Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-08-27
CHAPTER VII.
GUILTY, OR NOT GUILTY!

| f GUILTY, Oh NOI SClLft
Vanity was gone Willie Snow was strug-
Cling with a rush of feeling, violent and tur-
bid, like mill-race; and yet he weighed his
sweetheart in the balance more carefully
than he could have weighed her in his quiet
est mood. In common conversation she was
frivolous and malapert; against this fault he
put the tremulous earnestness of her voice in
this last supreme moment. Her eyes mostly
iarted light coquettish rays; now he recalled
them, big with anguish, as she flew from his
side The insinuations against her character
were grave, and not more grave than reason
able; be rebutted these by recalling her man
ner Of reply when he had asked if she were
married; for in his ears-deluded boy !-the
ring of truth and the light of honor were In
her tone and look. Whereupon I remark
that, when young woman is in the habit of
receiving matter Of, let us say, ten-and-six-
pence night for making faces to order, she
can look demure Or heartbroken at very
short notice. But this never occurred to
Willie Vanity was a true woman, after all,
and worthy of his affection. Thus he an
swered his own deepest doubt; and then he
turned to other matters She loved him; she
could not marry him; and yet her hand was
free! What could these things means The
brook babbling on at his feet picked up her
words, and repeated them as it chartered
over the stones Something runs between
us that must divide us forever; it is red as
blood, hot as fire, cruel as deathr'
''Oh!" groaned poor Willie. "What can
her sorrow beg' 5AH +7f te'
Chatter went the brook, brawling against
the stones, and rushing in twenty noisy little
rapids, but answering still as it hurried by
ct is red as blood, hot as fire, cruel as
asathm Ia -,I ifr..1. .a a.s,.
''But she is good" pleaded poor Will, judge,
Jury and advocate all in his own breast.
She must be good. And she loves me!
Never was voice like hers without true lover
But the brook replied as before, and ran
off into the gray and ghostly distance, busy
and inexorable. ... ,:u
| Willie soon recovered his spirits. Counsel
for the prisoner has tolerably easy work
when beauty is at the bar and love is on the
bench.
''vanity loves mel" quoth the deluded boy.
''That much is sure. Vanity loves me-loves
ne--loves me tenderly"
Repeating the words over and over, you
observe, which we all know makes the fact
more of fact than ever What, then, about
the unknown obstacle? Why, he had taken
heart, and the more he scrutinized it, swathed
as it was in mystery, the less he feared. He
would unroll this dread secret, and find il
something commonplace enough-somethine
to laugh at, say this day ten years! Who
can measure the power this beautiful CIR
gained over him in that brief space when sht
melted into womanlinesss A little while
after their parting, his conflict Of feeling haf
settled down into two thoughts: ''She il
good" which built him up, being respecta
BILE young man; tShe loves me-" which Sc
him on fire, being a combustible young man
And between 'She is good" and ''She love
me-" swing went that lads mind, to and fro
to and fro, regular and steady as pendulum
He was fine fellow, as have said many
times, but, perhaps, q little weak, and dis
posed to lean on the Judgment Of Others HI
had not that firmness Of spirit which enable
man to pursue the purpose Of his life Glen
and self-contained. So, although for tn
time he was fully convinced Of Vanity
Igoodness, he told me every word of his las
conversation with Vanity, and asked m,
opinion, which, at the moment, was mucl
as il he should have said: g{i i,bWt.
/ "Dr. Book, believe one and one maxi
two. But would you mind stating YOU
views on the pointT VIZ. ~ atf af gn3l
I However gave him nv op,nion of, Mis-