Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-10-09

and has but one relative in the world. q
brother, who is now travelling. To all in
tents and purposes, my father is her
| guardian and protector"
She came to you under peculiar cir
| cum stances, believer"
Yes, she was travelling with her broth
| er, and was seriously injured In the great
railway accident az Cos Cob. He brought
her here, and hired the little cottage be-
longing TO US on the lower road but soon
consented to her being taken into our
own family"
Her injuries affected her mind to a
certain extent2"
They affected her memory. For a long
time after the fever left her, all her past
life was blank; but by Little and little
| certain things have come back to her,
and again, other things have rushed upon
her memory like q great awakening, as,
for instance, her musical and other ac-
complishments. Still, she cannot recall
her parents, nor any dear friends, not
even her brother, and there is yet wide
gap In her past life.
1T is very singular, unused Leland.
And yet not without a parallel, said
Clara I have been informing myself on
the subject, and have found many cases
quite similar"
Generally speaking, her mind seems
very bright, remarked the gentleman.
Unusually SO; she has a thirst for
knowledge, and seems to comprehend, as
by intuition, everything she hears and
reads"
And now you have told me oil you
know about herr"
Yes, except what you already know,
that she is the dearest, the best girl In all
the world"
Sand, seriously, you wish me to marry
her?"
Yes, it is the one great wish of my
heart.
But pardon me. dear madam. What
| is it you ask of me? Do you yourself
fully comprehend? Have you reflected
we'll on thls2 Can either of US contract,
without imprudence, an engagement of
/ such delicate nature?"
| L dem and no positive engagement OF
| you at this time" she replied, for feel
| that would be unreasonable. You must
| be fully satisfied about Mildred first, of
course. But if You give me any eneour-
| agement 1T all, this is what I propose:
You shall secure Us respectable quarters
| In New ok, convenient to some great
| physician-a specialist, and we will re-
| move there with the least possible delay;
| and whatever can be done to restore her
| completely to her former self shall be
| done.
I believe-I almost know she loves
you already, and if you marry her am
convinced she will make you an excellent
wife. III nk-do think, Mr.. Leland; she
is SO much to me, love her better than
a sister, regard her-I love her as though
| she were my own child.
Still Leland did not speak.
Well, take time to think over it. she
! went on, and return to give me your de-
| cision, should it be favorable. If not,
we must bid each other adieu.
Mrs. Denton, said Leland, rising and
| standing before her, I will promise
never to address a word to you which a
dear brother might not utter to q sister,
or son to his mother. Is it not this
which you demand?"
Clara Denton fixed upon him for an in
slant her beautiful eyes, full of joy and
| gratitude then suddenly covered her
face with her two hands.
Thanks" she murmured; you are SO
| goodl am very happy"
She extended her hand, wet with her
tears, which he took and pressed to his
lips, bowed low, and left the room.
| If there ever was moment IN his fatal
career when the young man was worthy
of admiration, it was this.
His love for Clara Denton, however IN
worthy of her it might be, was, neverthe-
| less, great. 1t was the only true passion
| he had ever felt.
At the moment when he saw this love-
| the triumph of which he thought certain,
escape him forever, he was not only
| wounded in his pride but was crushed in
his heart. Yet he took the stroke like a
! gentleman.
bitter words, checked at once, alone be-
trayed what he suffered.
He was as pitiless for his own sorroTs
as he sought to be for those of others.
He INDUCED in none of the common in
justice hatitual to discarded lovers.
Herecognized the decision of Mrs. Den
ton as true ana final. and was not tempt
ed for moment to mistake it for one of
| those eQuiYocal arrangements by which
women sometimes deceive themselves,
and of which men always take advan-
tage.
He saw that the sacred refuge he had
| sought was inviolable.
He neither argued nor protested against
her resolve. He submitted to it, and
nobly kissed the hand which smote him.
AS to the miracle of courage, chastity,
and faith by which Clara Denton had
transformed and purified her love, he
cared not to dwell upon it.
This example. which opened to his view
divine soul naked, so to speak, destroy
ed his theories.
One word which escaped him, while
passing TO his own house, proved the
judgment which he passed upon it from
his own point of view.
very childish, he muttered, but sub
lime!"
On returning home, Leland found q
letter from his father notifying him of
his sisters marriage with Eugene Cleve-
land, which was to take place in few
days, and requesting him to come to New
York without delay.
The marriage was to be strictly private,
with only the family to assist at it.
Leland did not regret this hasty sum-
mons, as it gave him the excuse for some
diversion in his thoughts, of which he
felt the need.
He was greatly tempted to leave at once
to diminish his sutferings, but conquered
this weakness
The next evening he passed at Nathan
Metcalfs, and, though his heart was
bleeding, piqued himself on presenting
an unclouded brow and an inscrutable
smile to Clara.
He announced his speedy departure,
and explained the reason.
| aVon xfII praaapt NV hast u5cbac IN