The Irish standard., 1888-12-08


was given to the grave, reserved man
! who had asked her to be his wife.
| It chilled her little when he came, that he
asked her to hear him q few minutes, be-
fore she answered his letter.
! 1T wrote to you,;" he said, in grave
| voice that was habitual to him, "asking it
you could love me well enough to be my
wife, and yet, Susie, I feel that must make
q confession before hear your answer: l
win give you, trust, q tender, true love, ii
| ypu can marry me, but I can not deceive
| you by letting you think you are the first
love OF my heart would spare the story,
| but as my wife you win be sure to hear it,"
| A hand of ice seemed to be grasping Sues
heart, but she waited, pale and silent, Tor
what was to follow.
"You have met Adela Haines, my second
cousin, have you not?' Laurence asked.
"No; WIS away when she visited your
mother
aSeyen years ago she waa my promised
wife. did not write to my mother, sure OF
| her consent, and wishing to give her hap
| py surprise on my return home. year ago,
when was on my way here, proposed 60
! ing to Baltimore, urging Adeia to agaln
visit my mother, and announcing our en-
gagement. But in Washington I met =
| school friend had not seen for years, and in
exchange Of confidence l found Adela had
given the love ] believed mine TO him. I
could have forgiven her il she had frankly
, confessed to me that the love I had owned
had strayed away from me; but she wrote to
the as if her heart was still all mine, knowing
every line falsehood. She had seemed to
me all gentleness, purity, 1rodesty and
sweetness; but by her falsehood she tore
away the mask she had worn for ma, and
saw her forward, bold and unmaidenly. 1t
was bitter waking, Sue, for had given
| her strong mans love.'
'sBut might there not have been SONIC mis-
sakes" said Sue, forgetting herself in the
sight of Laurence's anguish.
ssue, will tell you all. Adela, my be-
! trothed wife--a girl believed all modest
had seer, in c., young man, my school,
mate, as told you, "a handsome, brainless
/! fellow of wealth. She had written to him
/! in carefully dis uised hand such letters IS
no modest girl could have written to
stranger, signed IN a fictitious name; but
sue, you will scarcely believe me-she
had actually inserted her photograph to
such fellow as Ned Hazard, for him to pa
rada among his cronies and display as MS
last conquest"
White as death, she turned her face aside;
OIk AIosLa LIZ o>~'
"Iu my own breast, in a locket, wore al
30 that photograph, believing it had been
taken for me- only, during Adela's visit to
my mother. abandoned my trip to Balti-
| more, and wrote to Adela. I told her she
might have been free before, had she but
frankly told me her love was no longer
mine, and enclosed the locket in my fare
well Now, Sue, you know all, how the love
! bring you has been one wonan's play
thing, but if it may rest on yours it shall be
faithful to you only"
There was long silence in the room after
Laurence ceased speaking. Believing that
Sue was heesitating TO answer hin, after his
confidence, Laurence waited patiently,
while Sue fought a fierce mental battle.
/ She loved him. He offered her his hand,
and love she felt sure she could make as
true and enduring as the first one her hand
had ignorantly wrested from him. But 1t
would entail lifetime Of deceit, theft OF
another woman's happiness, and, it might
De, an exposure that would win her Lau-
rence's contempt for life
"Laurence's," she eaid, in choked voice,
eff Adela WAS true TO you, would 1t make
you happy9''
ut is scrarcely worth while to talk OF
| what is passed now, Sue,'' he said, gently.
sPlease answer my question: she plead
| ed.
! 1T have told you loved her," he an
swered.
! sand she loves you. She never wrote
those letters to Ned Hazard, Laurence
never sent him her picture"
| "How do you know that?"
| s:Because wrote them. I sent the pact
ire"
"Youp'
| In the excess of his a1nazement Laurence
left the sofa where be had been sitting, be-
side Sue, and stood erect before her.
"You wrote those letters.'' he repeated.
! "You sent Adela's picture to d stranger"
81 deserve all the contempt you can feel"
pleaded poor Sue, shut hear me, please, l
! Thought the picture was fancy sketch. 1t
was among some thct my cousin gave me,
assuring me there was not portrait IN the
! collection. 1t was a piece OF mischief, and
! if we had carried it out Ned Hazard would
have met Nora Les]ie's brother dressed IN
! waterproof cloak and bonnet, by appoint
i ment. He was SC conceited that we wanted
to give him a lesson; but Laurence, Inever
| suspected the picture was a portrait"
s'And Adela believes me falser' broke
from Laurence.
"I4et me write to her. Give me her ad-
Of0SS, duO ASt MC w A0AAS>Ay WIZ "~~
| have caused And Laurence, If you can,
forgive me!'
But looking up, she found herself alone.
Laurence had not dared to trust himself.
He felt it unworthy of his manhood to meet
Sues confession with reproach, and he
could not yet forgive the cruel mischief that
! had given him so many months OF acute SUI
fering,, and probably tortured Adela as
keenly.
The poor girl, whose love of merry prank
! had cost her so dear, crept to her own
room to weep over her lost happiness, while
Laurence Halstead carried the burden to his
mother for counsel and loving sympathy.
Early the next day Sue was sitting in
her own room with book in her hand, in
whose pages she vainly stro7e to interest
herself, when Mrs. 'Halstead came to her
side, Burning bushes rose to the young
girls cheek as the older said. kindly:
81 have come to thank you, dear, for your
courageous confession, and to assure you
that Adela shall never know from Laurence
! or myself who was the author of the girlish
mischief am sure you are heartily sorry
for having committed. Laurence has gone
to Baltimore. He could not wait for the