The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-04-28

as II tnls story nad snaken your
love"
Nor has it. Leda will ever be TO
me the one woman l love, and l
care nothing for her obscure origin,
nothing for her fortune. Rich or
poor she will ever be the same to
me-
"Bnt you will not urge her to
leave me yet-not until spring2 'Tis
hut few months, but it is all my
life?"
Il will not ask her to leave you"
Herbert said, deeply moved by the
pathos of those last words "but let
ME speak to her, win her consent to
be my wife if l can, and have the
right to return here to comfort her
at the time you fear you must leave.
her in sorrow and loneliness"
YES, yes; but must you goY"
81 must l am here only on busi-
ness, and l must return to my home
at once. But you wish it l will
return in March,"
II do wish it."
Little doubling his Succession
while Leda was never unmaidenly,
she had never quite concealed her
shy, pure love-Herbert wooed and
won the maiden he sought for his
wife.
They were to correspond regular
ly, and in March Herbert was to re-
turn and remain with the Morri-
sons.
He was filled with new, deep hap
piness as he journeyed homeward,
and every tender, loving letter from
I.eda added to his content.
January was over when the letters
ceased.
He waited a reasonable time then
wrote. No answer.
Fastening at once to the house,
Herbert found it closed and dereTt-
ed.
The agent, whose address was on
the placard announcing the place
ITO Let" could give no information
exceptiSg that he received his orders
to let the house fr'66iG2 Mr.. Morrison
the brother of the former owner-t te
was not at the funeral himself, did
not know anything about Miss Leda
could give the address of the late
Mr.. Morrison's lawyer, and knew
that the surviving brother and bis
son were travelling.
AT the lawyers the news was
crushing. Mr.. Morrison had died
without will, and the entire prop
erty had passed into the hands of
the heir-at-law
ale was superstitious," the old
lawyer said, '"fancying it would
hasten his death TO make a will.
Foolish ? Well, yes, but not UNI
common. Miss Leda remained a
week, but l do not know what be-
came of her then. The brother was
very unkind, one might say brutal,
for he had been jealous of her for
years, and understood perfectly well
that it was only because of his
brothers neglect that she was left
penniless instead of inheriting the
most of the estate. If hear Of her
l will let you know, certainly"
But thirteen long, weary years
passed by, and no word of Leda
reached the faithful heart waiting
and hoping to have the long-looked
for things.
No other fair face ever took the
place in Herbert's heart that Leda's g
face filled.
No other love ever drove out this
one strong love of his life, and when
he looked upon the parting gift of
his darling every throb of his heart
was as truly hers as it had been
when he bid her farewell and ten
derly kissed away her falling tears.
1t was many minutes before he
could control his agitation sufficient
to open the letter.
The date was that of the day pre-
vious to that of the funeral.
When at last he opened and read
it tears that were no shame to Her.
bert Payne's manhood coursed down
his cheeks.
In humble words Leda told him
frankly the story already familiar to
him, and her own penniless condi-
ton.
"You may not care to claim a
wife who knows nothing of her
birth" she wrote swho stands now
utterly alone, a beggar. But if-as
my heart will whisper hopefully
you still love me, you will find me
here for a week longer. If you do
not come 1 shall know you despise
me for my involuntary deceit, and /
shall accept position offered me
| hv an old friend % crnuarhnss 10 hor