Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-08-28
He nansed a moment.

'Diane, he salu slowly, a1ter tnat,
he met another, and learned what love
meant For love of another woman
he was willing to forfeit all. Diane,
what should he do, as an honorable
uianp"
A long, long silence-a silence In
which the girls face grew pallid tina
lovely eyes darker with pain, while the
man watched her, hoping against hope.
What was all earth to him in COMPARE
son to this dark-eyed grip
What should he dop" she said slow
ly, what could he do but keep his troth
to his promised wife?"
He knew it would be her answer,
and yet-his passion conquered him.
II cannot do it, Diane!" he cried.
"Oh, my love. my beautiful love, l
cannot give you upH'
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 ono
long, passionate caress, and she did
not say him nay.
LAS 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
10 h.
ter-swect farewell:
"Good-by. sweetheart, good-by."
Three weeks later she stood at the
death-bed of the man whom all her life
she had believed her father, and there
heard a 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 go 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. Glars honor?
Your honor is dearer to mo than
life" she had said to him, Come veal
or woe Elaine Vernon should be his
wife.
For loves sweet sake | will be ST.
lent" she cried; my hand will never
hold the tantalus cup to my darling's
lips. Twill 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 Veruon'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 prescntiment
OF coming evil fell over Elaine Ver-
non.
She pushed back the soft gold waves
of her hair that fell around her. aud
turning from the window walked slow
ly up and down the room.
What has come over mc?" she MUIR
INJURED; "is there any harm in taking
the goods the gods send me? was
only a child then, and-ah, heaven,
must have been mad-and yet loved
him."
"InconSistence, thy name is won.
AMI for us the words left her lips
Elaine Vernon sunk down on her
knees, her slender form shaken with
sobs, the memory of a dream long
dead and gone conquering her for the
moment.
why not welcome the goods tho
gods send meP" she repeated. Had
he lived | would have gone back to
him, for | loved him; but when thi.
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 uuno.
ticed, and more than one present re.
marked II, and yet she was fair as a
poets dream, this girl he was to wed,
in her robes OF shimmeriug satin, the
costly veil shading the pcarl-fair face,
ceruIean eyes. and giistening 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 |
al ,1,,, ~
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 a low cry
Frank, oh, Frank, l believed you
dcadm
And then she lay white and senseless
at his feet.
Two hours later Ralston ST. Clair
stood at Diane Lcigh's side. holding
her hands in his and looking with pas
sionatc, loving eyes down on her love-
ly face.
Love, sweet love" he said "fate
has been kind to me, for it has given
me you, if lose all else, for certain
~ cannot marry Elaine vernon, Tor
she is the wife of another
Then Diane raised her lovely ewes.
You can marry Clark Vcrnon's
daughter even yet" she said. land full
fill the terms Of the will Listen till /
tell you story James Leigh told nc
on his dcath-bed.
Three years before Clark Vernon
married Elaine's mother he married
another, dark-eycd girl, whose sta
ton in life was lower than his own.
He made her his wife, howe,tr-his
lawful wife-and then took her abroad,
and there a child was born 10 them,
and six months later the young wife
died.
The marriage was a secret one, and
Clark Vernon gave the child to James
Leigh to keep for him. and to keep the
secret of its birth rs well. for which lie
paid him well. am that child Raj
ston, and the proofs of my mothers
marriage and my own birln are in my
possession"
Clark Vernon could not deny DANES
claim.
Il want no love from you" she said.
coldly, ''only justice and the name |