The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-07-31
MT, sTERLING ADVOCATE, TUESDAY July 81 1894

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hers, always had been hers, she
threw you away and took that Man
chester cad. / am very sorry it has
all turned out wrong, but indeed it
would not have turned out different
ly even if l hadn't tried to play prov
idence for you"
well" he said, ''it's all over.
must bear it somehow, l suppose.
Thank you thousand times for all
you have done and have tried to do
for me-"
She had risen from the stone and
was standing beside him as he looked
forlornly out over the misty gray ex-
panse of the valley.
II think / will go home alone, she
said. II am tired of talking, and
am ashamed of the whole thing. For
get it and don't let us ever speak Of
it again, will you9 hope you won't
be very unhappy. Goodby."
He stood holding her hand min
ute longer than she would have let it
rest in his.
But we are still friends, aren't
we2 That wasn't actingi"
mo, that wasn't acting. Only,
don't you see, we have nothing much
left to be friends about now. Good.
by ..... ...
He stood, sick at heart, seeking
vainly for some word that should
keep her by him little longer. 1t
came to him in a swift rush-all that
she had been to him in these last two
months, and now, as she said, there
was nothing to be friends about, and
yet could they not be friends, with
no ghost between them, no phantom
Of his love for Lola9
She had not taken the usual path.
1t seemed she was in haste to part
from him, for she had chosen the
steep and difficult way up the sheer
quarry side, a dangerous way, as he
felt suddenly. No, he could not let
her go, not go that way. The quar-
ry side rose sharply above her. He
made step forward and founG tic
words: n.. .....
Edith" he cried, "come back,
come DOWN. .....
She started and turned her head.
Her eyes were half closed, They were
dim with tears which she could not
stay. .... ...
Take care" he cried and ran to-
ward her through the furze bushes.
Then suddenly-neither never knew
how it happened-her feet slipped,
and he saw her falling, falling. She
fell with sickening thud on the
wet clay. He bounded over the rocks
and bushes and reached her side.
She lay quite still, with one arm
doubled under her. Her hat had fall
en- off, and her head lay on a cushion
Of thick mud, so that at first he
thought she was not hurt much, not
so very much. But then he saw that
her face was perfectly colorless and
that from one corner of her mouth a
drop of bright red blood was slowly
trickling down her cheek and her
white neck.
Then he cried aloud and flung him
self on the ground beside her. He
got her in his arms, and at the touch
of her, Lola, his disappointment,
everything in the world, faded, and
he and she were left, and she was
dead. He would never hear her
speak again, never see her eyes
turned his way or see her face light
up at his approach. He felt that she
was dead, and then he knew sudden
ly, surely, that the light of his life
had gone out with hers.
Edith, my life, my love, my
heart, come back! 1t is you l love. "
But there came no answer. If he
had known his heart but FIVE min
utes before, she would still have been
his to try for. Now there was moth
ing, nothing left. He kissed her cold
face all over. He felt with a strong,
sudden rush of hope if her heart yet
beat. He could not tell. He thought
not
"Oh, my love, come back"
He knelt beside her Her head
dropped back over his arm as he
clasped her to himand called through
the growing darkness of despair,
CONG back, my love, come back"
One brown, bare hand, feebly
raised, touched his face for an in
slant and fell again.
Edith, Edith, speak to me-" he
murmured hoarsely sick with the
mingling of hope and despair.
Her lips moved. He laid his ear to
them and caught the low, faint whis-
per:
"Goodby, my love, lay dear. Moth
ing else matters now. Isnever loved
anybody. but you"
'"
The snow was thick on the ground,
and the brave sun above touched it TO
a million diamond points of light as
the bride came out of church leaning
on her husbands arm. Her soft,