Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-10
more. will think OF you, but see yon

more. I will think otyou, but see yon
.gain---never!"
You are right, Nellie, and have no
eason to complain. It is all my own fault.
have paid a bitter price for my weakness
md fol1y---only Heaven knows hoo bitter;
nan can never tell. / deserve to suffer!n
What shall you do?" asked, LGokins
With loving longing eyes at the dark hand
ONE face, SO humble and so sad.
light have done with the world. [ will
lever visit nor receive visitors again; have
inished with society. I cannot bear the dis
grace; but shall do my best for nv hapless
wife. l broke one vow; I will not break
mother. 1t was for better, for worse;and it is
or the worse. l shall take her away from
ngland, find some place where there are
If her. There is no hope, l fear; but will
10 my best until the very end. fastened
heyoke around my own neck; IL must bear it
With patience and courage l say good bye
o all that is bright in life tonight. Nellie.
would rather die thousand deaths than
light to darkness. There is one thing only
hat can make me less sad and less sorrow
ul.'
"What is it, Mark" asked with fast
alling tears.
cit is This, Nellie that before I
f 1e you urd Tll say y1 %v '0iI Igis is me-
,eavy one, and the heaviest part par of + it Is s
he sorrow that my mad folly has brought
lpon you. Say you forgive me. Let me
take into my dreary exile that knowledge,
md it will be to me CLEAN of happiness,
he only one that can reach me after my
,owardice, my weakness, my folly, my be-
rayal OF your faith and trust. Oh, lost
owe of my youth. OH true love Of my
leart, forgive me, forgive me''
He was kneeling at my feet. Was it
wrong, when, l saw his white face so full
Of anguish. his eyes so full of pain-was it
wrong to bend over him, to put my face
ny whole soul on my lips; while said
1 forgive you, dearest love! Good-by!"
The last sound ! Hmember was the ter
rible, passionate sUbbng of strong
man, and then came to me merciful
oblivion.
They left Westwood early the next morn
ng. How the removal was managed 1
never heard, and was too sick at heart to
inquire.
spent the next two years with Lady
Iorke as happy as could ever be in this
world, helping her in all her good deeds
md works of charity, thinking always, with
sorely aching heart of Mark.
wrote. He had kept his word; he had cut
himself adri:t from every social tie and
from the world.
1 asked Lady Yorke if she had received
any letter from him. The answer was
always No." but we often SPOKE when we
were quite alone of the beautiful, hapless
woman who was worse than dead.
One morning Lord Yorke looked up
from his paper.
"Louise " he said, "here is news Listen.
AT Nice, the 18th inst, CATER long and
lingering illness, Lurline, Lady severne
aged twenty-seven."
AND y0%dng 10 t6e lay
illness had been sent to help to purify that
poor sinful soul, in which, after all, there
had been yearning for good. Had she
gone
''Where the houseless shall seek shelter
The lonely shall find friend
Where the hearts desire shall be granted -,
That:hath trusted and loved to the end?"
never in all the after-years asked how
.he died. The only thing told me was
'She died in peace'' and know how great
IS the mercy, of heaven, how perfect this
pardon for sin.
'wo years afterward, and asked me again
20 be his wife.
II know, Nellie" he said, that some
women of nature lower than yours would
punish me now, would take their revenge,
would send me away broken-hearted and
wretched. would give me back pain for
pain, would delight in heaping scorn and
contempt on me. You might do SO, Nellie;
am at your mercy: Ifyou send me away
cannot complain; but as there is mercy
n heaven, there should be mercy on earth.
Love. my love, take me; help ME to be a
better man; help me to be noble and strong!
My. My life n is IN your hands, Nellie; will you
How could I, when I had loved
him, and him only, all my life?
How could I, when every glance, every
word of his was dear to me, How could
I, when my heart, my love, were his, as
they had always been? I did not say him
nay. Mark knows best what I said
/ am Lady Severne now, with fair chill
dren growing round me, and love my
husband, just as much as 1 did when we
met and parted under the lilac-trees. I
love him 50 we'll and so dearly that pray
may die looking on his face
The only reference to the past that Mark
ever made was one day when he took me
In his arms, and said
"Nellie, my love for you was never Love
for day."
THE END.