The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-20

heart beat madly-thrObbed sowlIdly
with its joy and rapture that it
seemed as if it would break
Nothing but deathl'' she repeated,
lifting her shy, blue eyes to her
lovers noble face. ''Oh, Mark, pray
that we both may have long, long,
years to be happy inl The thought of
giving you up is more bitter to me
than DEATH
''You need never give me up, my
sweetheartI' he returned This
parting is only for a brief times then
we shall meet again, never to sePar-
ate while we both shall live Trust
me, Rita; 1 will be true and faithful
true and faithfult'
She shivered slightly, as though a
cold wind was chilling her delicate
frame, and chung closer to her lover.
She was so frail, this little snowdrop
fair and delicate as a flower over
her life there hung the shadow of an
awful doom, for the deadly blight of
consumption had already ventured to
touch her fragile body There were
those among her friends who believed
that Marguerite Clyde was not long
for this world. Her parents had both
succumbed to the dread scOurge; a
brother and sister had also crossed the
sound1ess sea which washes the shores
of eternity; and it had come TO be be-
lieved, tacitly, that she. too, would
eventually be stricken down She
was in a decline, the physician had
wisely decided, and must have change
of air and scene. "A journey to the
south of France was prescribed, and
a wealthy relative, Mrs. Dallas, had
offered to accompany the young in
valid thither- So, it was all arranged,
and on the morrow Marguerite was to
sail on the steamship New York. And
Mark Thornton was saying good-by to
her Ali it was hard-bitterly hard
to let her go so far away from him,
and know that they might never meet
again; to carry a sad heart in his
breast all day, and lie awake at night
to grieve over the enforced separa-
ton. A feeling Of desolation. too ter
rible for expression, crept into the
young mans breast If he could only
accompany his loved onel But that
was impossible. All their future,
should she be spared to him, depended
upon his efforts He was working
early and late, to make a home-a
pretty home-for his darling; and
Marguerite would not listen to his
proposal to accompany her and Mrs
Dallas
mo, dear" she had said, gently
and cidedly. Il viii 60 with Aunt
Dallas; but you must remain at home,
and when L come back to you-for
will return. dear-we will be 50 happy
Be brave, Mark, and let me 90, and I
viii come back to you well and
strong"
Heaven grant itr' he cried fer
vently, ssbut oh, Rita, / feel such a
strange foreboding Of evil. 7 am not
really superstltious; but L have an inn
pression-a premonitiOn OF i'm spending
sorrow"
ssNonsenser' she cried. with a sunny
smile; but the smile was somewhat
ghostly and vanished like wrath
''Do not give way to superstitious
fancies," she added. they are IN
worthy Of you.''
And then Mrs Dallas appeared
upon the scene-a kindly motherly
wou1an-vhO insisted that Marguerite
was making too heavy draughts upon
her strength by this interview with
her lover, and so contrived to shorten
the parting scene
The next day the New York
steamed out of the harbor, with Mar
guerite and Mrs Dallas on board, and
Mark Thornton waving a last fare
well to the two figures standing upon
deck.
Hewatched the vessel until it was out
Of sight, then turned away, feeling