The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-20
A LOST LOVE.

Martha Hargrave was an only c.,.ld Of
| one of the wealthiest inhabitants of Elm's
| Cross the expectant heiress of his fortune
and possessed in her own right Of a5, 900.
| In such circumstances it may be sup
| posed that she attracted not little the
attention of blushing striplings and specu-
lative mammas. These werc with the ex-
ception of one family, of her own society
| for Mr.. and Mrs. Hargrave were Quakers
| of the old school and confined themselves
almost exclusively within the circle of
their friends. The exception was formed
by widow lady and her son, the former
an early intimate of Mrs. Hargrave, now
| living on n small annuity, from which she
contriyed to save little every year to pay
| for her boys outfit in the world.
Richard Temple was we'll calculated to
be the object Of a mothers doting affec-
tion; he was a fine, spirited, generous,
handsome lad, two or three years older
than Martha, of whom he was the play.
mate in childhood. Richard looked upon
Martha as his sister till he began to feel
as personal injury the admiring looks
| that were thrown upon her from under the
broad brims Of the young Quakers, and the
affection of the boy was suffered to ripen
into the love of the young man.
While this process was going on with
Richard. in Martha the wildness of child
hood sobered gradually down into the de-
mure circumspection Of the Quaker girl.
But nevertheless when Richard came
| one day to bid her farewell before his ex-
odus into the world, her heart was too full
of the memories of her childish years to re-
member its new conventionalism and she
stood before him with her hands crossed
upon her bosom, gazing in his face with
look of girlish fondness that was made
still softer by the tears that stood trem-
bling in her beautiful eyes. He was to
proceed to London, to be completed In his
initiation into mercantile business, and
might be absent for years, and Martha felt
the separation as her first serious distress
! Richard was old enough to be aware of the
nature of his own feelings.
AS the moment of parting arrived he
drew her toward him with both hands;
his arms encircled her waist, and-how It
| happened ] know not, for the thing was
wholly out of rule-his lips were pressed
| to hers. The next moment he started
from his bewilderment; his eyes dazzled;
Martha had disappeared. He did not know,
| when in the morning the stage coach was
carrying him from Elm's Cross, that a
young girl was sitting behind blind in
the highest room of that house watching
the vehicle till it was lost in her binding
! tears. .-..
! am unable to trace the adventures of
| Richard Temple in London, but they ap-
pear to have been comparatively fortunate,
since at the end of only three years he was
a junior partner in young but respecta-
BILE firm. He had seen Miss Hargrave sew
eral times during the interval but need
| not say that their intercourse had entirely
| changed its character
| At the end of the three years have
mentioned Mrs. Temple died, and Richard,
now alone in the world, and with tolerable
| prospects in business, began in due time
| to ask himself, with quaking heart and
a flushing brow, whether it were possible
for him to obtain the Quaker girl for his
bride. After much cogitation on this sub
| ject, his characteristic daring prevailed,
and addressing to Martha an eloquent his
tory of his love, accompanied by frank
statement Of his affairs and prospects, and
| q solicitation for permission to WOO her for
his wife, he ineloscd the letter, open, in a
briefer one to her father, and dispatched
the fateful missive.
The reply came from Mr.. Hargrave. It
was cool, calm, decisive. He hoped friend
Richard would speedily forget what, to
| rational minded person, ought to be hardly
| disappointment, md when his fortune
permitted it select from his own denom-
ination wife of his own degree. This in
solent letter, as the young man termed it,
| had no effect but that of rousing the fierce
and headlong energy of his nature. He
knew Martha too well to believe that she
had any share in such a production, and
he wrote at once to Mr.. Hargrave to say
that his daughter was old enough to de-
eide for herself; that on the following day
l., 4 l. =.
Elm's Cross in the hope Of hearing his
fate from Martha's own lips, even if in the
presence of her father and mother.
When Richard Temple passed across the
Dutchlike lawn of the house he felt his
heart die within him. When the respect
able middle aged servant marshaled hina
up stairs to the drawing room he followed
the man with Difference, as if he had some
, thing to say in the decision.
Martha entered the room alone, and
shutting the door glided composedly up
to Richard and offered him her hand as
usual. The clasp, though gentle, was pal
pable.
MARTHA" he said, did my letter sur
prise your Tell me only that it was too
abrupt-that it startled and hurried you.
Was it not sop
NAY, Richard"
speak, that loved you. Do you know of
the reply my letter receiyedH"
YEA, Richard"
"And you sanctioned it,"
"In meaning. .'-~-t here her voice slight
ly faltered; If the words were unkind, be
thou assured that they came neither from
MY pen nor my heart"
"Then was deceived in supposing-for
did indulge the dream-that my devo-
tion had awakened an interest in your
bosomf That interest belongs to anotherl"
II never had dearer friendship than
thine" said Martha, and raising her eyes
to his sho added, after pause, in the
clear, distinct, silvery tone which was the
character of her voice, "and never shallp'
"Yet you reject and spurn mel'
"Richard," said the Quaker girl, grow
ing still more pale, ''no more of this Thou
Dtayest agitate and unnerye, but never
change my purpose"
"What is your purpose?"
"To honor ray father and my mother"
She extended her hand to him and spoke.
The reply he had demanded was distinct
enough in her words, but a thousand
| times more SO in her look, manner, tone.
Richard never knew whether any one
| watched the stagecoach that day from the
| upper window.
Martha was not well, and her father at
length grew alarmed. They took her from
watering place to watering place; they
tried every day to give some new direction
to her thoughts. Martha was grateful.
But still she was not we'll, and when many
months had passed away the now terrified
parents, after trying everything that
science and affection could suggest for the
restoration of their only child. consulted
once more. The nature OF the step they
ultimately determined upon may be gath
| nrnd FINN t1a fn1loxrinay no,,,Y,,rionts,,,