Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-06-08
AFTER SIX YEARS

In The Nsht ~ q peficct Jay
AFTER SIX YEARS.
III am giving you treasure. my son.
Why do you he.iis,s' Surely you have no
other love-"
The ,ick man lifted himself on hiipil.
low. and looked eagerly, fearfally. In the
face above him.
II ". a naughty. ye, frank eounie.
nance IA face which mingled strength
Of will With pride. aud tenderness With
truth. and yet had enough poetic hre in /,
10 make the rtque., bis father made Of
Clarenee Li,ing.,one = very hard one Tor
him 10 grant For Elmer Livingstone.
dying. remembered the wrongs done by
him in "lhe day. Of nature and, recalling
lucky venture. which by snriehins him.
bad b,gsared another. a,ked his .on TO
take ,hl, other. orphan daughter for
bis wife
Clarenee knew nothing Of the hour Of
temptation which saw bis fathers fall
knew Of no rta.on more powerful than
christian charity which bad induced his
father TO sdop, the pennils's girl. when
she was left alone 10 the world; and. full
Of fair dream, for hi, fa,ure. he .hrank
from marriage ~i,h one whom he had
rArley seen. in hi. yea, Of study and
travel. and who vas 10 him ashy. A~k.
ward ehild-no mote.
81 have no love" he answered. Why
do YOU ask ,hi. Of me, my dear father
Make any provi.ioa you may wish Tor
MI. Monroe; dover her a, richly s you
choose hut leave her. a. pray you to
leave me. free have 10 love for her.
nor .he for me: we are strangers. let
"a. remain 30. let 10 mating us a. you
would you do both lives injury.
"S,oop do~n. Clarnee. She loves you;
YOU have been her hero. her idol. for
y,.r. have fc.,sred her idola,ry. for
have wished 10 atone for the wrong ]
did hsi; and there !, but one ~ay--,o
make her the wife Of my only son. My
boy. you will no, refuse TO make my last
hour easier
"Fi,hsr. | would pachA'e your peace
With my life. were i, possible. Bat there
/. surely some other way than this. and !
will End IL. Wha, is the wrong Of which
you speak | mus, know !, since lam to
atone; and ,ru., me. my father, though
/, tax. my life. will no, fail to make
the A,onemeni complete one.'
There !, no other" moaned the sick
man. "and since you bid me un.eal my
lip. | will tell you how | gained my
wealth. and planted my life With Aloe'
Of remorse. my soa. My cordial The
story /. no, lOng. bu, very hard TO tell
very hard. my boy-ior !, will make you
blush for your father"
And. while the summer nigh, closed
in. gray and spectral. Clarence Living.
stone. listening to hi. fathers story OF a
eredulou, friend betrayed aud wealth
.na,ehed from too trusting hand. bent
hi. head in humiliation wholly new
and wholly in,Ol.rable to him.
Without. in the clustering shadows
Of the versnda. dropping like a lily on
il. stem, stood Lena Monroe, drinking
in the tale. with pulses beating as strong
ly as those in the breas, Of her Clarence.
in her own girlish bosom pain I. keen,
rgre, q. bitter; for she had loved Elmer
Livingstone as a second father. and felt
the ,in Of the dying as keenly I. the
wrong done the dead.
Besides. another pang W. hes-'or
Clarence had begged his father not to
ask him to be more than a stranger to
her.
The story VA. told. aud the old man
lay painting on his pillow. bis face damp
with dews Of coming death; aud the girl
peering into the chamber with wide
pain darkened eyes. saw Clarence on his
knees beside the couch.
"rorsive me. my son! did the wrong
for you," came hoarsely TO her from the
lips Of the dying. "Make her your vile.
and all will be we'll. She is pure as .
flower unplucked. She has grown dear
to me ss a dsugh,er-and. my boy. she
loves you"
A ho, aash crep, into her face =, the
low. broken words. bu, !, died instantly,
for Clarence Was replying and she bent
her face to her hands as she listened.
"She may be al you say. came in clear
tones from the young man, 'bu. she i'
no more to me than flower that have no
wish to gather. II she loves me It Is
with . ehildi,h love which will no, lin
ger. Res, content. father; she shall no,
suffer through your-regard for me. !
will give back every ill-gO,ten dollar.
Ba, will keep my freedom; cannot
sell II. father"
"Whst do you mean
"Tha, | will make over to Miss Mon
roe every acre thu. you leave me-svery
far,hing that Is her due. Nay, not one
dissenting word." As the old man s,rose
to speak. Let me keep my honesty. and
make my own way with clean hands. II
empty ones. would no, offer my hand to
your ward now. even though loved her
which do not"
Clarence, my SON.
"Rather. say no more, bu, trust me-
now you shall sleep.
The girl. shaken by hu,hsd sob.. turn
ed from the silvery night. and slided in'
to the house like . shadow.
Ere morning dswned, the soul OF FL
mer Livingstone lad gone where human
eye could not follow iis fight. free o
the elogging clay. to Its judgment.
And. ss untrseeable IL would seem. a
the spirit Of the man who had wronset
her, yet ungusrded her youth, Len'
Monroe had also gone with the night