The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-29
HUSBAND AND LOVER.

NtS Wttlt, Stttt VIZ SlCN AIosuNuhu-
hood to cirlood beneath the same
roof, and for my part can say l
loved Nat allie Chester us u sister.
How beautiful she was. in the first
flush oi her peerless womanhood.
81 wonder will he be her latest con-
qucst'' asked myself, when for the
first time lhndon Stafford and she
stoou lacc to face. lie was my fatl.
ers Dung assistant, and perhaps the
only man she ever met who, pam
OPTED i'll the armor Of /. cold indiifer.
encc, seemed inscnsible to her charms.
And know this indifference piquetl u
vanity the tlattery OF many tongues
tanned into u passion.
"Does it not occ' to you, .Iyrtle,"
She said TO NE one afternoon, chat
our young doctor is u man of singu.
larly phlcsmatic temperament"
Gle has never made love to you,
Natalie" l answered lryly. "Yet it
ought to be ~ novel sensation to
meet II man who does not fall in love
and worship you"
lie checks flushed slightly, but she
rctorted with u laugh; "Would it
not be ~ more novel sensation still to
constr'in him into idolatry. They.
say that natures the least demonst,l-
tive are capable of the strongest feel.
inss, and that the spark once applied
to the latent tire you are treated to II
conllagratiun."
sh, spoke lightly, but the glance
that i'as!icl from the dusky beauty OF
her eyes convinced me hat ii I'LL the
devices OF IL fascinating woman did
not full her she would bring l.indon
Stafford to her feet. 1, who watched
Mr.. Stafford kccnly, saw that he was
struggling with a passion that lie
felt would only brins him nnhnppi.
ness. But the hour h;ul come
when strong mems souls would he
tried i'll the cruciblc OF u great
itilliction, and l.inlon stafford. stand
ing face to face with uncompromsing
necessity, dare no longer ritter away
existence in IL dream OF love. The
terrible scourse of yellow fever had
spept over Memphis. and within u
week it presented all the appearance of
u city OF the dead. In their abjcct
terror the people fled they cared not
whittier, and fear for the time being
crushed all the noblcr instincts of
humanity from hearts where craven
setishness predominated. My father's
first thought was for Natalic's safety
and mine, and to this end he telegraph.
ed to Miss Chester's other guardian
who was then u resident i'll IL northern
state. II due time that gentleman
arrived to carry his beautiful ward
and me far from the reach of the im-
pending danger, but no remonstrlnce,
no entreaty, could induce me to de.
scrt what | conceived TO DC my post
OF duty. Shall ever forget that night
when Natalie left us. Before bidding
her good-by l had hurried upstairs
for parcel she had forgotten, and in
returning in II minute or so to find
DIR. Stafford in the room, paused
outside the door,
"lntenled to say farewell" she said
MS. with downcast eyes, she held out
her hand.
"fou must think me very cowardly
to flee from danger while Myrtle insists
on remaining"
Miss Cr;tiss place is by her fathers
side" he answered.; "but it would be
worse than madness in your friends
to allow you to incur risks that could
bring no possible good TO amy one.
And then you are to young and beau
tifu to die'
"And ii this parting should be for
ever what would you say to ME, Mr..
Staiford?"
II would say farewell-only fare.
well, he replied, cvusively, as he re.
leased her hand. Her eyes looked ILL.,
to his, and IL cry escaped him us he
caught her i'll his arms, and If mans
love ever went out to woman it was
in That lingering kiss he pressed upon
her lips. turned away, and, with
trembling limbs and sinking heart,
stole quietly upstairs. For l had
learned to love this man even with u
hopelessness that intensified passion
which had changelthecurrcnt my life
into ACCLAIMED whose source was bitter
ness ana sorrow. amnot going o lin
ger over the days that followed when,
as an hospital nurse, tried TO forget
my folly. Within two weeks the sum
mons came to the only one that loved
me, and | WAS an orphan. DIR. Stat
lord WIS also stricken down, and
nursed him through his illness to re-
:overy. and when the scouiyea length
had passed away, l found myself
alone and almost friendless in the
world. One day 1.indon Stafford,
while still pale and emaciated, came
TO me and asked me to be his wife.
knew too well he did not love me.
knew his every thought was with the
beautiful Natalie in her northern
home: but, oh, my God. l could not
let him leave me, and in the blind fatal
ism of a woman's love l cheated my.
self into the belief that in time would
win his heart. And SO We were mar
ricd. and the bridal kiss he gave me,
in it's GOODNESS, chilled my lips and
heart. But did not marry him to in
:luigc i'll vain regrets, and Linden Stat.
lord was too loyal u gentleman, too
sensitive to truth and honor, to be
other than the kindest hu sband. The
first Year OF my welded life was draw
to close, when one morning l re-
ceived Il letter from Natalie. She was
coming south with her guardian Tor
the winter and would spend u day or
two with us, she wrote. Shcremainetl
II week with us-ior me week OF tor
tnre. for, us said, my husband lin
sered often by her side. | fear the
smoldering fire OF an unforgotten love
had burned into flame again within
his breast.
1t was Christmas eve, and Natalie
kissed me in bidding megood-bye. Oh!
t he treason OF IL wohan's kiss to q
woman, thought, as watched her
dark eyes turned to my husbands
face when he took his seat besisle
her i'll the carriage to leave
her at the depot. Motionless
and mute rs ii grief had turned
me to stone, stood beside the win.
dow and looked out ON the dismal
street. And as the minutes passed
this maddening thought occurred to
me. Would my husband, the husband
that ! loved, desert mo now for this
beautiful Natalie;would his loyaltvalld
honor be forgotten in an unholy pas.
sion? My hands and checks and brow
wcr" deathly cold, and yet my brain
was on fire. The objcctso OH the street
had. to my vision, grown indistinct,
and turned to tottcr to a chair as !
l.indon noiscssly entered the room.
There was Il tender sadness in his ewes
l,..1 al