Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-12-25
reality with which my life has been

reality with which my life has been
blessed"
$50 be it, prayed Jessie. @But for
you there is a future. A future wherein
the arms OF a loving, dutiful wife can be
clasped around your neck, and wherein
the prattle of joyous, beautiful children
viii have their place. God grant it,"
She was silent a moment, her bosom
rising and falling stormily, as if with
thoughts for which she had no language,
and then she resumed, hurriedly:
al come to my last requests, dear
Vance, of which I have two. The first
is that you viii forgive me for allowing
our acquaintance to go so far. knew
from the first hour of our meeting-oh
only too Welll-that 1 had no right to en-
courage your attentions, since was fore
doomed never to marryl But it was so
sweet to be loved! The futters you
caused my poor heart were so delicious!
1t was such delight to meet you'll You
had so much to say that thrilled me-!
You viii forgive me for not breaking off
the acquaintance sooner, dear Vance?"
"Forgive you, darling? I viii bless
you to my last breath for having given
me this great happiness!"
al knew you would be generous,
Vance, and she kissed him with solemn
tenderness. any second and last re-
quest is that you will order your future
life precisely as if you had never met me-
The only thing now wanting to crush
and kill me is to feel that have blighted
your life. Such is not the case, Vance?"
"No, darling. On the contrary, you
have glorifed and ennobled it,"
"Then let it be a grand success, Vance.
I want you to be honored and happy.
The world is full of sweet, good girls,
and you are one of those worthy and
gifted men who readily attract them. I
shall hope to hear of your marriage in
due course, and then"
The poor girl had assumed too much.
She broke down, and sobbed piteous1y.
Nothing that you can reasonably ask
of me, darling" assured Vance, Selling
her cold, trembling hands, "shall be re-
fused. But my heart is no longer mine,
Jessie. cannot reclaim it. feel, too,
that there is no adequate reason for this
Punishment. ] will go away now, but I
must come again; and must know more
about the curse of which you have
spoken"
"No, Vance; we must not continue
this acquaintance. We must separate
now and forever. Forgive me for all the
pain am causing you, but do not seek
to change my decision. Be sure 1t is
none the less irrevocable because I have
delayed about announcing it. Judge of
my. pain by yours, and be merciful.
Farewell, dear Vance. One last kiss"
"But, shall we not meet again, Jessie?"
asked the young physician, caressing her
as tenderly as sadly. CAT least once
more?"
"Oh, do not doubt it, darlingl" and her
eyes kindled as if the music of the
spheres had already fallen upon her
hearing. "Oh, yes. By-and-by, Vance,
when this mortality shall have put off its
letters and earthly infirmities, and we
shall have exchanged the thOrny paths of
this vale of tears for the everlasting
radiance of the starry plains above US,
then we shall meet again, dear, dear
Vancei"
A moment longer she hung upon his
breast and lips, as if upon the verge of
insensibility, as indeed she was.
And then, with final swift return of
the wonderful strength lent her by de-
spair, she tore herself from the arms of
her lover and burst into the house, with
a mien so agoniZed, so terribly indicative
of suffering, that he did not venture to
detain her or to pursue her.
She had fed from love and all that
love had to offer.