The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-06-19

friends, bosom trends: one a
daughter, the other a son, who grew
up to girlhood and manhood as init
mate friends The father of the girl
was supposed to be wealthy: he was
the owner apparently. of Il stately
home, and lived luXuriously, but the
fact was. all his property was heavily
mort gagged TO the father of the young
man.
The young mans father died, and
by the terms of his fathers will. he WAS
compelled to make the girl his wife, or
lose the wealth his father died pos
sessed of. The terms of the will We're:
II give and bequeath all die possessed of
to my son, on condition he makes the daugh-
ter of Clark Vernon his wife. If he refuses to
comply with these terms / leave him 80: the
remainder of all my possessions to be divided
among my nearest OF KIN
Diane, the young man was heart
free at the time, and the girl was fair
as a poets dream. Ii he refused to
comply with the terms of the will he
not only beggared himself, but her, and
so, without much serious thought, he
asked her to be his wife"
He paused a moment.
Diane he said slowly, after that,
he met another, and learned what loy e
meant. For love Of another woman
he was willing to forfeit all. Diane,
what should he do. as an honorable
man?"
a long. long silence-a silence in
which the girls face grew pallid, the
lovely eyes darker with pain, while thu,
man watched her. hoping against hope.
What was all earth to him in compari-
son to this dark-eyed girl?
What should he do?" she said slow
Iy."w could he do but keep his troth
to his promised wife,
He knew it would be her answer,
and yet-his passion conquered him.
Il cannot do it, Diane,' he cried.
"Oh, my love. my beautiful love,
cannot give you up!''
You cannot give up what you never
possessed, she said with faint smile;
land, Ralston, your honor is dearer to
you than all else on earth, as it is to
me; and-and we must part Our
paths lie far asunder.'
Her voice was low and faint, but
clear, and he knew she meant it.
Their paths lay far apart.
Without word he drew her toward
him and pressed his lips to hers in one
long. passionate caresS and she did
not say him nay.
''As we kiss the dead. Diane" he
said. And then: ''Good-by, sweet
heart, good-bym
And Diane Leigh was alone on the
beach. the murmuring waters at her
feet seemed to repeat the bitter-bit-
ter-sweet farewell:
''Good-by, sweetheart, good-by.n
Three weeks later she stood at the
death-bed of the man whom all her life
she had believed her father, and there
heard tale that blanched her beauti-
full face with the temptation it offered
her.
Out under the starlight she fought
again the battle with her heart.
The temptation before her was bit
terly strong.
She could 90 to the man she loved
and tell him all. He would not lose
his birth-right, and she-ah, could she
give him up-could she throw wealth
and love away together for the sake of
Ralston St. Cair's honor?
Your honor is dearer to me than
life she had said to him. Come veal
or woe Elaine Vernon should be his
wife.
For loves sweet sake l will be 81
lent she cried; my hand will never
hold the tantalus cup to my darlings
lips. | will drain it myself in silence"
And so the story told her on James
Leigh's death-bed was the secret of her
own heart.
SO Elaine Vernon's wedding day
drew near, and DANES beautiful face
grew strangely pale, her proud, dark
eyes heavy with unshed tears.
Il cannot bear it, she cried, stand
ing on the lonely beach, and stretch
ing out her hands to the blue waters
meeting the horizon. "Oh, my love,
my love, how, having known you, can
life ever be the same to me again and
you and | apart?"
The wedding day dawned clear and
bright, but standing at the window of
her dressing-room,a faint presentiment
of coming evil fell over Elaine Ver-
non.
She pushed back the soft gold waves
of her hair that fell around her, and
turning from the window walked slow
ly up and down the room.
What has come over me?" she muir
INJURED; "is there any harm in taking
the goods the gods send me? | was
only child then, and-ah, heaven, l
must have been mad-and yet l loved
him."
"Inconsistence, thy name is wom-
anm for as the words left her lips
l. I
knees, her slender form shaken with
sobs, the memory of dream long
dead and gone conquering her for the
moment.
why not welcome the goods the
gods send me?n she repeated. Had
he lived | would have gone back to
him, for l loved him: but when this
temptation came. / thought it best to
let the dead past bury its dead and be
SILENT
Three hours later she stood before
the altar to pledge her faith to Ralston
st. Clair - Ralston ST. Clair. whose
strange pallor could not pass unno-
ticed, and more than one present re-
marked it, and yet she was fair as
poets dream, this girl he was to wed,
in her robes of shimmering satin, the
costly veil shading the pearl-fair face,
cerulean eyes. and glistening hair.
You take this man to be your we'd
ded husband-'
Slowly and impressively the solemn
words rose and fell and then:
The lady can scarcely do that, as |
claim that relationship To her already"
And Frank Denver stepped to the
girls side, his eyes resting full on her
face, compelling her TO meet their
glance.
One glance. 1t was enough. She
stretched out her hands with low cry
Frank, oh. Frank, believed you
dead,''
And then she lay white and senseless
at his feet.
Two hours later Ralston St. Clair
stood at Diane Leighs side, holding
her hands in his and looking with pas
sionate, loving ewes down on her love