New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-07-16
II loved Conrad Damarel y she said.

- loved Conrad Damarel, she said,
her voice pulsing with feeling; 'Iloved
him with my whole heart, And he
he played at love. He never truly
loved me, or he would have made a
few impatient words of mine sufficient
excuse for breaking with me. / did
not mean them-God knows I did not!
But they were spoken, and he made
them his excuse. He left me standing
ii the sunlight out there
She lifted one thin tremulous hand,
and pointed to where vast sheet Of
white-covered lawn might be seen
through the window.
THAT was the love of a DamareI!
He went away and forgot the girl he
had won, and married some stranger;
and I, through all the years that have
gone by since, have remem bered- re
membered till, heart and soul grew
soured and warped
The girl went and knelt beside tho
invalid-chair, and drew one Of the thin
hands to her cheek. On that soft, fair
cheek tears were lying.
AUNT Esther, let me tell you what
Lee told me-let me tell you what his
fathers dying lips told him. y she said,
brokenly. you were so wrong-so
wrong! Conrad Damarel loved you all
his life"
lit is false! He left me because Of a
few angry words. He was glad to be
set free!' cried the woman tercely.
"He loved you; but when you babe
him go-when you told him you could
live without him-that yeu were tired
of him and his ahection-he left you.
DO you remember his parting words to
you, Aunt Esther? If you wanted to
see his face again, you would recall
him. You never did. He waited for
f syears, hoping. You sent neither
word nor line. He then met fair,
sweet girl, whose heart went out to him
without the asking whose tender nature
.e knew could never wound him, and
he outlived him.
Aunt Esther, he has lain under the
earth for seven years, and dying, he
gave the story of his love for you to his
son. That son has come to me, loving
me as his father loved you, and II
will not make his life sorrow, will not
break my own at the very root.
Hear me out-be patient yet mo-
ment. No human being should be
allowed to sever loving hearts-no
human power can part Lees and mine!
But, Aunt Esther, you will not try to
you will not"
"Hush?' cried Esther Claremont,
hoarsely; *'hush! Go-leave me! If
have wrecked my own whole life
wrecked it by my own fierce temper,
my own unholy pride! Oh, God above!''
Vera saw her lift her hands and cover
her face.
Then in the winter twilight. the girl
arose and left her there-left her to face
remorse and regret as best she might
in the very winter of her life.
An hour later the following note was
put in Vera's hands by a servant:
"Child, do What you will with your life, with
bring Conrad's son to me.
ESTHER"
And Vera went with the skating
party, and was happier than ever be-
fore, although now and then. even as
she sped like swallow over the ice, a
pitiful thought for the lonely, loyeless
woman she had left in the twilight was
with her.
1--WE will be nearer after tonight"
she told herself; land when she has
seen Lee, she will not wonder that I
love him.
Returning in the starlit cold of the
night, she led her lover to where that
frail figure lay back among the pillows.
Aunt, I have brought Lee, as you
bade me-" she said, softly.
No answer.
She bent over the still face, looked a.
moment into it, and shrank toward her
lover with cry of terror.
Aunt Esther was dead!