Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-28
WATERBURY DEMOCRAT SATURDAY. APRIL 28 1888

already achieved to know any fear for the future. No doubt she is pining at the thought of leaving her home, but once married to him, the power and persist ence of his love will conquer all regrets. So he thinks; so he vainly believes.
 "Don't look so grieved, my darling" hand between both his own. "Think of the long and happy future that lies before you, with me forever as your slave The time will come, Nadine, when you will not regard any ties but the one that binds me to you. Ties of home and kindred wall be as naught beside it. Though now, perhaps, you give me your heart unwillingly, then you will love oven as you are be- loved Oh, that that glad hour were blended with thisr' He presses his lips ecstatically to the hand he still holds. His whole face grows bright with the affection that glows within him. Then one word that he has used returns to him with unpleasant force. Unwilling, !" he goes on musingly, drowning slightly.
 'Yes, you are unwilling to give me. your heart.''
 "Ah, nor' says she gently, and with 8 troubled air of uncertainty; "1 am not unwilling. You mistake me. I would, with all my soul, that could love you as you desire, and perhaps, indeed, in
 time"- she hesitates, as though lost in labyrinth of painful thought. "No,
 am not unwilling" she repeats again,
 feeling how good thing it would be for
 her could she indeed obliterate from her mind all the too dear past and give her self entirely to this man. "You speak as
 though I am obstinately withholding
 something-as if you believed you were robbing me of the heart on which you set such store. But it is not so. What ever else you may have stolen, it was not my love. You cannot steal that; but
 some day, perhaps, I shall give it to you. D Preoccupied as she Is with sad and hurtful memory, she is reused to present life by the curious glance and start that follows on her speech. Both are subdued
 as suddenly as they came, and Annerley
 once more regards her with only the ar
 dent look of affection that before was his;
 but Nadine cannot forget that they were
 there. Has he heard of MT. Duran? Has
 Nadine's acquaintance with him come to
 his ears? Does he suspect Duran of
 being the thief who has stolen from him
 his loves heart? She feels little cold
 and sick with anxiety as she waits for
 his next words They reassure her.
 "You give me fresh life," he says.
 "Some day, indeed, the love I crave shall be mine. And now," glancing at his watch, "I fear our last mUmen6 has come. Now I must bid yo.l farewell, until the happy time that will see me home with
 you, with our near marriage only few
 hours distant. Good-by, my darling, my
 best belovedp'
 Not living soul is in sight. Folding
 her closely in his arms, he holds her to him as though he could never again 1,a,, {o oa1, !. ,+x, the wild earnestness of his love at this instant as she never before realized it. Softened, subdued by it, she gently re turns his embrace, and then stands back from him.
 ''You will think of me-kindly, lov- ingly?' breathes he with passionate en-
 treaty. Sweetheart! if you could only know how hard it is to part from you fol even these few days! Nadine, have pity on me, and try to love me in my absence. They say absence makes the heart grow fon. 1 der;' prove the saying true. Alasl how l fatally honest your sweet eyes can be- l There is nothing in them for me-noth ing but pityl Well, even that is better than a few other things I could name 1 it is at least akin to love. But have you | no sorrow in that we must part? Are | you cold always? Suppose we should | never meet again after this hour-nevel Tn all our years on earth? would not this move you? Why, no! You look bewil | dered, but not sad It is the last mo- menti I cannot see you again tonight -because-because of Never mind
 that. Good-by, my pretty girl!'' Once again he folds her in his arms l Once again he passionately presses his | lips to hers.
 He releases her.
 "This fear of mine is folly," he whis pers heavily. "It is but for a week ol | two. We shall meet again, to know nc | other parting-save death!'
 He guides her quickly on her backward
 way to where again the gates loom large and dark Into 8 cab outside he put: her, lays his face for an instant against | her palm, and then is lost among the | growing mists of the night.
 Now, and only now, Nadine remem | bers how she had forgotten to tell him o1 | the projected visit to Valworth Park!