The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-05-25
NUMBER IS.

A dlu nOt know II was Such crime rs
you say"
"And If you had known" he cried.
Il should have destroyed it just the
same"
You swear it is true?" he said.
q swear il" she replied.
They stood looking at each other.
while the sunbeams fel: betn--u them
AMI the birds sung on the roses outside
the winiow.
Veronica was the first to break the ter
Eib.e silence.
"NIarc," she said, "you will not bctray
me-"
No" he replied slowly, 81 viii not
beirsv you, .est the iron hand of tie law
shou;d grasp YOU. Great Heaven. how
could you have done s7cn deed ~
She looked at him with a shudder.
Could really be pat into PRISON Tor
it ?o she said.
''les, if those whom YOU have de-
fran ~ chose to prosecute you =" and
then he wondered for soft. sweet .iaht
ra:ne over the white stiffness OF her
lace
y see" she said slowly q under
stand"
Veronica" he cried chow Gallons you
are! You seem to have no shame ior
the deed that you have done"
She was asking herself what she should
do-how she should make him under
stand; and then, with great, sharp,
bitter pan-. the thought came to her.
that she could never make him under
stand-tbat she could never break her
oath. the oIth taken with her hands on
her deap fathers heart. He was looking
at her with wistiul eyes"
"You, Veronica" he said. "whom
thought Of all women the most perfect,
will you tell me why you did this? WIZ
you give me some explanation OF the
mystery-any key by which l may solve
it, viii YOU say one word that viii
essen my misery ?"
a cannot she replied. Il am bound
in chains OF iron-I cannot. | tel YOU
this one bare fact - burned the viii.
You must trust me all in all-or not at
all"
Trust you? Great Heaven. trust a
woman who could burn the Will OF
dead man! Stay-ten me one thing.
Did he wish you to destroy it? Did be
ask You TO DO so ~
NO" she replied, she did not"
''Thcn do not ask me to trust you,
Veronica. No mans honor would be
safe in such hands. II there is mvs-
lcry. and you vii. explain IL 10 me, good
that will do. ii not, we must part"
She held out her arms 10 him with a
low cry.
Part" she repeated - part you
and T.
Yes, - he answered. coldly, eifit broke
my heart a hundred times over You
do not suppose that l, a man Of honor
could marry 4 woman who had delIber-
ately destroyed the Will Of a dead man?
would not marry such one even il
the loss of her killed me-
81 never thought OF that" she said
clasping her hands.
81 should imagine not" replied Sir
Mare. Il could never loot, at you with
out remembering what you had done.
/ should be wretched, miserable. We
must part"
part" she repeated family. "Oh,
Marc, thought you loved me 50 q"
Loved youl 1 love You even now
despite what you have done; but marry
You l cannot, Veronica. Your own con-
duct has parted US"
"You must not leave me, Marc" she
said, holding oct her arms 10 linn. You
are more than my life; you must not
go"
y could never trust yOu," he said
holding back her arms lest They should
clasp his neck unawares. There Is no
help for it, Veronica. Unicss you can
explain away this mystery, We must
part.
Think it over, and give me the answer
yourself"
Ske stood quite silent before him, her
white face droo:-ae from the --r.n .e.
her han Is ciasped in morta. pain Was
there any ci.ance, any .oop-holc OF es-
cape? Cou.d anything abso.vc her from
her s.,.-=n vow? No. there could be no
release. 1t Was for kathcrinc's sake, for
ker father memory-the same urgent
reasons that had influenced her before
existed now. Were she 10 be induced
to break her VOW, ka:hcrne would sui
fer tenlo.d. She woa.G keep it.
'Must we part, Veronica % he sail
eve, who have owed each other with So
great ,ove, must we part ."
''Unicss YOU can trust me, and let me
keep silence" she replied.
II cannot trust you; / can only say
good-by. Good-by. Veronica. You lave
broken the heart OF the man vino has
loved YOU as few ever loved Farewell"
lie d:d not touch her hand. or Kiss her
!ace, or stop TO utter one more word.
Perhaps il iIe had done 50 his strength
wouid have failed him. lie left her
Standing there in the sunshine, with the
bitterness OF death hanging over ic~.
He went III once IN SeaicI. OF Lady
Brandon. lie found her in The pretty
norning-room, alone. She cried out
when she saw his pa.e. set face
What is the matter. Sir Mare? What
is wrong2
Il want TO speak TO you, Lady Fran
: DON" he said. Veronica and I have
had some unpleasant words. We have
had quarrel that can never be healed.
and we have parted forever
Lady Brandon held up her hands in
dismay.
Can it be possible, Sir Marc, that you
have parted with Veronica? Why. il
will break her heart 1t must not be.
let me 20 to her-let me talk TO her. J.
she has offended you, she viii. am sure
be very sorry; let me 90 10 her |
know how She owes you, my poor Yer