Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-09-20
lost an claim 10 mine

lost all claim to mine.a
Oakhurst could not but feel the force o.
this direct, womanly logic; in its clear lighl
how pitiful were the excuses he had france
for himself! He felt sure that pany. ever
Of the best Of men, might have erred in tn,
same way; but this was an argument which
would have much more weight with his owl
sex than with women. Men know their owl
f~railties, and are therefore charitable; wo
men consider Inconsistency to be the one I'm
~pardonable sin, and are inexorable,
He came still nearer, vainly hoping to So,
SOM indication OF relenting; but the pal,
face was as firm as it was sad.
Il said before, Agnes, that | do not attempt
TO defend my faithlessness, hardly to exten
nate il and do not at all wonder at YOU
altered temper toward me. Il was a crue.
tlow gave you. But my life shall show yor
the sincerity Of my repentance"
She shook her head rs she answered.
Nv men you left me, the last spark of low,
went out. 1t is hard to kindle anew In,
dead embers. No, when / found that you
could be untrue, all was over,-past, present,
and future"
But consider, - he said, still more earnestly.
what remains for you or me. You will
nave the memory OF this great sorrow, and
the unending remorse. / can never love
another woman while youlive, and you-may
! say twill never love again as YOU have
loved. Is it not for your own happiness, as
it is most assuredly FOR mine, that you over.
look the fault, receive me again, and trust
to the lasting effect Of the bitter lesson | have
learned. Forgive me, if / seem too bold.-if
the desire to atone for the past makes me sue
for faor1oF with YphornvrS,~a - -
less urgent, it would be because / was not
sensible Of the wrong, and careless about re.
paration."
She was silent; c~ontending passions strove
for mastery. She had not forgotten him.
them He took courage and came vet
nearer.
youg'
He reached his toward her.
"No,- pardon mel must not. It IS not
well to decide by impulse, to be swayed by
a thrill. Whenmy heart tells me to give you
my hand, it shall be yours. | don't wish 10
10 charmed out Of my calmer Judgment,
Your presence, your fiery words, and your
will, are sufficiently magnetic
MY dear Agnes, ] have been guilty of one
folly, p serious one, but you don't believe ]
am incapable of constancy henceforth. Re.
member you were away; time hung heavily
on my hands; my good nature made me ac
cept invitations which brought me into daily
contact with a woman who Of all others was
most dangerous to a man of ardent tempera-
ment The friendship which began without
a thought Of a nearer relation grew into an
intimacy which was not f~ar-sighted enough
TO check. Ia your words, l was mag
ncti1ed, thoroughly; and when, at last,
in a scene of imminent danger, ! rashly said
some things that should not have been
spoken, / found myself committed irreyoca.
bly,. II is not too much TO say that the lady
was looking for the opportunity which fate
and my own stupidity gave her. But the
spell did not last. Your face was constantly
before me like an accusing angel. ! waited
only until the lady recovered from a danger
Gus illness to tell her that 1 did not love her,
and that my heart, as well as my faith, was
yours. | went at once to see you, and found
your father dead, yourself homeless. And
from that hour | have done nothing but
search for you. Is it in vain?-I can say no
more. Perhaps / have said too much. But
! implore you, Agnes, by the memory of our
love as it was once, by all your hope of the
future, to forgive NE, and not to make my
" AAh AA9 Cd AAAAAEAA 0Ak 90 NAG AAANG y " AARAkAAa
have been 70 you"
1t was the last word; be felt that he had
nothing further to urge. He bent over her
chair, seized her HAND and pressed IL passion
ately TO his lips, watching with the intensest
eaeerness the effect of his appeal-There was
q rustic Of silk behind him, an incoming Of
perfumes, a light footstep. He started, as
lid Agnes, and behold-Miss Irene Norcrossr
She was tastefully dressed, as usual, aud she
bore herself with superb composure. In
coming from the sunlight into the semi trans
lucent gloom which pervades modern draw
ing-rooms, people are not easily recognized,
and the lady swept majestically across the
floor, and took a seat, without a sign of con
sciousness, near the couple whose converse
ton she had interrupted.
Not so Oakhurst; it was the most danger
OILS dilemma in which he had ever been
placed, and he was thoroughly at a loss to
snow how to extricate himself. Would that
he could telegraph to Palette to come down,
50 that he could effect a decent retreat, and
mob leave the field in the sole possession Of the
enemy. The silence was becoming embarrass-
ing. lie was about to make some excuse for
departure, when the lioness fixed her eyes
upon him-her glance sparkling with mali
NANAA9 IVY - ~ NeAN NAAbNANA w soy AAA4A
Mrs. Norcross was engaged for few minutes,
that she wished to know the name OF her
visitor.
"Miss Norcross," she replied, "and please
tell her | viii wait"
Agnes remembered the NAME, and now
shared fully in Oakhurst's embarrassment.
She watched him, therefore, keenly, while
the lady began:
ooh, Mr.. Oakhurst, is it youl Why didn't
you speak? Is it not worth while TO keep a
memory Of the old disappointment Let by
goes be bygones. Besides, l see you know
the remedy for heartbreak; if you can't sue
coed where you would, you may try else
where. And you seemed to be getting on
very well when | came in."
miss Norcross, " he retorted, Indignantly,
"there is as little need Of your %ironical condo.
lence as Of your uugenerous i~nsinuations."
what an impatient fellow and so sensi-
tive, too! Tit wound is not healed, then.
Pray Introduce me to the zerlina in our lit
tie opera. As | NOW you so well, l can
give her some excellent counsel about man