Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-06
LOVE AND TRIAL.

hal no brands with which to scare 1t of
In Bettina's cottage, where she sat and
spun while her childish old grandparents
nodded in their chairs beside the fireplace, all
was as clean as it could have ben in palace;
but she had hard work to fill those two old
mouths and her own also There was no one
else to do it,
The lady at the great house bought her
fax, and paid well for it. But, after all,
Bettina had but her two hands; and two little
brown hands cannot do oil the worlds work
l used to say to myself that the time should
come when Bettina shoull not work at all
when would work for 10th, and for the old
people, also, That was to be when we were
married. Bettina and had been betrothed
two years, We were betrothed still, and no
nearer marriage, though had striven with
ell my strength.
wait patiently" Bettina said TO me some
times "What does it natter We love each
other; we trust each other; let us be content"
But | could not be content. Others who
were as poor as as we married, and left their
native land together to seek better fortunes
elsewhere. Bettina would gladly have shared
my fate, whatever it might have been: but the
Old grandparents bound her to her cottage
and her birthplace.
As for me, felt that if I would ever win
Bettina must leave Savoy and 90 to Amer
lea, where so many of our country people had
already gone, and whence they wrote letters
that made our hearts beat with hope for the
future. In that happy land | might realize
my dreams. told Bettina so, and though
sho wcpt, she said:
D., ~ I f.,,.r
1t is all girl can dor
AT last had money for the voyage; had
saved it little by little for two long years, and
now the parting hour had come.
at is that we may be with each other al
ways some day that we part now" said.
Her tears fell over my cheek We pressed
| each other in long embrace. All, if only
| time could have been stopped in his flight at
that moment, leaving us i'll each others arms.
At last | tore Elysclf away, and, blinded by
| my tears, set of upon my journey.
| had no fear that Bettina would forget me.
know that the rich young farmer who so
often rode many miles to see her longed for
her love, and wooed her with all the art he
had; but Bettina loved me, and love is ada
mantine All, how little did l know of the
future at which | then pceped through the
golden glasses of hope and love.
We crossed the sea in safety. | stood, at
last, IN strange land and among strange
people: but | found them not unkind.
gound work at once Living as We Savoy
ards live at home | spent little. Week by
week the little heap in my mOles6in pouch
grew greater. | was gloriously happy.
wrotc joyful letters to Bettina. She answered
ne as hopefully 1t is little to tell, but, all
il was SO much to feel and TO do
A year passed by-twelve long months.
One moro year and she would come to ms
The months would slip away like the beads
upon the rosary of one who prayed for blesc-
ings ! should feel her hand in mine when
they We're ell counted | should press nv
lip- to hers-all would be forgotten but our
ineeting. and while lived the Old people
should share orr happiness.
With such thoughts as these in my mind
entered the great factory where l worked one
dav I SAID to myself as l threw off my
Jacket:
AT roontime will write 10 Bettina."
What do we know of noontine at dawn
What do we know of night at middayi
Nothing
| remember thinking this. l remember
crossing the long room, remembern sudden
fash and crash, and the oaths of men, and a
| girls mad scream After that nothing more
| anti sense of pain awakened me and
| found myself lying in the dark, with my ow-i
hand, cold and clammy, lying in a great
warm soft hand thst held it very tenderly.
tried to rise. l could not.
"Where am II said, and my voice low
and hoarse in my own ears. "Who is thisP
at is the doctor" said voice. BE calm,
my friend
as it nightf"I asked.
ut is night" said the voice
"Why do You not light lampr
He made no answer.
"What has happenedr
do YOU not remember
II remember a noise
at was an explosion, he said, rftsr pAlIss.
"You We're hurt There were many killed
outright"
doctor" said, SIS it nightT
at is nightY' be said solemnly.
But only for me-" / said, Il know it. ! am
snitten blind
"Try to be calm, my friend" he whispered,
1T is hard-but try to bear it."
What can we do but hear what God sends
upon u.s. But l did not bear it we'll Can
you wondera All was gone-all my hope Of
life, and even all that had won in the past
year. Some wretch had stolen the little mole
skin pouch from my bosom. was beggar
and blind prayed to die, but l lived, and
at last grew strong again.
One day, as l sat by the hospital window
formed resolution. l said to myself: ] can
at least be brave enough to spare Bettina
something; and / will do it, though my Suf-
ferings should be increased by the act
know that if she knew the truth she
would grieve bitterly and remain true 10 me
know that if | were sent home, as the doctors
say might be, she would be constant for
ever-she would even marry me, and try to
feed me as she does her helpless opes. That
shall never be. will send her word that
an dead, and then when she has grieved q
while youth will triumph; she will marry the
young farmer who loves her so truly, and is
good as well as rich, and she will only re-
member poor Bernard tenderly as one who
loved her in the past, and young Bernard is
really dead This blind beggar is not the
sam. man.
The good doctor shall write me letter, and
so as he passed called to him and told him
oil
at will be best for her," l said. at will
set her free. She will grieve bitterly, / know,
but the other lover will ole day blot out my
memory. Tell her died with her name on
my lips-I do. As die, heart and soul, here
before you, l have but one thought. 1t is
Bettinan
"And you think she does not love you as
well?H he said
'She loves me even as love her, said.
"Ah, doctor, it is because love her so ths4
would spare her all l can. She is worthy of a
better fate than to fade away for a wretch
like me. You will write,"
81 will write" he said. "Stay-come to nv
little office with Inc. We shall be quiet, and
let me think. A weman can tell the story
better than I, especially as it is touching and
not quito true. have nurse here now who
can break the news tenderly, believe, if any
one can Sho has waited on you for day or
Two, saying very little. forbade that But
k.-l L.