The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-25

FABLE TIE SEVENTH.-CoNCLUDED.
Now, SIR" said Enoch; its nigh
noon"
But the bride, with her face from the
altar, did not turn.
Now, MISS" said the clerk, touch
ing her-for her father was beginning
TO look wild-~parscn's waiting. Say
Il viii. "
Il can not" she whispered to her
father. Il must not Stephen is alive. :"
Enoch heard her words. and glared
round, but could see nothing. ''She
must be going mad"' said lie.
The parson closed his book. and
looked at Patience. tiff sol can
not 90 on" he said. searching for his
presence of mind. I'VE had better go
into the vestry-we had, indeed. Very
.sad-very strange. | never knew such
4 thing: never, in all my days
But for true lovers 10 be face to face
is as good as being heart to heart. I'M
less they are blind. Neither understood
with reason; but reason is a poor cheat,
at best, and there is something better
than understanding. He followed; for
who had a better right than he? She
was not Patience Marrish vet; and, till
then, she was his by law higher than
law. And then, as he entered the YES
try, Enoch saw that Patience had not
gone mad; that the dead was alive.
And Patience would never ha, e turned
her head before answering Il Will but
Tor that accIrSed ring.
S.Ea thar EOOph-n said Shn hur-
riedly, but without moving a step near
er her lover. Il thought he was dead
he is alive, / am his TIL he bids me
leave him; whatever happens, l can be
no other mans.
Patience cried Stephen; and at
his voice her lips parted, and her heart
cried through them; ''Patience-you
are true, in your soul? Never mind
anything else; anything that seems
All that will keep; are you true to me,
as | am to you?"
"Oh--?"
Then come to me, my wife, for 1
am come home"
"And Ir'
Then she came to him, and their
hands claSped; it was Patience; it was
Stephen. Hand in hand, they could
walk out of a worse wilderness of lies
than even an Enoch Marrish could
weave.
Enoch was in a storm. But he count
ed six-and-thirty; then turned to Tom
Blackthorn, and said:
Have that blackguard soldier turned
out OF the DOOR"
lit is Stephen. fatherr' said Patience,
hrlrcfinrr o+l II. ST. ssSta,,hnr
come home! All, knew he would
cOme-if he were alive; and Sect
Old Tom shook his head. He had
forgotten q good deal of late. '.Ah,
that soldier l met in the meadow; a
Talavera man; only he wouldn't come
home to dinner. My daughter seems
TO know you, sir
Stephen looked at Patience. full of
wonder and pity; and then at Marrish,
full of wrath and scorn. He understood
now.
"Mr Marrish," said he, al am the
man whom you sought to destroy by a
lie. [ am now in charge OF this girl
and this old man. You are too old and
too-too much yourself to punish. Be
of with you, and leave my own TO me. :"
If ever desperate and baffied villain
looked his full hate, it was Enoch Mar
IRISH then. Nothing was left him but to
turn, like snake under a strong heel.
Perhaps" said ne, "you think
yourself Eery noble and grand to come
home a beggar and bully girl into
sending her own father into the streets
for common tramping soldier Per-
haps you viii pay me that three hundred
pound"
For there is one passion even stronger
than such love as Enoch Marrish could
feel; and hat is revenge.