Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-02-18
road, not two miles from here, who-who

The clergyman started 10 his feet.
That il why | have come to you.
thinking that all along you may have
known more than have done IL Myra |
had not really died. and had desired &c
find IA friend 10 keep her secret, surely II
il TO You, Arnold. that she would have
cume:'
The other bowed his head.
Thanks for those words, Bernard
But" lifting his face again swiftly, II
can tell YOU nothing save what you know
already. From the hour that she came
TO your mothers house to be brought up
with your poor sister. little elfin gypsy
waif, deserted and left ON the high road
by her own people. loved her. She was
So wild, 81 wayward, 40 sweet with II
all. She grew MP like a beautiful half
tanned creature. yet with me she always
seemed gentlcr and more womanly."
And yet you used to tell her she had
no soul"'
God only knows IL she had. Some
times indeed | almost believed that old
saying concerning gypsy women 10 be
| true of that strange wild creature. and
that she was in truth born soulless. Yet
for all that loved her, and looked for.
ward to making her my wife. would
have given her my whole devotion, and
| home that nj least would have shelter
ed her safely And then you came. You
took her from me, with your handsome
face and smooth words. In few days
you nndid the patient work of years.
why recall it, Arnold"
lyon remember how they turned her
ont Of the hall that night when you were
away? How they drove her out into the
darkness alone and unprotected. because
they found out that for your idle amuse
ment you had made love to herr
.'Ay; but you forget that when came
home ! cursed them for it, and swore
never 10 see them again, and that fol
lowed her up to London
And ruined her."
mo, no! As there is God above us,
swear to you that married her"
For a moment they stood speechless
facing each other. one on either side OF
the table Then in low choked yoics
Arnold Grey said;
.'Is that the TRUTH
THAT is the truth, Arnold. | car
prove it to you if you wish 1t.
Then why in the name Of HEAVIER
have you suffered your wife's name I,
be blasted? Why did You keep you
marriage secret
Because you know as well as | d.
that had my father known Of 1t he woul,
have disinheritoi me. She herel
wished it. Alas. Arnold, my happines
. only lasted a few months. One day
had to 60 away for week; she fell i'll il
my absence When | came home the
, told me she had died, and they showe
me her closed coffin. | believed her I
be dead. have mourned for her as dead
At times, indeed, horrible doubts hay
: assailed me because | did not look upo
her dead face have remembered thf
there was a sick woman In the hon.
/. where we lodged, and that the eofii
: might have been hers But these hay
been only shadowy fancies. for sin,
: Myra has gone. and never come back
me again, why should doubt that she
dead? And then. as you know. | WEI
! abroad for years, and only came bae
: after my father and mother were bot
: dead"
If you believe her to be dead why
yon not let her mime rest for ever aske
: the clergyman after pause; why raj
: up dead ashes that were best left
" sleep
because | am about to marry agai
and doubt, however faint, that | mn
= not be free to do so Is enough to ruin n
y life as well as"-
\ Lady Hilton'sg
: Yes, Lady Hilton. She has this eve
4 ing consented to marry me-
- And owning to these doubts you con
h ask her to become your wifeg"
- Il swear TO you. Arnold, that at /
- moment asked her had no such doub
The past seemed to me to be indeed dea
:. and perhaps you may loathe me for "a
: ing so, but have in great measure fl
= gotten Myra. loved her with the pa
n sion Of a young mans first love, b
!. neither passion nor love last for evs
= Life brings changes; other interests, 9th
faces have come between me and n
past romance Ones own nature chang
Why do You look so sternly at me, 4
q, mold? Am | not speaking the trui
n Does human love last for ever. do y
think"
+, Not such loye as yours perhaps" q
= swered the clergyman with Ill conceal
- scorn. But do not let rs discuss tn
j. You want me TO help your What is !
: can do for your
- Il want Won to find out in the morni
for me whether the woman who spo
/" 20 ma fa-nigh1 in the ruad knows M
n, thing really of poor Myra, or whether
- :" was a mere coincidence. and she b
= only put scraps of gossip together
~ startle me as these fortune telling won
:. do SO cleverly
"a ION whose land was sheg'
lNs Farmer Reeds 1t was from III,
= ~ hop gardens beyond the mill that !
seemed 10 spring out of the earth NJ
me, and it was on this side OF the ha
. coIse that she disappeared
a. THAT would be still on Reeds groul
-. Well. Bernard. viii do what | can
- Won. know most Of those poor Gre
=, ures who come down from London
the hopping season; it IL my business
IA go ard talk TO them. will go that "
me in the morning,
He took up his hat and walked oui
"a the gate with his visitor. A high
:. hedge divided the garden from the ro
Whilst Harding was untying his he
=, from the gate the clergyman said TO !
=, suddenly:
~ ~ IF Myra were not dead. If you fos
~. her alive and well. what them
- - Harding laughed shortly My d