The record-union., 1891-08-22

FIeury-Armand is quickly ascending
the white marble steps softly humming,
The long, long weary day
Has passed III tears away
As he hastily crosses the few feet of
moonlight he sees her. She is standing
half leaning against moss-coyered
fountain dreamily dipping her fair hands
into tho clear depths OF its waters. Her
| wrap, Il queer old-fashioned thing in
color, iading from gold into amber, and
| frOln amber melting into 4 beautiful rose
tint, has slipped from her shoulders
until it hangs ciinging loosely to her
.,waist. The beautiful head crowned with
tAts wealth of midnight hair, is bent in
pensive meditation.
For moment he stops, regarding her
beauty with eyes of yCarning love- AS
he steps suddenly forward she starts-a
smile, slow, sweet but infinitely sad,
curves her lips.
Il was expecting you, though it is al
most an hour before the time"
Yes; but the moments were like lead,
so heavy, so slow, l could not wait-I
could not wait
he catches the cool, moist hand from
the fountain. His eyes are fastened upon
her face drinking in its wondrous beauty.
lie clasps his arm around her slender
waist, with the other he encrcIes her
neck, drawing her close to him. mean
while raining kisses upon her lips, her
eyes, her brow, her hair, her chin and
throat.
'"Tell me, tell me, is it yes-it must be-"
She struggles yainly to escape, and at
| last slips from his burning embrace.
Gasping Tor breath she slowly recedeS, he
| following step by step.
Listen ~ She pants. "Listen. You ask
me to be your wife, and" a painful
food Of color iiUshes her face and neck
~ Oh
almost dance with joy. Bursting into
a passion Of tears she raises her hands
and clasps them above her head
"Oh, my love-" she means, my true
brave love, you saved my life. 1t is
yours, yours. But God pity me. Your
wife ] cannot be-"
She drops upon her knees at his feet,
clasping and kissing his hands pite-
OuSly.
He stoops and raises her in his arms.
tiercely, madly, almost frantically, he
presses her against his heart. My wife
or nothing. You, whom l love beyond
all else, my wife or nothing"
"'rhe past is nothing. You are pure,
pure as the doves which fly over st.
Marks. My wife you shall be- Mine,
mine! l love you, lore yoH.''
Again she struggles helpless in his
arms, but he holds her tight. you are
mime he whispers, mine, mine"
From the gloomy home a scream rings
out, startling the two at the mosS-covered
fountain.
Old Beta runs towards them.
is dead"
With a cry the girl darts from her
lovers arms and rushes towards the
house.
The old woman seizes his hand. "The
truth can no longer harm her, and will
lift the stain from the living. Nita was
the guilty one slowly; Nita, who is just
this minute dead"
Pityingly he gazes at the. old nurses
grief-cOnvulsed face. Poor thing! She
is losing her reason.
The old woman tries to smile, but the
smile turns into sob.
NO, senior, I'm not mad. Nita killed
her husband. All, but he was brute, a
wretch; he treated her shameful; he
struck her, and she stabbed him TO the
heart. The sister who has Just left you
is an angel, whose deed is recorded in
heaven. Nita was a cOWard--a sad cow
ard. And when she found he was dead
she begged her sister to save her. But
poor Mia was mad, quite mad at tho
time. The other promised to save her,
for when their mother lay upon her dy-
ing bed she asked the oldest one to swear
and promise to protect Nita if it required
her life to do so. That oath has been
kept, for the good God who watches over
US all, sent you to save hor. Come, we
will go TO them"
Slowly they enter the dead girls cham
Der. Calm she lays, so calm and peace
ful. Her sister is kneeling by the bed
side with her head buried upon her out
stretched arms. At his touch upon her
shoulder she raises slowly to her feet, and
bending forward she presses her mouth
to the cold, dead lips. She turns to him
whose arms are aching to receive her.
Old Beta makes the sign of the cross
above the pale forehead of the dead girl
1.-THE saints rest her SOUL" she muir
murs brokenly, and the other two echo,
"Amon.n