The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-08-24

What torture rent my heartl 1t was Us
II powerful, merciless hand had
struck me a death blow. l staggered
back and would have fallen but for the
support of fence which was near, and
which I clutched convulsively. My
head swan, my face paled to an ashy
whiteness and my eyes started from
their sockets.
Charles Cornell saw my agitation and
stepped quickly to my side.
Miss Ovens" he cried, anxiously,
"What is the matter?"
81 must go home," gasped, leaning
heavily on his arm. please take me-"
"You are Sick" he said, "and must
not leave you. Mr.. Hanley can bring
o carriage"
mo, no." / cried, vehemently. "Just
wait moment and / will be able to
walk. 1t is only little way"
81 do not think you should walk,
Miss Owens" he replied. "You are very
pale and weak. See how you tremble.
had better call Mr.. Hanley and have
him bring q carriage"
mo, no; please DON'T" said, almost
pleadingly. Don't call-anybody. I'll
be better directly"
Mr.. Cornell cast wondering glance
at tme, but urged the point no further,
and after the lapse Of minute or so he
took my arm and conducted me home.
grew calmer as we walked along, and
by exerting all my will-power and call
ing all my pride to my aid managed to
affect a cheerfulness that 1 was far
from feeling but which seemed to re-
assure my companion and allay his
fears.
81 am sorry to have troubled you,"
remarked, as Mr.. Cornell was about to
leave me.
"It was no trouble, Miss Owens,
assure you," he replied. at is pleas
ure to serve you. But you must be
more careful of yourself" he added,
land not overtax your strength. am
glad happened to meet you in time to
conduct yon home"
l did not reply. was thinking how
little occasion there would have been
for his assistance had not met him and
his companion. Evidently he did not
suspect the cause Of my indisposition,
and 1 rejoiced that he did not. I felt
that to have him know my secret would
be greater humiliation than could
bear.
When Charles Cornell left, retired
Immediately TO my room. The artificial
barrier l had erected to hedge in my
grief was fast crumbling to pieces, and
knew that in another moment IL would
60 down with crash, and the surging
waves would sweep up and pour over
me. knew l could not restrain my
tears much longer, and when the tor
rent burst wished TO be alone.
l lentered my room, and, turning the
lock, threw myself down on the bed and
let my grief have full sway. And, oh,
what hot, bitter tears I shedl How
poignant and cruel were the pains that
tore my heart, lacerating It to the CEN
ter, and draining II of hope, Joy, and
life. had received the cruelest blow
Of my life, and suffered such pangs as
/ had never experienced before. The
beatings l had received at my fathers
hands were light In comparisons; and
even the dreadful suffering / passed
through when my stepmother held my
face In the flames was nothing TO the
agony that tortured me now.
Reader, loved wiz Hanley with all
the power and the ardor Of my soul. I
had loved him above all Of mankind
from the day first knew him, but now
loved him thousandfold more than /
ever had before or during his absence.
/ had seen him again and my love had
rushed forth 10 meet him. The sight
Of his face, the look into his eyes, the
sound of his voice had enthralled my
being, and bound my heart in tho
strongest bonds of slavery. loved win
Hanley madly.
felt should never recover from snch
grief rs had fallen TO me. felt that TO
love as did and not be loved in return
would be sufficient sorrow TO blast my
life, and yet how much harder to bear
was the knowledge that WIN Hanley
did not even so much as cherish me as
a friend. How much heavier my disap-
pointment because | knew he turned
from me coldly, giving me no sign OF
recognition. Perhaps my disappoint
ment might have been less heavy had
his conduct not been so foreign to his
nature as had known him. In him |
had expected only gentle sympathy and
kindness, and had never dreamed that
he could turn from me so unfeelingly as
he had.
AS | lay In my room that afternoon
weeping my very heart out, recalled
all the little incidents of my life with
which WIN Hanley was connected.
remembered how he used 10 praise my
hair and my features, and how, q hun
dred times, he soothed my sorrows and
stilled my aching heart with words OF
sympathy. recalled, too, the time
when he came INTO my room and looked
into my SCARED and blistered face, and
remembered we'll how his eyes spoke
deeper pity than words could express
! recalled every gentle word, every ten
der look, every generous act had
known from him; and l contrasted II
all with the present, and in my anguish
of soul cried out:
"How can It be3 All, how can 1t
how can it be? How can he have
changed so much? How can he have
forgotten all Of those old days, and