The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-04-13
EBENSBURG. PA. FRIDAY. APRIL.
NUMBER u.

II iIlsN Nlfl nDL see Inc sea Iplllng IN NJ
their f. I to sweep away the loUn niations
o. th"ir palace.
At last tho awakening canc-to one Mt
least. The morning of th. sixth week Of
l;alphsaiIsencc brought Amy a letter from
INN, saving that he had accomplished
has purposes with complete success, that
All ~aS now arranged; that he had OBJ
tainri a place a. professor IN a Western
cDiirLs IN = thriving town, and that thith-
er h. wonlI take her 50 soon rs they
cpuld be iniuTicd, saving finally that she
might look Tor him in three DAYS from the
receipt of his letter and the letter closed
with the words:
"Good bye, my little Amy, ny own little
wilc. Yours,
RALPH HoLco>1EE."
Tho dream was over, and she opened
her eyes uppa the lille that was at once 50
absolute fact and 50 fcariuliy unreal
and false. The lesson She had learned
from Nictor Wal NJ iJ-sottcll; but the
task she hat - D. an rpSe up before
her, IL 1t was brir Victor came She
s.,t L." hpurs-a grca; wave g,.n.orcr h r
in alternate cbb anl iipw-.re.ar t.5 ~
coicilr the impossible. Not I5isa li.plnrat
didSnt think oi brca king ilith with Ra'ph
wIthDIt Lass Tree co.~ent; bUt at moments
q V.I-us nope came 10 hrr, that j. Sni.
told nm all he would see that she did
not love him, and let her 90. But then
the great Moloch OF woman's lie SELL
sacrilice Tor IL own sake, rose up within
her, and she thought. 'NO no, | must
marry MIN, and i y'Ill tell Nictor-I Will
tell him that he must 90 away and never
see iuc again And then she tried by
spphlSiTE 10 persuade herself that IL WAS
folly, that Ralph was right, and 80 tried
10 play her own heart false for its own
good - . practice not unapprpvcd by
many good women - not thinking how
all truth must begin in being true to ones
self Then she determined 10 speak to
Victor that evening, and As she did 80 a
Hail-"glity qUlvcr 81 Joy went through
AcT. She iclt hcnc3th her resolution
that she was glad 10 think that she
would have purchased one hours indul-
gcn"c oi her love, for surely She might
tcil him thaJt slc love. him might have
linn once more at her feet, as once, and
never yet again; might take the cup IN
both hands and drink one deep dratl.ht
before parting forever And with the
Thought a food OF suppressed longing and
p3Ssluuaic impulse came over her, which
had been -1owing la her heart ever since
that first night, and had never had cx-
precision. she waited tor him alone in
ncT httic paIlOr that evening, and when he
came hc lclt that 4 change had come, felt
Il even as hc crossed tire threshold and
stool within her presence.
Victor" she said, and his heart lcaped
it Was the first time she had called him
'NIctur-.'l must speak to YOU"
= -, he SAID, Il hear YOU. I am
ready 90 listen, dropping al once the veil
II convention which he had studiouslv
held between them ever since that first
evening
~ have heard from Mr. Holcombe to-
day. lie comes back here in three
days" She paused; no sound broke the
silence. She went on huTicdY: "He
comes to marry me in a few weeks and
then l 20 from here forever" Another
pause, and NicJprs voice subducd and
quiet, came from out the shadow IN which
Ae stood:
Why do you tell me this ? What have
| to do with it 3'
She did not understand him. For
moment she lclt alone, loll0n, fOrsaken,
and with a CRY that came from her soul,
she stretched out her hands and said,
An, Victor, help me, Save me from
prom 0tct p he said, springing for
wari and catching her hands in his.
"From myself" she said and then her
eyes met his and she knew that she had
told her story IL those two worls-knew
that they spoke her his, that she sought
help not against his love- but her own
She forgot all but that she loved him,
and felt only that they were one ano-
theirs.
In that supreme hour they knew that
fulnesS OF JOY, that inetiable ecStacy of
bliss that comes to human souls only
through one another, and yet which alone
OF all Coils gifts makes them feel their
divinity and live IN iuiinity, an eternity
| Ol delight in one short moment.
One such glimpse of heaven is enough
10 transiigurc lifetime. This thuv had.
| But when II was over Amy found the
| bIiITs thick in her path. She had made
| step that night which set her feet upon
| them. She promised Victor to appeal to
| Ralph, to tell him that she dil not love
| him; and hc had 50 worked up3n her, so
| strengthened and inspiritel her that She
| hali hoped Ralph world not care 80 deep
| ~, and would release her. Alter all, ne
was toe good Tor her, and would do better
with a stronger and clcverer woman. She
did not yet know that the yery pliability
| of her nature was her Chief charm for
| him. He could not have loved 4 woman
whose individuality resisted him. Care
! less that he crushed the flower he WAS
c:,.e.,,, olly TO hold it firmly enclosed in
his grasp,
1t wa5 agreed between them that they
| should moi meet again till after PIlgh's
| arrival. Both were conscious tnli ,3f.cg
tbs barriers had been broken betwc2n
them they could no longer maintain tbs
a.,.-'- -'''-i f@lAiiU.!s possible TIL th'p
On the evening OF Ralph's arrivai Ann
went 10 the station on foot To meet him
She was restless and glad 10 walk. TIL.
tram came IN, but did not bring him, and
she turned away half relieved and Vel
disappointed. As she took the WOO Z
| path leading homcward 4 stop behind
made her turn, and in g second Nicior
| joined her. lie made no attempt to ac-
! count lor ms presence and indeed she had
| forgotten that he should not be there II
was 50 sweet to see linn, she could think
OF nothing else. They had a mile to walk.
and before home WAS reached twilight
had set in. Her hand was on his arm
and his eyes melting into hers When
they reached the cottage he paused on the
steps, and said, with his heart in his
voice and his soul in his eyes:
| Let me come in ior one moment -
| The tone asked ior more than the
words, and Amy felt her resolution fad,.
when IS she hesitatcd voice from the
| door said:
Il have come, Amy. 1 hoped to find
you here"
1t was Ralph They started. and Vic
tor, hastily shaking hands with FIol-
combe, turned away, while Amy ran into
the house, whittier Ralph followed her
He said nothing of Victor, and was quite
himself, perhaps n trihe colder than
usual, but Amy felt that it had better be
said that night
And il was said. She told him all -
that Is, all that she knew, for she did but
half understand the riddle she herself had
made. She told him the facts and as
much of the truth rs she knew. 1t was
Tor him To dcCiphcT the rest. But her
eloquence faileI her. Under Ralph
glance the thoughts that had seemed to
fit them alike grew exaggerated and fan
ciiul. His sway was upon her, and she
beat against his calmncss as ii IL were q
rock. lie listened quietly, grimly; and
once when she said some word Of her love