The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-06

! led her In. The next moment I v,-ss
Ho4-ing her TO my heart, kissing her with
passion that 30 woman before had ever
4o4sed ~ me, nor ever since. 1t was not
tae mere delirium of an hour, of Il day. but
tAe pent-up love of years that was concen-
tIated IN me for this sensitive girl-woman
VINO Jay Tor an instant in my arms, flush
ing ana paling with each breath
loNe you | love YOU" / whispered
Darling DO you care? i know YOU do
Mss me, and looked into her eyes until.
with her face afame. she put her arms
round my neck and hid herself from me.
Inc next minute she tore herself away
growing white as ashes
How could you2 o, how could you?"
me music of her voice was the saddest I
had ever heard. 1T was cruel-to make
me care"
put her in chair and knelt at her feet,
imploring forgiveness loathing myself
Tor having betrayed what I had never
meant her to know. She uttered no more
reproaches, but the pathos in her face
was more effective than half a dozen
chaperons could have been.
IT was not your fault-perhaps. she
said presently. 1T was ate Directly
we met-theTe was something il is only
there We're tears in her eyes, that had
always hoped it would be the first with
me. ! could never love twice am sorry
so sorry for us both" Her voice died
away in a whisper.
cursed my own folly and cruelty. But
/ was not an icicle. and this girls lovli-
ness had appealed TO me from the first
moment, had given me alongng to keep
her always within sight and touch
was in very low water at that time II
was as much as / could DO 10 pay current
expenses; there was a good deal of my pa
per about the city; my literary work was
uncertain, for my publishers were be-
hind hand and had incurred some heavy
losses. The financial depression was uni-
versal, and the only thing feasible was to
hold on and await events.
Marriage was out of the question. and
she knew this as well as l.
Il have behaved like a brute, and I am
totally unworthy of your forgiveness. We
will say good-by. My only eXcuse-if it
be one-is that / love you, that you are the
only woman have ever desired to make
my wife" ] spoke very quietly, in a mat
ter-of-fact tone. but she understood, and
faint color came back into her cheeks.
You viii never have a rival; you have
brought some sunshine into my life, dear,
say good-by to me. Psyche"
She stood up and looked at me bravely.
You are a man of honor. and / trust
you implicitly. In a fortnight you go on
circuit, and your novel must be finished by
then. A stranger would take that time
y
viii come. And-we will both forget what
has happened to-day"
THAT is true; l can never thank YOU
enough. Come, then, and you may trust
me"
Incredible or not, she came, and by
neither word nor look did either betray
our thoughts. Beyond a word a greeting
and parting l kept strictly to business
and her last day arrived. / waited while
she was fastening her gloves, and then in
dulged myself in one long look Good
by" l said, huskily. "GOod-by Win YOU
ever forgive me?"
She held out both her hands
"Ah, yes; l forgive. No one else will
ever be the same. No one shalP'-very
softly-"caH me Psyche"
II hope that you may marry some one
worthy such a heart as yours, and that
you may be very happy. If il is anything
to you. know that the last few weeks have
been the best part of my life. have loved
and will love you only, and my gratitude
for your forbearance is deeper than words
can express. / will not ask you to wait.
1t will be at least year before can eX-
trcate myself from my difficulties. |
would not bind you by any promise to
such a worthless object as myself
She caught her breath as she crept
closer to me.
You have kept your word when an
other would have broken it'll shall al
ways remember that-an3 I love you the
more. l will wait one year from to-day;
if by then you have made no sign ! shall
know that We are parted forever. If you
hear that ! am married one day you viii
know that | could not help myself If
had enough of my own TO live upon
would go away and think of you till !
died.
/ kissed her very quietly and let her
81 a moment and
fllng her arms around my neck, then,
without a word, went away swiftly.
7 worked day and night, but luck seemed
against me. My publishers went bank
rlIDt. wealthy client who owed me some
hundreds of pounds, got through his for
tune at Monaco and then committed SUI
eide; my health broke down, and l went
abroad more than hail resolved never 10
return to England.
Renewed strength and energy, however
changed NV mind and | went back to the
temple, recovering my lost practice so
successfully that ] found myself wonder
ing whether marriage We're not becoming
a. possibility. Marriage for me meant one
woman only, ana l hunted for her ad-
dress.
II was dull morning in December and,
MS was turning over piles of old letters
in the dim light, friend came in to me
with a rush, waving sheet OF the Times
in his hand.
"CongratuIations Luck was bound to
turn at last, and you have been sticking
SO closely to work lately. am deuced
glad. old fellow
"What on earth Go you mean asked,
annoyed at being disturbed.
Don't mean to say you haven't READ
the paper YETI go,
"Been too busy. What is it?'
"A cousin of yours in Australia has left
you a half million"
/ snatched at the Times. Quite true! AS
next-of-kin I inherited the fortune OF
third cousin, Of whose very name even
had been ignorant. In the same paper was
the announcement of my Psyche's mar
rage to a wealthy baronet OF sixty,
man whom I knew by sight VINO might
have been taken for farm bailiI-stout
loud of voice, with sporting taste, and as
strong a s a cart horse
Could any combination of circumstances
more diabolical in ingenuity have been so
contrived except through fate? Fate or
fortune. however, decreed after that thun-
derbolt that ] should become what the
critics called "one of the greatest inter
nreters of human passions-one OF our
novelists whose work will live 1of many
Generations to come" The Career OF
SFartin Hereford" did that for me. It ran