Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-11-05

spent at Rockledge togetheri do not
understand never can understand
you; but ! think you have no heart"
"You should know"-with another
shrug of her shoulders, meant to con-
vey contempt. ''You have taken 80
much trouble to discover 1t Mr.. Wal
lace"
"Where have you been all these
yearsP" he asks suddenly advancing
closer, with his eyes gloating over her
radiant, scornful beauty. II was sud
denly called from Rockledge by the
death ofmy mother. You were away,
and had no time to bid you good bye.
When it was all over, / wrote you
twice, but receiving no answer, re-
turned to Rockledge only to find you
gone-no one knew where! How dis
NAL, how lonely and sad it all seemed
l cannot tell you. The grass was dry
and dead, the trees leahess, the sky
dull leaden, and the waves washed on
the shore where l saw you first, with q
| wall which to me seemed heart broken.
Listen! By the look on your face l
know that you have condemned me 1;
yet l have loved-nsy, love you-as
never man loved woman before. 1
have sought you everywhere-in vain,
until my heart was crushed with the
longing of mad despair. And now l
find you-here-too Later"
While he has beer speaking, she
has been leauing again st the bridge
the very embodiment q contemptuous,
abused Indifference; but when sudden
ly he falls on one knee and covers her
hands with burning kisses, she springs
back with cry OF angty pride.
"Coward" she says,iA a low, keen
voice. "This is all your Wanted
pride-the honor of yolr manhood-to
insult poor, lone woman. In return
for the amusing story you have con-
fided to me, Mr.. Wallsce, take mine
in return; am not the credulous idiot
you think! As in the past-so 10 the
present and future-I give you only
scorn and contempt. Though only {
poor artist, there is nj room on the
,, list of my friends for q coward who.
while in honor bound to one, could
dare insult another win the shallow
pretenses of his love. Good night
Mr.. Wallace, and-belter luck mex
, timer'
So saying, she SAIL out into thu
moonlight, across the ihadowed arch
es, and into the avenue of heavy oak
leading to Forest Lake Cottage.
, 1T is horrible-hdriblel" erie
Cecil. wringing her hands in piteoul
despair. Every one las fled in ter
ror, smallpox is such shorrible thing
it disfigures one 60, ey,n If they live
through, and to think that it should
take Wood Wallace irstl l am {
= coward, l know, Madg,; but all, ever
!. the servants and his own betrothet
', wife have fled; how car be expected
? TO stay? I can send nurses from tn
I city"
! at will not be necessary" quietl
! replies Madge with a world of digni
II fed calm. Il shall moi CO."
= "You--not gol" in wild surprise
- "Oh, Madge, you cannot mean it! Th
= world would say"
- "Let them," she answers quietly
" uuJ CIlLubOu Stdlu puiho hCi oNs
= cheek in contemplation o. what the
II may say. "If l take it, what odd
- No one cares much"
- So it falls out that While the othe
~ flee in terror, the ydman who hi
10 10 given him only scorn while in healti
10 remains by his side, ,areless of II
," worlds censurc, to narse him bae
from the valley of jdeath--back to col
II seriousness OF time and place.
l. "You stayedpI he says, one day.
r she cools the bahdages on his brow
le "You risked your life--your peerle'
j, beauty-the worlds opinion-ever,
d thingl My good ange-my one loN
he you must then have cared a lit
er how it went with me"
d She falls on her knees beside Il
e, bed, and
N 81 have suffered more than you
os your sufferings," she sobs, "because'
: l cared all the world
And in the quiet, happy weddir
er which follows q few days later, Il
= worlds opinion is neither asked IL
er nor needed.
l