Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-03-17

We were driving rapidly along the
familiar road, which yet looked strange
and unfamiliar in the gray stiffness of
the coming day. When the carriage
stopped at the door, stepped from it,
and followed the doctor, who was
waiting for me, without word. Silent
ly We went up the stairs, and along the
corridor of the house where / had once
thought to reign as mistress, to see her
who had taken my place. and whose
happiness had been dashed from her in
such an awful way.
At the door of the room l paused,
and violent shudder Shook me from
head to foot.
"You need not fear,o the doctor
said gently, for he evidently saw what
made me hesitate. "Her face has es-
caped.'
hardly knew her. Could those hol-
low pathetic eyes, those features
pinched and drawn with pain, be
Blanche's2 All my feelings of bite =
ness and resentment against her van
ished forever, and think some of the
yearning pity that l felt must have
shown itself in my face, for she looked
up at me and said
Don't pitt me, Maggie; you would
not if you knew all"
''Oh. Blanche, if you knew how
feel for you'll" answered, tears forcing
their way in spite of my efforts to keep
them back. "My poor girl, if L could
do anything for you!''
"You can do nothing" she said qu:-
city. 81 know that | am dying; and
that is why l sent for you, Maggie.
There is something | must say to you.
and there Is no time to be lost. Send
every one out of the room; we must be
alone"
The doctor was the only one present
and, as Blanche spoke, he quietly took
his departure.
Poor girll'' he said gently, as he
turned to go. II can do nothing for
her."
1 came back to the bed. and, kneel-
ing down beside her, | ventured to
stroke her wan cheek with my hand,
and waited for what she had to say.
| Maggie" she began after pause,
"will you try to prepare yourself for
the hearing of great wrong that has
been done you? Will you promise to
try to forgive the person who did It,
and to believe that that person has
never ceased to regret the act, and has
never enjoyed one moments peace since
| il was doue?"
Her words bewildered me. What
did she mean? Or had the terrible suf-
fering she had gone through affected
her brain? l feared so, bIt thought it
better to humor her, and listen with
attention to anything she Liked to say.
Her voice was hoarse and broken, and
she spoke with evident pain and diff
Guilty.
"Will YOU promlse?" she repeated
eagerly, and promised.
Her next words startled me.
"Do you remember that day in the
woods" she asked, "when came to
you while you waited for Hugh?"
Did l remember it? AS if the recol-
lection was ever absent from my mindl
But only said quietly that l did.
Would you believe me-" she went.
on. 'sif 1 told you that every woH &
said to you that day was lie?"
Icould not answer her new light
seemed suddenly to break in on me and
took my breath away. There was
ring of truth in her voice which could
not doubt; and L knelt there, gazing
into the sad dark eyes that were fixed
on me with such pathetic wistfulness.
"Yes, it was lie." she went on.
'Oh, Maggie, if you knew what my life
has been ever since, ,you would pity me!
For you must hate me. How could
YOU help it when | have robbed you Of
your happiness? From the first time
that 1 saw your sweet face in church
and Hugh told me you were to be his
wife, determined ths it should never
be; for Maggie. loved him-that part
of my story is no lie loved him with
all my heart and soul, though L knew
well he never returned my love, that
his whole heart was given to you; but
still 1 hoped desperately that l could
win him, and did all in my power to
fascinate him. But in vain; he had
neither eyes nor ears for any one but
you; and seeing that maddened me,
and 1 did not care what | did. L was
determined to separate yoI."
As she uttered the last work, she fell
back exhausted, and lay like one dead.
was going for assistance; but she
managed to call me back, and whis-
pered brokenly-
"Do not call any one; shall be bet
ter presently; and must tell it all now.
There will never be another opportu-
tunity."
waited silently until she was more
composed; and then she told me OF the
deep laid plot that had been arranged
and carried out against mellow she
and her mother had determined, when
they first heard of Hugh's engagement
TO prevent his marrying me, and Tor
that purpose she had come TO stay at
the Chase; how Blanche had used all
her arts to attract him, while her mother
skilIfully engrossed my attention and
gave them opportunities of being alone
how at the same time they had eau
tiously contrived to poison his mind
against me, and how on the very even.
ing that Mrs. Hilliard had told me OF |
his love for Blanche she had, after my |
departure, told him similar tale about |
myself, saying that 1 had confided to
her the secret of my love for another, |
and implored her to ask Hugh to for
give me for my deception, but to inn
press upon him that l had never loved |
him, and could never marry him; how
Hugh lad been like one stunned, and |
had left home the next morning vow
ing that he would never look on my |
face again; and the last news they had |
of him was that he had joined the |
French army, and, for ali they knew to
the contrary, might be even then lying |
stark and dead among the hundreds |
that fell almost daily.
ssAnd he loved me all the timeP'
They were the only words could sob
out as Blanche's voice ceased. The |
wild triumphant JOY that filled me at
that fact for time made me careless
of everything else.
s'Yes, Maggie, he loved you-only
you," Blanche's hoarse voice answered
'All my plotting and lying did me 10
good; he never thought Of me. l think
he hated me-" she added bitterly. 'sOh
Maggie, when you think of me after !
am gone, do not be too hard on mel
Remember that for one loving look or |