, too, was raised
to an angry pitch of excitement quite
new to me.
Gather y she cried, 'swho has dared
to tell Mr.. Gates to read the bans be-
tween George Hudson and myself ~
81 did ~ was the short reply.
''You you |"
eyes, ! did. You have trifed with
Mr.. Hudson long enough"
81 never trifed with him"
''He has asked you twice to be his
wife.
"And Ihave twice refused that honor.
''But you shall marry him ! He is
rich, and viii take you to his
grand home. You cannot refuse HIM
now that the bans are published"
Father | father | how could you %
pray what are your objections to Mr..
Hudson Is he not young :"
eyes"
Handsome %
eyes,
'sOf good moral character %
eyes"
'eWell, then, what can you find to
object to Z Not want of money, surely ~
All the excitement was gone from
Clara's face. She seemed to feel stifled
by the net gathered around her, for she
pressed her hand to her heart as if in
pain. In dull tone she said, YEARLY:
81 will never marry Mr.. Hudson.
do not love him. "
ssCome, that Is q stale excuse. You
made the same when you refused to be
Captain Vaughn's wife.
Refused to be my wife ! Was that,
too, her fathers doing Z Had she been
then My heart was sick as l
leaned against q tree near me, and
listened to what further was to come.
The sweet voice I loved rang out firm
and clear:
ssYou are right, father, did not love
Captain Vaughn when you threatened to
turn me from your house If refused
him. / was but o child, and had my
own romantic dreams of q hero, young
and brave, who was to come and make
q rosy heaven of love for me. / re-
spected Captain Vaughan, and gave him
an affection such as child might give
an indulgent uncle, but I did not love
him as / dreamed / could love.
groaned aloud as my wife spoke, but
not hearing me, she continued:
sBut if / did not love my husband
when you forced me to marry him, at
least did him no wrong. III my heart
was not his, it was free. I loved no one
else. He took me away. You know
from what tyranny and cruel exactions
be took me"
upon my word, yOu are compliment
tary."