Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-05-28
con. Mr.. Maxev, let me go!,'

first Tell me that am fool or a cow
ard, and will. +"
She made him no reply. She strug-
gled little with her baby strength and
gave it up She was very quiet.
But still the frightened heart beat
wildly close to his. She had not spoken.
Softly the artist bent down to look
ir+o her averted face. There was neither
anger nor tears there-only the paleness
and the terror.
The two hearts were throbbing now
in unison. 1t was getting dark.
annette, he whispered, "call me q
cowardp'
She answered him at last in n voice
that was so low and hushed that it hard
ly sounded natural
81 have no right to tell lie, and 1
3ave no right to mix my life with yours.
You arc young, ambitious, rich, with a
future. have not-nOt even q name. "
mo; 1 am not rich, Annette. You are
mistaken, and, depend upon it, your
name will be known some day, and it
will be as good as mine But what is
that to me? What if you really had no
name? 1 love you for yourself, Annette,
for what you are Annette, would you
place your happiness against so fimsy q
matter as that if I were nameless and
you loved me?"
"Suppose-suppose some day the truth
about me should be known and it should
be-degrading?"
"Annettep'
"Ah, you have not thought of thatl I
have. Oh, have thought of it often
when awoke at night or when even
dared to dream of such great happiness
as this''-
Her voice died away to quite q whis
per. But those low spoken words did
not escape Maxey's willing car. They
thrilled through his whole being as
nothing had over done before.
"Ah, then you have dreamed of this
happiness, Annette? You will not deny
| it?'
She hung her head and became scar
let She said not n word. Her very ST.
lence was eloquent But the delighted
artist would not leave her modesty this
refuge He felt wild, delicious joy in
the knowledge that the radiant little
| creature who hung upon his arm was
his, body and soul, and the knowledge,
the certainty, was not enough. He thirst
ed to hear her say it. He persisted:
"Tell me, Annette, you love me! Is
it not so?''
The head sank lower still, and sho
did not reply, but the dark hair moved
slightly. A scarcely perceptible little
nod i'll the affirmative was all that she
seemed willing to vouchsafe him.
All at once she aroused herself and
sought once more to break the tender
bonds that held her. She fought so hard,
she seemed so very much in earnest, that
Maxey, terror stricken for tho result,
permitted her to go. When she was
| free, she seemed about to leave him,
but at the very threshold Of the room
she checked herself with sudden i'm
| pulse and faced him. 1t was DUSK yet
| Maxey could see the dainty features.
They told him plainly enough under
what stOrnPOf emotion she was suffer-
ing 1t seemed as if she had intended to
speak, but feared to trust her voice.
There she stood like timid fawn, pant
ing and trembling.
Maxey hardly knowing what he did,
stretched out his arms in an imploring
gesture.
She uttered q cry, ran toward him,
threw herself into his embrace and broke
down completely.
ooh, ;" she sobbcd chow l wish l
were strong as I ought to be, as 1
thought l was! had made up my mind
to tell you No But 1 cannot. Oh, I
cannot do it! 1 should be brave, and
am coward For your sake l should
be willing to break both our hearts, if
need be, rather than you make q misal-
lance with me. v"
mot nameless, no." cried MaNey,
with unanswerablo logic, for l will
give you mine. If you had q name, what
else could you do but throw it away?'
He bent over. His lips met hers. 1t
was their first kiss She threw her arms
about him with Il sudden vehemence
that i'll some degree revealed to the as
tonished artist how truly his sister had
spoken when she told him that he did
not know the depth of that emotional
nature which no ycarned to possess.
She cried out historically:
"Oh, tell me over and over again, till
cannot fail to believe you, that when
the truth about me is known, whatever
it be- you will never, never regret this
step you are takingn'
"Novcr!" answered Maxcy, who had
reached state of cxaltation beyond any
thing he had ever experienced Il swear
itv'
1t astonished Maxey to find that no.
body was surprised.
There was littlo ceremony, no dis
play. 1t was very quiet marriage i'll
the artists rooms. DR.. Lamar gave away
the bride.
Miss Maxey was excited and cried q
great deal, and the physician was very
thoughtful.
In the world there were busy tongues
at work.
One woman, when she heard of this
marriage, dashed costly clock upon
the floor and made wreck of it.
A poor wretch, quivering between d
jug of rum and a morning paper, saw
the notice on the printed page and ut
tered howl of delight After that out
burst he became for q long time still
and pale and looked upon the dull brown
surface of the jug with gaze that was
fearful and apprehensive- Then he be-
gan to mutter to himself:
Bah! What can it matter? What
difference does it make? She has no
momory. She never will have memory
of one dark hour of her life l am safe,
still safe for another day Of existence
and this
He stroked the surface of the jug and
shivered at his own thoughts Happy for
him that his window did not look out
upon the broad river, and that there was
no uncanny, ghostly wind to come tap
ping at his sash i'll tho dead of night