Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-12-25

1 vicinity ndQ ever De6n favored
At the comparatively early age OF
hree-and-twenty, therefore, Vance Wye
| vile had found himself in a very pleas
ant and profitable situation
He Wasnot only popular with the public
| but with his professional brethren.
He had made discoveries and effected
/ cures which had attracted the attention
/ of leading medical authorities, who had
| spoken of his labors with the praise they
deserved, not little TO the delight and
satisfaction of the admiring and devoted
uncle.
Perhaps the moving cause of this sue
cess was the fact that Vance was thor
oughly in love with his profession.
As kind Of heart as he was gentle and
polished in demeanor, he thoroughly en-
| joyed his capacity to put an end to human
suffering, and it is doubtful if the pa
tients he saved or benefited rejoiced
more heartily at his triumphs than he
did.
Every life he saved or blessed gave a
new charm and gladness to his own.
@And yet you love me, Jessie, =" repeat
ed Vance WyeVille, rOusing himself from
his bitter anguish and desolation, and
continuing to contemplate the sorroWing
girl with infinite yearning and tender
ness. "You have shown it in thousand
ways. Your treatment of me for months
past can only mean that my attentions
have been agreeable to you. You have
avowed your love for me as much in
deed and word as in those gentle, timid
glances which tell their story! You can
not deny that you return my passion,
JessieI"
''Nor do I wish to deny it, Vance, de-
clared Jessie, as frankly as sadly, raising
her head and looking into the face of her
lover with the double intensity Of affec-
ton and despair. ''Ohl If it be love to
live only in your presence, then am I in
deed in love with you. If it be love to
regard you as the incarnation of all that
is good and grand in the world, then no
doubt whatever can be thrown upon the
ferVency and depth of my affection.
How truly and sincerely I love you,
Vance WyeYille, no one can ever know.
And L shall love you always and for
ever"
"Then why, darling, oh, why, this
strange refusal to marry me?" demanded
Vance Wyeville, in anguished tones.
"Why is it that you are resolved to ban
ish me forever from you sight, in this
strange manner?" and tears appeared in
the lovers eyes as he again drew the girl
nearer. "You surely owe me an eXpla-
nation. Have 1 in any way offended
you?"
Jessie Moreland shook her head vigor-
ously, still striving to escape from the
arms that held her.
''YOu do not doubt the sincerity of my
love, darling?"
"Nol Mol"
as your mother opposed to our I'M
ion?"
"NOt in any such sense as your words
imply, dear Vance. She only fears that
our marriage would be an unhappy one.
That's all"
"What a singular misgiving! Have
you any idea what can have inspired her
with such an extraordinary fear?"
The maiden was silent, as if afraid
that reply would lead to grave compli-
cations of a situation which had already
become intensely painful.
SIN any case, your mother is not the
cause of your REFUSAL" pursued Vance.
81 must look elsewhere. Have you heard
anything against me?"
"No, Vance. And if I had, do you
think any ones ISLANDERS would have had
the least effect upon me, other than to
inspire me with contempt for the SLAM
derer?"
ais it because am unknown, as almost
every young doctor is bound to be at the
beginning of his career?" pursued the
lover, earnestly.
"Most certainly not"
as its it because am a doctor?"
The maiden shook her head again.
HWhat nobler profession could you
haYe?" she asked. as there anything
better in the whole field of human toll
and study than to minister to our fellow
beings, curing their diseases and reliev-
ing their sufferings?"
"Then what, in heavens name, Jessie,
is the trouble?" demanded the lover, i'm
petuously. "Why not be frank with me2
If there is really any reason why you
should not accept my hand in marriage,
the very least you can do is to tell me
what it is. :"
He waited few moments for the an
swer of the sorrowing girl, and then ex-
claimed, earnestly:
"Oh, Jessiei Jessiel cannot give you
upl You must not ask me to do so! You
wrong yourself as much as you wrong
me by any such thought. Become my
own darling wife, and Danish all this I'M
rest and apprehension forever. You
cannot possibly doubt my love, dear Jes-
sic, after all the assurances 1 have given
you of it,"
"Oh, no, no, Vance!"
"Then why not marry me, darling?"
81 cannot; I must not, dear Vance,
assured Jessie Moreland, writhing anew
in the loving embrace which so persist
emily detained her "There is a curse
upon me-a curse which has been hered-
itary in our family for many generations,
and of which am the latest victiml A
terrible cursel" she added, with bated
breath, (which will never, never per-
petuate, and which I am determined
shall end with mel A horrible and with
ering blight and aff1iction, which the
women of our race have long been doom
ed to think about the last thing when
they lie down at night and the first thing
when they awaken in the morningl A
hideous and dire misfortune, which poi
sons every JOY Of our lives, and makes
US wish with the dawn of every new day
that it might mercifully be the lastl"
Vance Wyeville was startled by the
wild, gloomy impetuosity of the girls
speech and mien, her eyes and face glow