River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-07-09

/ old clock knows fills her with guilty
/ shame. She never goes through the
hall without feeling hot flush come
into her face as she hears the clocb
/ ticking out the hours. 1t seems to bt
accusing her She is afraid of it.
She is glad to know that Mary was
not robbed of happiness by her act
That she is sure of, for if ever woman
was happy in husbands love thai
woman is Mary. If she had found her
cousin grieVing for what her life had
t lost She could never forgive herself foI
what she has done She begins to think
/ she cannot, as il is. She hates herself
/ for having given way to temptation.
/ She has lost self-rcspect. More than
( once she resolves to confess everything
to her cousin But the humiliation o.
such confession she feels to bt
more than she can bear when she
4 comes to attempt it.
/ She is alone in the world now.
( Her mother is dead. Henceforth there
/ is none to toll for but herself. She
misses the incentive that urged her on
to steady, hard work. The outlook is
not bright one for a woman who feels
the need of something to love and work
for.
You cannot guess what | heard to-
day" Mary says one evening as she
and Alice sit in the nursery together.
whore the pride of the family is having
a hard time of it trying not to 90 to
sleep. kingsley Durham is coming
here to fiji DIR. Garfield ; place through
the latter ac3ti0n, they say.
4 sudden light comes into Alice Craw-
ford eyes But it dies out rs suddenly
as it came And with it warmth
kindles for a moment in her heart, then
leaves it colder than before. But ii is
enough to tell her that she has not con
quered her heart, and that she never
will.
Il shall be so glad to see him, Mary
goes on. He was always like Il
brother 70 me.
They are sitting together in the pew
at church the next Sabbath evening"
when they become aware of the fact
that Kingsley Durham has come.
20, Alice. whispers Mary, there
he is coming in with DR.. Garfield. How
how he has changed What a splendid
looking man he is. knew he would be.
| wish | could go right up to the minis
ter 5 desk and speak to him and shake
hands with him. | don t know. how |
can wait until the sermon is over.
Alice Crawford hears her cousin :
voice, but she does not~know one word
of what She is saving. She only knows
one thing that she sees the face of the
man She loves best of any one in the
world, the man She has tried in vain to
forget. 1t is like looking into Heaven
over wall she cannot pass.
Kingsley Durham sees them. and
his face brightens. He sends them a
greeting in glance. Mary is all
a-tlutter with excitement, but Alice IS
calm; mt least outwardly. If he could
only see into her heart!
Kingsley Durham voice as he reads
from the sacred volume fills her soul
with music When he begins to preach
it seems rs if he were preaching for her
alone. He tells them that the heart
that has sinned must make atonement
by confession of its sins and by turning
away from the past. Had She not
sinned? She asked herself, The old
clock and she knows and-God knows!
1t seems as if that letter lay upon her
soul. and the weight of it will hold her
soul down forever. With that guilty
act unconfeSSed and unforgiven how
can She ever be at peace?
She has made up her mind long be-
fore the sermon was over as to what
course she will take. She will confess
what she has done. She feels as if the
shame of confession will kill her, but
she will get rid of her secret
The services are through at last.
She sees Kingsley Durham coming
towards them. Her face is as pale as
it will be when she is dead. Her heart
almost stands still for a moment, then
beats faster than ever before.
She meets him before he reaches
their pew. She is aware that his hand
is reached out to her, and that his face
is radiant with pleasure. But she does
not touch the hand he offers,
Il want to tell YOU that never gave
Mary that letter, She says, in a low,
swift voice. Il hid it in the old clock
It's there now Forgive me, if you
can. Then before he can speak or
stop her She turns and goes hurriedly
down the aisle past the wondering
Mary, VINO has seen all that has taken
place, but comprehends nothing of
what il means.
When Mary reaches home She goes di-
rectly to Alice's room.
''What was the matter tonight" she
begins, but Alice stops her.
Il am glad you came here, she
SAYS | should have come to you. if
YOU had not, to make confession of a
wrong did you three years ago. You
will hate me, suppose, when you hear
it, and deserve it. kept back let
ter that Kingsley Durham left for you.
| felt sure that he asked YOU IN it to be
his wife, and-and-I could not give it
to YOU. as | had promised to. | hid it
in the old clock. o, | cannot look at
YOU. | want YOU to 90 away and leave
me to my shame and disgrace To-
morrow will go home. | can never
look in your face or his again" And
Alice Crawford drops her face in her
hands and Sobs over the humiliation
she has brought upon herself
You must have been mistaken in
thinking he asked me to be his wife, "
Mary SAYS. Il was engaged to George
at that time. and Kingsley Dunham
knew it, Let me 90 and find the letter.
That will explain it all. "
She comes back presently with an
excited face.
20. Alice. read that" she cries, and
puts the letter in her cousins hands.
And Alice reads:
.'Mv Dear Friend Mary: | am fool
ish. cowardly man. / know it. But
Drawer men have been towards before
womans ewes. | love your cousin
Alice, but | fear to tell her So She
puzzles me. | sometimes think she
cares for me. Then her mood changes,
and | seem to be held a great distance
away from her. You must know how
to read a woman's heart a great deal
better than do. Is there chance of
winning her? shall be gone before
YOU come back, and | shall not be here
to see YOU before YOU leave for Europe,
but YOU can write to me and tell me
if there is anything to hope.
KINGSLEY DUNHAM.
Alice Crawford reads the letter
through with dry eyes. She has been
so near to Heaveni So near But her
own hand has barred the door against
her entrance. The sense Of what She
had lost. of the fatal result of her guilty
act. benumbs her.
go away, please. She says by-and-
by. y want to be alone.
When morning comes she tells them
She is going away, and at once.
You shall not GO Mary cries.
You must not.
Il Il -