Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-12-28

| Ii nad come at last For a momen
her heart was numbed within her, anC
then flood of sisterly love carried al
before it. Down with that dark though
which would still try to raise its unhal
lowed head! She turned to Harold witt
sparkling eyes aud words of pleasure
upon her lips.
| 81 should wish to be near and dear Il
both of you," said he as he took hel
hand. 81 should wish Ida to be my sis
ter and you my wife"
She said nothing. She only stood
looking at him with parted lips and great
dark, questioning eyes. The lawn had
vanished away, the sloping gardens, the
brick villas. the darkening sky, with hall
a pale moon beginning to show over the
chimney pots All was gone, and she
was only conscious of a dark earnest
pleading face. and of voice far away
disconnected from herself, the voice of 6
man telling woman how he loved her,
He was unhappy, said the voice, his life
was a void; there was but one thing that
could save him; he had come to the part
ing of the ways; here lay happiness and
honor and all that was high and noble
there lay the soul killing round, the
lonely life. the base pursuit of money,
the sordid, selfish aims. He needed but
the hand of the woman that he loved to
lead him into the better path.
And how he loved her his life would
Il H. Io,- FAr ha,-
for her womanliness, for her strength.
He had need of her. Would she not
come to him? And then of sudden as
she listened it came home to her that the
man was Harold Denver, and that she
was the woman, and that all Gods work
was very beautiful-the greensward be-
meath her feet, the rustling leaves, the
long orange slashes in the western sky.
She spoke. She scarce knew what the
broken words were, but she saw the
light ct joy shine out on his face, and
her hand was still in his as they wan
dered amid the twilight. They said no
more now, but only wandered and felt
each others presence. All was fresh
around them, familiar and yet new,
tinged with the beauty of their own new
found happiness.
"Did you not know it before?" he
asked.
81 did not dare to think it."
What a mask of ice ! must wear!
How could man feel as / have done
without showing it? Your sister 1T least
knew"
"Idar
"It was last night. She began to
praise you, said what | felt. and then
in an instant it was all out"
"But what could you-what could
you see in me? Oh, do pray that you
may not repent itr' The gentle. heart
was ruffled amid its joy by the thought
of its own unworthiness.
Repent it. / feel that | am a saved
man. You do not know how degrading
this city life is. how debasing, and yet
how absorbing. Money forever -clinks
in your ear You can think of nothing
else. From the bottom of my heart
hate it. and yet how can l draw back
without bringing grief to my dear old
father? There was but one way in which
| could defy the faint, and that was by
having home influence so pure and so
high that it may brace me up against all
that draws me down. have felt that
influence already. know that when l
am talking to you am better man. 1t
is you who must go with me through
life, or / must walk forever alone"
''Oh, Harold, am so happyr Still
they wandered amid the darkening shad-
ows, while one by one the stars peeped
out in the blue-blaek sky above them.
At last chill night wind blew up from
the east and brought them back to the
realitias of Life