The Dickinson press., 1892-01-16
LOVE FOR A DAY.
CHAPTER II-CoNrlNuEp.

between Mark and me-"
"Some loves" said my mother. last for
over, some for a day; and, oh, my dear Mel
lie, it seems to me that this last is, in these
-"Love for a day l echoed "Ah, thank
Heaven, that is not Marks Lowell"
My mother looked at me anxiously.
wonder how many mothers have given to
their daughters just the same sensible ad-
vice, and just as much in vain?
ID you quite understand, Nellie" asked
my gentle loving mother, what l mean,
what want you to do? Mark is to be alb
sent four years. / do not say that this love
will change or grow less; but ] beg ofyou
70 leave yourself one chance. DO not give
him such entire love that, if he should die
or forget you, or any circumstance should
part you, your whole life would be ruined.
Love with caution, Nellie"
There is no need for caution with
Mark cried my happy heart. To Mark,
my handsome lover, l might give in super
abundance the lavish love that filled my
heart: and the words of my mothers warn
Ing fell on needless ears.
l can remcmher a warm day in June,
when Mark and | sought the shade of the
tall trees that grew by the river. A refresh
Ing. breeze came over the water. and the
birds were silent in the great heat, We
were talking otour marriage, OF that bright
future which, like the June sunshine, had
no shadow. Suddenly Mark asked me
"Have you any relatives. Nellie? You
and your mother seem to be quite alone in
the world"
l told him that my father was an only
same. The only relatives l had ever heard
OF were some distant ones i'll America: but
l had none in England.
alt must have been lonely for you, my
darling, before | came" he said.
l told him how my home-duties and my
lave al ,,nt,r, ,t' ~ n.,,, t,,o. ,,{ HAL,
had filled my life. ! had lived then in the
gray Of the twilight; l lived now in the
light ofthe glorious sun.
How little l dreamed that morning,
that fair May. morning that | was to meet
my tate.' said Mark. Nellie, | shall
never forget how your hair cleaned in the
sunshine"
81 looked up at him with happy eyes;
"We were talking about relatives, Mark"
I said "Have you many??'
ours is a very peculiar family" he said,
laughing. "We have some relatives on my
mothers side who are very poor; they live
in London. On my fathers side we nave
some distant relatives who are very rich;
but we do not correspond with either.
These rich people have a title too: but l
shall never trouble them. fever l have a
title, it shall be through winning it; if ever
! have a fortune. l shall nave made it,
Nellie"
My noble Mark! My whole heart bowed
down before him; he was SO brave, SO gall
liant, so independent, as all true men are"
l never recalled that conversation. those
few words, until l knew who Mark Upton's
relatives We're.
CHAPTER III.
When the corn was cut down, and the
ripe fruit gathered in from the orchards;
when the "tree and happy barley" lay un
der the scythe, Mark had gone.
When the hour of parting came, l be-
Eeve Mark would have given up the APP
R%ointment, with all its advantages, rather
than leave me. Twenty times he kissed
me with dispairing passion and love, left
me, and returned. He could not leave me;
I could not let him go. My mother said it
was useless to prolong the agony of part
Mark looked at her with a white set
face.
II cannot 60" he said hoarsely.
He had to leave Gracedieu by the last
train that evening. and sail from London
on the morrow. He had spent the whole
the cottage early on this morning of his
last day. Outside the very glory of sum-
mer lay over the land. We stood watch
ing the golden sunshine with the chill of
our parting upon us, a chill more bitter
than the chill of death. Mark had loosen
tress.
"That shall lie next my heart Nell, even
when l am dead" he said. promise me
that no hand but mine shall touch these
golden curls of yours while l am away.
You are very beautiful Nell, although you
and men will admire you; but you must
not listen to them. You are mine, all
mine-mine only"
1 told Observation-Disclosures all other
men were to me like shadows.
promise me, Nell" he said. as he kissed
my lips again and again, ''that no one
shall kiss you while 1 am away"
Dear heart, what tear!" l cried. Then
you will loveandthink of metoo, Mark?"
~ shall think ofno one else, Nell"
"And you will not call any one else
beautiful, orr"
He interrupted me with a laugh.
perhaps | should be happier i'll could
think less of yon, Nellie" he said. MY
life will be one unceasing longing for you"
"My dear Mark" said my mother, if
you areto catch the six o'clock train, it is
time you Went"
His face grew white, and a dark shadow
Nellie, Just come a little way, with me-"
where we first met"
Once more we stood by the lilac-trees;
every flower was dead, but the green leaves
were there still.
~ shall leave you here, my darling"
said my lover in a low voice. 81 shall be
four years away from you, Nellie. Promise
me that when l return you will meet me
here, in this same place. Here, where I
met the sweetest love ever given to man.
by, Nellie"
"Good-by, Mark I whispered.
For one brief moment he put his face on
mine; he kissed my brow and my lips; for
one moment, sweet and bitter as death, !
lay with my head upon his breast; and
then he was gone. There was a binding
waters in my ears. A sharp and bitter pain
seemed to pierce my heart; l felt my whole
frame tremble. Then the blue sky, the
green earth, the trees, and the river were
all one, and l rceled and fell upon the
grass. | could not weep; | could not cry
out. No word came to relieve my dumb
anguish and despair.
"0h, child. be warned" said my moth,
not give to any creature the love that be-
longs to One only ""
1 lived through it-through the rest of
evenings. the moonlit nights. For some
weeks 1 had no companion save dis
pair. I wept whenever l was alone, but 1
dared not let my mother know how sorely
l grieved.
-Four years, four long dreary years I
must wait: but there -
He would come again, my brave young
lover. My mother helped me by setting
me to work. l could make SO many
beautiful things for my home in four
years, she said. l could paint; l could do a
hundred things that would fill the time,
and 1 should know that 1 was working for
him.
One whole year passed by. Every mail
brought me a letter, a glowing lovc-letter,
and l was growing happy. again. Only
three years to wait now until i should see
Mark under the lilacs againl Then clouds
began to gather. Doctor Upton. who, al.
though. he had laughed at us as young
lovers, had always been very kind to me,
disd suddenly. He fell down in
the street. and was carried home
senseless. He never spoke again. He died
the same evening, to the grief and distress
of every one who knew him. A chill fear
erept into my heart; l could not tell why.
but his fathers death seemed to take me
further from Mark. The lawyers managed
everything. The doctors practice was sold,
also his house, and furniture. and the sum