Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-04-01

IeaVe the uOSplIaDle uOuuo lhdL uou
sheltered her. When she preached
the matter to Mr.. Durant. however,
he would not listen to her. and, to
her surprise supplemented his refusal
with an offer of marriage.
81 never thought to put trust in
womaz again" said, "but l have
learned to like TO see you in this lone
some old house You are still on the
sweet, sunny side of life, and am 40,
but will try to make you happy. Do
not answer me now. Think Of what |
have said, and give me my reply To-
morrow at this time"
Surprised and bewildered at the
sudden proposition, Agnes withdrew
from Mr.. Durant's presence.
"Was there ever such a thing as
true love in the world7" she asked her
self-"that is in the heart OF manp
Her own sad experience taught her
to answer in the negative.
She did not love Mr.. Durant, but
she was conscious OF feeling of re-
spect and admiration for him. ae
had not protested to love her. II
would be purely friendly union, and
was not that the truest kind of union,
after all
Thus she reasoned down her
scruples, and at last made up her
mind to tell Mr.. Durant that he
would take her for his wife, knowing
| that her heart had once received a
blow which had killed love, aud to
accept respect instead, she would be
10 him faithfulc0mpanion through
out hfe's journey.
Mr.. Durant was pleased with her
condor and after a brief delay they
were married.
Agnes was like ray of sunshine
in the old house, and every room
showed tokens of the change that had
been inaugerated by IFS new mistress;
and best of all, Agnes learned TO love
her hus hand. not with the romantic
devotion which had characterized her
! first love, but with a calm affection,
better calculated to make its object
happy.
One day, while looking over old pic
tures, Agnes came upon an exquisite
ly painted miniature of a young girl.
The artist had depicted the sweet face,
curying the delicate lips, dimpling
the pink cheeks and laughing roguish
out of the eyes as blue as the wax
flower blossom. Agnes fastened with
her treasure to the library, her hus-
bands favorite resort She held up
the picture toward him.
"See what | have found. What a
shame for such a beautiful face to be
hidden away in tho old cabinetl'
Mr.. Durant glanced up in preoc-
cupied way, but as his eyes rested on
the picture, with a sudden darkening
of his usually calm face, and with a
lowering brow, he caught it from
Agnes and threw it across the room.
Then, seeing by his wife's pallor
that he had startled her, he Gained
himself by a supreme effort, and said
1T is through your ignorance of
my past, Agnes, that you have given
me such wound. That is picture
OF my daughter, Grace. Her very
existence cost the life OF her fair
young mother and when at last
forgave her that debt and gave her
the warmest place in my benumbed
heart, she deserted me for stranger,
and again | was desolate. She prov
ed an migrate. Never mention her to
me again, Agnes
Agnes stood for an instant in mute
surprise not daring to plead for for
giveness for the discarded child. 1t
seemed so cruel for her to be enjoying
the beautiful home of her husband
while his daughter was an exile from
it. But Agnes had the rare gift of
patience, so she said nothing until
she could see the way clear not to in
injure the cause of the absent one
but from the time when her husband
first disclosed TO her the carefully
guarded secret of his life she delerm
med. 10 effect reconciliation.
BY inquiries she learned the whole
truth, Grace had fallen in love with
the son of Mr.. Durant's bitter
enemy, and, hopeless of gaining her
fathers consent to their marriage,
had yielded to the entreaties of the
young lover and had made q clandes-
tine match with him, He had lived
but few years, and then had left his
| darling to battle with the hard world
aud to try and earn living Tor her
self and her boy baby. Surely Agnes
had something to work upon. Who
| coul' resist the thought of that baby
graz dsonl
Again she went to her husband
with q likeness; this time of dimpl-
ed dark-eyed boy. He reached for it
| hstlessly and asked
WHO is thls3'
The young wife trembled, but She
answered up bravely:
1T is your grandson and samesake.
His father is dead and his mother,
your only daughter, rs supporting
herself by giving music lessons. On,
my husband, ifyou love me forgive
and forget the past. Take your dear
ones into your heart and home
Mr. Durant looked at the fair young
pleader curiously; suspicious mois-
ture diumed for an instant the bright
ness Of his eyes, Then he said, slow
! lv.
do YOU know what your inter
2 cession will cost vou-that is, if / ac-
3 cede to your reqJest} Agnes, think
well Of what you are doing My will