Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-03-26

one passing told her they had lust seen
Paul taking the train for the city.
An hour after came package for her
"a book he had promised, on the fy
leaf of which was written:
IAN eternal farewellr'
Time passed on. and old Branthwaita
died. Then Judith began to look and
wait for something. 1t could not have
been Paul; for, though she heard Of
him often, prospecting and famous. in
the great city, she had never seen him
or received any token that he remem.
bered her existence.
Still she waited. There never came
a knock or quick step up the walk
but it brought flush to her cheek
She never peered in the little post
office without an unacknowledged hone
warm at heart.
She was fond of meeting Farquhar
Conway; and all the village thought
that the clumsy, well-meaning fellow
was to be the lucky winner Of the girls
heart and fortune.
But it was only because he now and
then got a letter from Paul, and, find
ing that it pleased her brought them
TO her to read
At last came a letter. not from Paul,
but from her little fair-haired cousin
Elsie. written in the first flush of
bride 5 happiness.
''She was Judith's neighbor now,
living only twenty miles away, in the
dearest old house, where Judith must
come and spend a month with her.
She would Tell her nothing about her
husband. She had told him nothing
about her, because she intended them
to surprise one another. They would
be great friends--she was sure.
Judith was tired of her own anxious
thoughts. There was something con-
tagious, too, in Elsie's gaiety and hope,
and so she went
1t was sunset when she reached the
place. A fine house, just old enough
to avoid that painful look of newness
common to modern country houses,
and standing in full view of the river,
to which sloped banks, shaded by ma
pies, elms, and willows.
They were all out in the grounds"
the servant told Judith.
And hearing merry singing, she
stole around the corner of the house,
to surprise them. Elsie, looking up
spied her, and gave a gleeful shout
Her husband. who was sitting on a
bank, started to his feet, and faced Jul
dith.
1t was Paul. The shock was too aw-
full; and Judith, who had never known
days illness, and scofled at the men
ton of nerves, fell senseless at his feet
If she had died then and there, bless
ed and happy had it been for her! But
the efforts of the unsuspicious Elsie
soon brought her back to life, while a
warning look from Paul checked the
words that were on her lips.
Heat and fatigue were limited at; her
joyous cousin was too much occupied
with her own happiness to think long
about the matter, and Judith did her
best to shine in the virtuous hypocrisy
and moral suicide line, which women
are so fond of.
Paul only was silent,
Sitting apart in the shadow his wife
thought him unintereSted and sleepy.
judith knew his eyes were fixed on
her that he was watching every move,
and noticing every infection of voice.
Though he was almost as motionless
as if he had ceased to breathe, she felt
that he was questioning her, tiercely,
eagerly, and that, spite Of herself, she
was answering him.
She hlushed, and shrank away in the
very silence and solitude of her own
room, when she thought of what his
eyes had said to her.
When she looked into her own heart
she cried out, and struck her hands
together, and Selling what she had IL
ready taken from her trunk, began to
thrust it back again in desperate haste,
Someone touched her, ard spring
ing up she met the eyes that had haunt
ed her.
PAUL"
"Well, Judith, and oh, what
depths of tenderness in his voice
'you are not afraid of me?"
mo, not afraid.
"Why are you going, thenP For
you are going; | know what these prep
arations mean"
because | am not stone nor steel.
should go mad "
Then you did love me?"
"If it will give you any pleasure to
know, yes.
The light that had terrified her be-
fore leaped up in Paups eyes.
My darling, you need not shrink
from me. You have nothing to fear
Only stay. Judith, if you love Elsie,
stay. 1t has been SO long since | have
been near you, looked into your eyes,
heard you speak Deprive me not OF
it too suddenly. Let me contemplate
and grow familiar with my sorrow, or
shall die in my despair
"Oh, Paulr' she burst forth, "why
did you stay away all this weary time,
and why did You let me come here?"
why did you answer me as you did,
the last night we were together, Ju-
dith? As for your coming, knew
nothing of it. | never dreamed that
Elsie's Judith was my Judith"
Poor Elsier
you pity her? Stay, then. If you
90 now She will learn all Stay, and
/ promise not to offend by word or
look. -
So Judith stayed-from pity for
Elsie said her deceived heart Cruel