Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-18
ait would hav. pleased you too? For you


ait would have pleased you too? For You
! like him, father?"
! Scott gave no reply; vet he loved O'Brien
and Catherine so much he had come to the
determination then and there to put an end
to his life, and so, by avenging Michael, to
remove the impediment between them.
| Catherine pursued her train Of thought.
do you remember what you said to me
one night in the spring, as we drove home
from town? 1t was lew days before first
| met him."
That was the epoch-making day of her
| life, and every event was dated before or
after.
What did say, Catherine?"
You said that woman should not be
| afraid to show her affection. That some-
times she might miss happiness by hiding it
! too well. That sometimes-you know-s
man might be in love with girl-and he
too proud to show it-unless she-Fatherp'
said Catherine, lifting pale and piteous
face, 81 love him so passionately that it is
| painful! There is pain always herer'
she pressed her hands upon her heart-"I
shall find no ease till he knows it. Day and
night I am urged by feeling I cannot ex-
| plain to tell him, although / hope for moth
ing. I ask for nothing in return. But un-
less I may speak shall die! May I
| faith er?''
Scott saw, in thfs unrequited passion of
his GATHERINGS, the expiation. demanded for
her mothers levity, the last drop in his
own cup of grief. But perhaps. too. her in
nocent confession would touch O'Brien's
heart, and when he should also find Scott
had made the final reparation, he would re-
lent and be good to her."
"Go," said Scott, "if you must, and OBJ
tain, if you can, my pardon likewise.
Goodbye, my little daughter; God be with
you"
Catherine went out into the garden and
lett her father alone.
CHAPTER TX.
She had heard his words OF fare
we'll. yet had attached no signif-
canoe to them. Preoccupied with her own
thoughts. she felt she had come to the
supreme moment of her life, and the sudden
meeting with Death himself could not have
more terror for her, or more strange sweet
ness than this thing she was about to do.
And as, too, at the hour of death, all false
shame and all conventionalities drop away,
and the soul at last comes near to other
souls, as it never could do in life, so the
rules aud teachings, all the arbitrary laws
| of society, slipped from her, and she listened
| to the voice of her heart alone.
O'Brien, turning at the end Of the grass,
| saw her as she advanced toward him. He
steeled himself to coldness.
Catherine gave him, for one instant, .
| chill and futtering hand.
You are going to leave us?" she said.
Eyes; my passage Is booked for next
week."
'But why do you go?"
"Why should Istay?" he replied roughly.
envy business is finished; have no other
| ties here"
"We had hoped. nv father and l." said
| Catherine, "you would have found England
| SO pleasant, you would not have wished to
| leave"
"Ah, of courser' he retorted bitterly.
because YOU find life pleasant yourself,
YOU imagine every one else should do so.
1t is common mistake. But you have q
home, friends, many who love you, and so
you are happy. 1 have none of these
things"
"But you might have them," said Cathe-
rine gently, ''it you wished. I"
''That is pretty speech. I suppose 1
ought to thank you? But 1 have lived o
rude, uncivilized life too long ever to ac-
quire the knack of giving and taking the
pretty nothings Of society"
The savage way he said this,
| the apparent anger that blazed
| from his eyes, did not daunt Catherine; on
the contrary, it gave her courage.
milne was no pretty speech, and you
know it," she answered; ''if you 60 it is to
please yourself. not because there are none
to regret you here"
IF thought you would regret me" said
he, tentatively; "but no, should be fool
SO to deceive myself You will forget me
in a week. There is no one who cares for
me-
This speech was framed with the cruelty
| deliberate purpose of learning more. He
watched her closely to note its effect, and he
saw how it awakened some strong emotion
| in the depths of her pensive eyes, how it
, changed the expression of her sweet and
tremulous mouth, and brought the vivid
| color to her cheek.
But to herself she seemed to be lifted
! above time and space, to be standing with
O'Bren in spirit only, she felt herself brave
and free to speak her inmost thoughts as only
a spirit may.
''Do not say that no one cares for YOU"
she began, "for there is girl who loves
you, and has loved you all along. Why
should be ashamed to own it? Does it do
you any harm, or me any dishonor? 1
| think it does me honorl I am better,
prouder, and more glad since have known
you than ever was in my lie before. And
ask nothing IRON you in return, only L
could not let you go away without telling
you. said to myself, we are allowed to
show our feelings of kindness, friendship.
or admiration; why then must love,
which is best of ali. be hidden
forever in our hearts as if it were
something criminal? Let me tell you
everything. At first you were always good
to me; thought that you liked me, and
tried to please You. Then you grew cold,
and 1 was tormented, always wondering
what was the reason. Sometimes fancied
if 1 had not been rich, you would have
come nearer to me; and yet my heart told
me that a man who loved a woman at all
would hold her far beyond and above her
wealth. But then, when L heard just now
you we're going away forever, felt L could
not let you so in ignorance; for, even where
one cannot return the same affection, it is
| surely good to know oneself beloved. And
1 like to imagine that, in the days to come,
when you yourself will love some good and
beautiful woman, what have told you will
return to you and give you confidence.
And do not think 1 shall he unhappy now,