The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-01-12
again her eager admirers and suitors

Among them was, and ever had
been, Fred Hammond, the handsome,
dashing fellow, whose admir- alton for
her in the past had led to that fatal
Quarrel.
To him she was always colder than
to any other man in the whole circle
of her acquaintances, yet her GOODNESS
did not daunt him from trying again
and again to win the love he had
vainly sought before her marriage.
"You must learn to look kindly on
my suit in time" he urged once more,
after many failures. .'He is gone,
and it is foolish, nay, it is a terrible
wrong, to waste your whole life IN
useless mourning for him. Oh, Mrs.
Dunstan-Zoe. dear Zoe-try to for
get-try to care g. little for one who
has loved you so long and faithfully
as l."
Zoe sighed YEARLY.
How often she had told him the
same old story-that she never could
forget the one she had loved and
lost. #z
But she was on the eve OF starting
on a long journey throughout Europe
and the East with some old friends
this would put a final end to the an
| noyance. 49, Ef.-.t .%..
''You are asking still in vain. Mr..
with the usual touch of GOODNESS in
her voice. "And it must ever be in
vain, were you to ask the question
every day to the end of our natural
lives. l have no love for to give you
4 never had. I loved Earle Dun
stan only, and I shall never forget
him or cease to love his memory. I
-. But there comes Mrs. Seymour;
let us say no more about it. Only
this-you have my final irrevocable
answer. Never mention love to me
again!"
"Ah, my dear Zoe," murmured Mrs.
Seymour, half-reproachfully, as Fred
Hammond bowed himself away with
white, despairing face, I'm afraid
| you are really doing foolish thing.
l heard enough to know that you re-
fused that poor fellow for the fiftieth
time, and he absolutely worships
you. Don't you really think
that you have mourned poor
Earle long enough? It can never bring
him back, you know" she added,
gently.
"No, it can do nothing buhprove
the love he doubted when he left me, :"
sighed Zoe, drearily. ''But that
man" and her dark eyes turned,
with a flash OF scorn toward Fred
Hammond's distant, retreating form
-"why, his professions OF love but
seem like sacrilege to me! 1t was on
his account that we had that fatal
quarrel which drove my husband to
his death. No, no, dear Mrs. Sey-
mour, no living love-much less his
shall ever take the place OF my poor
Earle's memory!'
For months the little party Of
tourists wandered about the old
world, and at length found themselves
in one of the !famed picture galleries
of an italian city.
, AS they strolled slowly along
stopping now and then to examine
some work of striking merit, Mrs
Dunstan, happening to turn abruptly
{ came face to face with g. handsome
> noble-looking man, whose proud, sterr
/ face and sad, blue eyes changed al
: sight OF her, as though she had been 6
3 ghost.
And she? She grew so deatbl3
, white and faint that Mrs. Seymour
: who stood near and saw it all, think
ing her about to fall, hastily passed
{ her arm around Zoe's slender waist.
But the young widow did not faint
the very strength of her emotion re
Q vived her and kept her up.
Q "Earle!" she gasped, in a strained
I, unnatural voice. "Oh, is it you? L
t thought you dead?"
Y "Did your" he retorted, with tn
old bitterness mingled now with d:
q sad pathos indescribable. "Oh, no
:. Ihave been merely dead to you. lef
j. you for your own happiness, you re
1 member. And you-you have sc
l. cured it. suppose? The law woul'
@ not refuse al deserted wife her freedom
n and the right to marry again. B:
O. the way"-glancing about him with
proud disdain in his blue eyes,
? 'sehall I have the honor"
"Earle!" broke in Zoe proudly
"uhere is no other-never has beer
r and never will be. I mourned yo
@ lost at sea- with the rest who wen
down on that doomed ship, 1t wa
?, mistake. Oh, the Joy"
10 Her sweet voice wavered, and agai
Mrs. Seymour thought she was g
e ing to faint. But this time Earle Dun
n stan took his wife by the arm and lie
d her still farther from the small Grove
d who had not perceived thelittle dram
d going on so near them,
vt "And you have never married
a believing me dead all these years?"
n asked, his low, deep voice filled wit
70 wondering tenderness. "Oh, Zoe, TO
y give me-forgive, my darling But
never knew thatyou thought me dea'
ar dear. was rescued fro
" the wreck, but was i'll an
N senseless for long weeks aiterward.
" did not know that I was reporte
" lost, but should not have cared.
y thought you would seek your freedo
10 in time, and so I have wandert
" about, asking no questions, and on
e; trying to forget. And OH. Zoe, yc
en- did love me, your husband instead
s- "Well, if you had heard her refuse
l.