The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-13

pendale altogether"
"Tnen you would still sbun me?"
81 would; it is the wisest, the only
course / can p~ursUe.n
"You sent me a letter some years
ago." she began, h~esitating and blush
ing like a guilty child. 81 never I'M
derstood it; will you explain It to me
now?"
He looked at her and smiled. What
cOquettes all women werei And Bel,
beautiful bel, was as tickle as the rest.
"By-gOnesa are best left to slumber,'
he said; ''nO explanation can possibly
alter our positions to-day, and, if you
will al Ow me, | will wish you good
morning"
Don't CO. she said gently. "TeIl
me what you meant"
"When Lieutenant Haywood came
back to claim his own, what could | do
but a~bdicate2'
Lieutenant Heywood?" she repea-
ted. puckering her brows in perplexity.
81 have not seen him."
"Perhaps not lately" he said, and
laughed. Then, becoming suddenly
grave he continued, ~ wish you would
try to understand me, without forcing
me to be more explicit
''Speak plainly; | have nothing to
fear IN any revelation you may make"
Proudly, fearlesslY her eyes met his
and for The first time there dawned on
him the possibility that he had been
mistaken in the identity of Lieutenant
Haywood; but nO-that was not pos
siblel Nevertheless his manner soften
ed as he said
Then listenl On the Thursday that
| promised / would return to Sutton |
did return. At The Griffin heard of
Mrs. Testers death, and / hurried to
the cottage, my heart filed with ten
derness and love for you; but some one
preceded me thitheT-a young good
looking man, with the unmistakable
military stamp upon him. He went to
you and | paused at the gate and saw
you meet him. Bel"-and for a mo-
ment his hand rested on her shoulder
"you never came to me with the readi-
ness with which you flew to him, and,
seeing that, | learnt that the maidenly
reserve / had admired so much was
purely want of affection. | didn't
blame you, child-to be true to him
you had to be false to me; but"-with
a Pickering smlle-''perhaps you knew
l was very jealous, V e from the first,
of Lieutenant Haywood"
1t was long since Bel Urmson's face
had worn so happy and blissfull a
smile.
sit was rot Lieutenant Haywood
who came to me that evening, but my
brother. in-laW, Captain Lester"
Captain Lesteri He was drowned
years before l met YOU"
$50 we thought; but we were mis-
taken. He was picked up by an Afri-
can coasting-vessel and carried to Lo-
ango, and thence to several places on
the Congo. He wa kept a prisoner
for nearly three years; andn-with a
little shuddeT-'I cannot tell you all
the cruelties they made him suffer.
Finally he effected his escape, and land
ed in England a fortnight after Clara
died" Her voice shook a little and she
paused.
But John Harvey never noticed her.
With his arms crossed and his head
slightly bent, ne seemed hardly to be
listening to her.
Poor Charlie died within six months
after his arrival, " Bel continued; ''and
when we had laid him beside my dar-
ling in Sutton chuTchyard, l was left
poor and all alone in the world; and
then / came here"
Still he remained silent, taking no
heed of her. Was it possible that he
still considered her behavior to Charlie
had been lacking in that maidenly re-
serve he so much admired2 Timidly.
shyly she held out her hand.
"Do you blame me uowP' she asked
and then broke down in a wailing pite-
Gus cry. John, forgive me, for l have
always been true IN my love for you"
He turned to her, his face white,
drawn. and quiverng.
"Hush-dOn't say such words to
me!"-and he passed his hand hurried
ly across his brow. ''What evil destiny
brought me here to d~ayY"-then sud-
denly he TODD her nand. you must
forget me, Bel. 1t is best to tell you at
once-you must entirely put me out of
your life; for | am married"
Fear and establishment were blended
in her face as she murmured-
81 don't understand yOui'
But, even as she spoke, comprehen-
sion came to her. She stretched out
her ~diseugaged hand, clutching ner-
vously at him for support, and a low
! cry-the cry of anguish that tells of the
death of a life's bright hope-broke
from her lips.
Oh for the right to take her In his
arms and whisper comforting words to
her-for the right to bid her look up
and see the dawning of the day that
was to change her night of sorrow into
brightness and jOyl Holding her hands
tightly pressed between his wi John
Harvey gazed into the pale beautiful
face of the women he loved and groan-
ed.
"My poor Lowell he whispered.
The dear neyer-forgotten accents
brought consciousness to her. Once
more Bel Urmson's soft brown eyes
looked up at him; but between them
had come the barrier of another wo-
mau's love; and, remembering that
Bells lips pleaded for her W release.
''In mercy let me goI' she cried.
For a second he hesitated, but only
for a second; then he too remembered
that other woman who bore his name
and was the mother Of his children.
Goodbye, Bel-good-bye, my poor
lovel'' came in athick horse whisper.
There was a quick sudden pressure of
her hand, and he was gone--gone from
temptation into the path of rectitude-
gone from the woman he loved to the
woman be had vowed to loye-gOne
from what promised to be the beauty
of his life to the stern performance OF
life's duties.
And Be- did not die. For a few days
her scholars were perpleXed by the
vagueness of her instructions and
alarmed at the whiteness and stern
ness of her countenance; then grsdu-
ally each duty was taken up with a
hrmer grasp as, fighting, struggling,
she too chung to the path of right.
In the great hereafter, when love
shall gain its fulness surprising even
the love of women, perhaps Bel Urn
sons love, checked and kept under on
earth, because here it could blossom
but in sin, will bloom in purity and
-