The Dickinson press., 1892-02-06

VA \ AoNS hSpt lily .plOiIllSC. II Il Sou
lsft on them is there still; no one has
touched them. l have never swerved, even
n my thoughts, for n moment from you.
4fyou had never returned, and l had lived
nifty years longer, l should have been just
g true. All other men are but shadows:
Oh, Mark, teach me-you are wiser and
Potter than teach me how to thank
heaven that you have come back to me!''
Strangely silent was he; but. as l remem-
1sred, great emotion often causes silence.
toouldnot see him, for he had drawn me
% him. l could only stand still, folded in
Ills close embrace, and murmur to him all
The loving words that came from my heart
how l had yearned for him-how long
The days, the weeks, the months and years
had been-how l had thought of him I'm
oeasingly-how, feeling sur that he was in
heaven, I had made heaven the homo Of
ny heart-how1 had been in many places
And seen many men, but there vas none
IKE him, none to be compared with him.
All the loving thoughts that had ever
8pt like water beneath his feet. The wind
Aintly stirred the green boughs above our
heads, the birds were singing blithely, and
could hear my own voice ripping on,
but not his-not his!
A gust of wind blew lilac-spray right
into my face. I seized it and kissed il
ta%ssionately.
Glow strange, Mark, that you should
come back to me in the time ofthe lilacs.
They seem almost like living friends. But,
Mark, speak to me. | say all; you say
nothing. Speak to me-"
Still I could not see his face.
"Great sorrow made me dumb, Mark" l
Oqid; great joy gives me words. Tell me
thst you are pleased to see me, to find me-"
."Nellie, my true, loving Nellie!" he said:
And I was content. Oh, wondrous love!
was content and happy, / too stood for
eome minutes in silence, the dark, hand
come beloved face bending over mine.
~ believe those happy birds know all
about it, Mark" | said: ."Hark how they
lre slnging!. If 1 had known what to-
lay would bring, how | should have
longed for it to ONE Oh, Mark, what a
debt you have to pay me! What hours !
have spent in praying for you! What
tears / have shedl You must repay ME all
those prayers and tears. Mark, raise your
know that I have hardly seen your face
But for all answer he drew me nearer to
him and whispered
"My dear, loving NELL"
I was quite content, safe in the shelter of
kis arms, my happy face resting on his
breast.
"Do you know Mark" 1said, II was so
sure you would come back to me in July,
when the four years were ended, that |
spent the greater part of every day, while
the month lasted, under the tree? Since
the world began no woman has ever loved
more truly than l love you. l am proud OF
~truth-proud that I knew and understood
you SO well-proud that no shadow Of
doubt has ever dimmed tn, sun ofmy great
love"
Still he was strangely silent, and the
6ery passion of my words was wearing
away. I wanted 20 look into the beloved
face; I wanted the dear lips to lavish love
on me, as had mine on him.
mark, look at mel" cried, IN a rapt-
ure of loving impotence. at seemed to
me, as you came along, that you were sad
and melancholy. Look at me-. See the love
That beams il my face and In my
But his head dropped lower, and he drew
A thought came to me that possibly he
had been i'll, and 1 knew how illness
changes people. Yes, he had been i'll, and
Reeing me had been too much for him.
Perhaps ifhe could have expressed his
emotion in a torrent of words as l had
Zone, he would have been better. ..
"Mark," I said, "look at me; let me see
your face. l am beginning to fear that you
1re i'll"
He raised his head, and once more the
dark eyes looked into my own. All me,
tfhs face was changed! Theyouth, the hope,
tie brightness had gone; it was pale, care
worn, wistful. But the eyes had their old
power over me.
"Have you been i'll, Mark2" 1 asked
"NG e. h;,5 replied, mot in body; I have
II will cheer you and make you better.
Why, when you went away, your face was
bright and bravel What has changed it?"
Was 7 S,,icfo1yn, nv 1e,,1l ~ h,,,o l.-. -
moan that had fallen from his lips?
MARX" / cried, you have been in sore
trouble, l am afraid; but it is all over now.
We shall never be parted again. Why
Why do you not speak to me as l speak to
Youf"-and again my trembling burning
bands chung to him, again the tears rained
nom my eyes, and the passionate love Of
~ 2S, !hs'F' found expression in whispered
All lne, he was strangely silentI And it
seemed to me, now that the first shock of
iurprise was over. that the figure to which
] chung was growing rigid.
"o S, my l9ve,n 1 cried, speak to me-to
the one woman in the world who loves
you with a great love. Why do you not
speak to me, Mark?"
~ have not recovered from my surprise,
Nellie" he said.
''surprise?" I repeated. why Mark,
you knew | was here. did you not?"
mo, Nellie; l had not the faintest idea OF
Il" he replied.
-"You did not know that I was here?
You did not come purposely to find me? I
no" he answered sadly, turning his
6ce from me.
"Then," ! asked in wonder, why did
you come: What brought you here9"S
He looked at me, and | saw how full
q agitation and distress his face was.
Nellie" he said gently, will you tell me
what brings you here2'"'
you not know" 1 asked.
II do not. l cannot even imagine" he
II am living here, as companion to Lady
Yorke," / said. 81 waited in the old home
ct Gracedieu until the four years. were
over. ! v alone, lon:ing, hoping AGAINST
hope for news ofyou every day, afraid to
20 away lest you should come in my
absence"
He laid his hand caressingly ON nv
bead, and the horrible chill that had
sssun to creep through my veins ceas-
My sweet, loyal Neliie!" he said; but in
4ome vague way the words seemed forced
10n him.
"Then you see, Marx" l went on, happy
from the caress OF his dear hand, 'my mon.
ey was gone, and l was obliged to seek q
nome. l.have been as happy here as Icould
be anywhere in the world without you"
you are Lady Yorke's companion?" he
said, as though he could not recover from
his surprise.
Have you been to Gracedieu?" l asked.
NO. he answered in a low tone.
An. well, he was here! Why he had come
mattered little. He would tell me all wher
ne recovered from his surprise. Their.
would be no secrets, no mysteries between
us, unclaSped his hapdS .p1 hold +bo,,
in mine.
you are tired, Mark, and not we'll.
am sure" l said; 'let us sit down and tall
quietly"
ooh, Nellie, Nellie, you are killing M
with every world" he cried.
"Kinlng you, Mark? Why. ! would die
ahundred times over for you! l have done
80. Every day Of your long absence ha:
been like a day of death to me"
"Hush, my darling" he cried. "Fo]
Heavens sake, hush!"
But why, Mark? Why must l not speal
you so distant and %silent?"
But for all answer he held up his han,
and repeated, Hush, my darlingl"
Why should that deadly chill com
over me? Why should my limb
tremble? There could be nothing +
fear. Mark was living. and he was wit