Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-25
A Masked Marriage.
BY JOHN E.. BARRETT.

anguish and he would gladly stem the
 surge of sorrow which he knew was
 swelling about her young heart.
 "It is wrong to despair" he said.
 ''The words of the song, that Edith sung
 at the house, whisper hope to my mind,
 and there may yet be light upon my
 path, and sunshine in my heart It Is
 this hope that buoys me up in my blind-
 ness, Ned, and gives me strength to un-
 dertake this journey to Philadelphia.
 The sense of motion and the conscious
 ness that am going forward as swiftly
 ns q bird, when this train is speeding on,
 will make me feel that can see again,
 md realize, even in the dark, that God is
 daily lding something to mans com.
 fort and happiness, to compensate him
 for his shortcomings.
 Thu; Noel talked on cheerfully until
 tho time came for the train to start, and the Wel.-known "All aboard" of the con. ductor warned Ned Newcomb and Edith that they rns: quit the car if they did not want to be carried off.
 After one more hurried good-by, the young people rushed out on the platform, and th& train sped away from the Grims- by station in the direction of Philadelphia.
 Edith watched it with an aching heart until it was lost to sight, and then suf- fered herself to be led by Ned Newoomb to the carriage that still waited for them nt the entrance to the station.
 A great loneliness seemed to take pos sesNon of her as the carriage drove slow. ly back to the little home, from which father and mother were now absent for the first time in many years; but she tried to realize the responsibility that had been suddenly thrust upon her, in the care of the younger children, and to meet it with the courage and fortitude of true woman
 She knew that she must not be idle. Work and wages were now indispensable, and she must not lose any time in return. ing to her place at the sewing-machine in Gusset X Fcll's factory, provided she could find employment with that firm. The outlook was not an encouraging one for Edith, but she resolved that, come what might, she would meet the issue bravely and as became a courageous wo- man. All these thoughts passed through her mind on the way back to the deso- late little home, i'll which she must henoeforth be the ruling spirit.
 Ned Newcomb, who sat beside Edith on the way home, was not insensible to the mental struggle by which she was swayed. Her anxiety, as mirrored In the shadow upon her beautiful face, touched his heart; but he knew nothing of the greater shadow on her life which was caused by the recollection of her eX- perience at Dick Dawsons, and the thought of that mysterious marriage of which she had no actual knowledge, but of which there existed written proof and persons who claimed to be eye-witnesses.
 "Edith," snid Ned, when they were back in the little pnrlor of her home, II know how hard it Is to be cheerful when the heart is sore, and how easy it Is for others to give us advice at such time, but after all Is 1t not well to look for the silver lining of the cloud? The present may seem dark and cheerless, but there Is hope and happiness ahead. One who has passed through the very waters of the Grimsby river and come back from the brink of death, as you have done, can confront life's lesser trials and lift her face to the sunshine. Edith. if may speak as a friend, let mo tell you to take leave of despair"
 eff you may speak as q friend, dear Ned she repeated, with look of infl- mite tenderness from the depths of her large, eloquent eyes, through which her soul was shining. And who has bet ter right to be considered such3 To you, my best of friends, I owe my life, and there is no living man to whose ad- vice will more willingly listen"
 "Thank God for that, Edith!" he ex- lmpulsively. He did not quite the true import of her words. nor did she realize the construction that could be placed upon them until after they were uttered. Ned Newcomb felt his pulses beat with quiclened rhythm, md he thought the time had come for him to tell Edith how earnestly, devoted ly, unselfishly he loved her. He feared at first that the time was inopportune, but hadn't she declared, herself, with the frankness of her innocent soul, that there was no living man to whom she would more willingly listen, and why should he hesitate any longer to make known to her the place she occupied In his life? He saw her color deepen, and he felt his own heart thrilled by @ new rapture.
 In that moment of magnetic, soul-kind- ling joy, Ned felt that Edith divined his dearest thoughts, and could translate them, yet the words that rushed from bis heart to his lips, with their thrilling, Quivering message. must have utterance, and he said: II cannot keep silent any longer, Edith; love you! Oh, pardon mo for saying It," he added, as he thought he read q shadow of displeasure on her face, "but I could not help it, Edith, in- deed could not. Since the first moment we met your face has been framed in my soul, day and night, and I could no more help loving you than I can help breath. Ing, so essential does 1t seem to my very life. Speak, Edith; say, do you love me, or can hope for one kind word to tell me may yet have place in your heart"
 Ned Newcomb did not intend to say so much, but his pent-up thoughts, having