Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-21
SUNDAY READING
ut Is Such q Pity"----Alas but
: It. Was Too Trne.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WE'LL!
Why is Ons Decreed to Love Whom
He CauId Never Wed? is what
Guy Somerset Asked.

ut IL such q ,pityp' Guy Somer-
set repeated to himself, just as be
had done unnumbered times before.
He felt impatient because it wal
10, vexed because he could not ban
ish the words from his mind-be-
cause that single sentence, haunted
his heart and brain like . knell OF
doom,
But 1t was 80, bitterly true-the
truth was so. tragic-that this sad
thing was "such pityP'
He had heard the words carelessly
spoken few days before; they had
scorched themselves as if in letters
of fire upon his soul; and sleeping OF
waking, In the crowd or in solitude,
they had rung in his ears ever since.
Why had he ever come to the
place?, Why could he not have died
before hearing those fatal words?
Why was he deoreed to love one
whom he could never wed?-whom
he could never dare to make his own?
Why had he ever lived to meet
this sweet and enchanting being,
who had crept into his heart to en-
4 sthrone herselfin Its deepest and most
sacred depths?
And II seemed 80 strange and cruel
that so rare and glorious a creature
as Theodore Lorne should be men,
toned with pity.
He could see her now, strolling
beneath the great trees along the
low bank Of the blue broad river,
slim and stately in the simple ele-
gance Of her ivory-white wool gown,
her pretty hands fnll oflate summer
bloom, just glimpse Of her exquis-
ite face showing beneath the broad
ivory lace hat.
What heavenly serenity, what
royal pride, what womanly grace,
were In her every. look and move
mentl
What happiness, Unreasonable
and ineffable, would be his with her
ever beside him through life, his in
spriation, his solace, and his sweet
counselor!
JUS. as she now looked and walk
cd she had, upon that day when
those wretched words checked his
pulses, turned his blood TO ice, his
brain to fire.
"Why opeople pity her?" he had
asked Claudia Hurne, who had been
strolling beside him, just where he
was strolling now.
And Claudia had looked reluctant
and embarrassed, and had hesitated
about her reply.
"The young person being discussed
Is peculiarly unfortunate" at length,
Claudia had murmured. "Her
father was u notorious criminal,
who died in prison; both her pa
rents were the lowest Of the low; 1t
IN great pity"
That terrible thing being true the
fair, loved Theodore could never be
his own.
He could wed no bride whose
birth would be reproach to his
own stainless lineage,
With Guy Somerset poverty
would have been no obstacle where
he loved. But shame was a barrier
which naught could ever sweep
away.
How could he bear the disappoint-
ment and grief Of his gentle, noble
born mother?
How could he bear, In the years
TO come, that his children should
reproach him for shadowing their
innocent lives with criminal and
convict progenItorsg
How could he endure the scorn
aud commlseration OF his proud
sister who adored him?
Only u few hours ago she had
sent him u message, warning him
against possible danger Of being
into an unworthy alliance.
II have just been Informed" his
lister had wrtled, that an ex.
re,nsly fascinating aud equ ally un.
young person Is stopping
owewbeTe near you. | know how !