The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-12-04

pray You pat pride aside and lot me
know. DO not fail. Tor 10 deaths
door I shall be faithful to you-yes,
aud beyond"
Eight years bad passed on leadon
wings 20 Lucia She bad found ont
her mistake, bat pride bad held drm
sway. Only once In the interval had
she heard from Rhodes two years or
20 after the parting q mutual friend
brought her news Of his lonely sludi.
Gus life. Tho knowledge had reopened
the old wounds and caused her no
much heart misery that she had volun.
tarily put from her the chance Tor
further reports by dropping all GORE.
spondcnco with her friend. She had
found her vocation, aud she steadily
pursued IL, striving to an with ambi-
ton and work the part Of her woman's
heart where wifehood aud eternity
should have hourished.
And now fate had brought her 10
his very place Of abodo-unconscious-
y on her part, for she had not no.
ticed that Stanford was on her route.
The delay to this especial train at this
especial place, TOWNS it fate, or was
an oil wise Providence oyerruling cir
cumstances for her good2 Since she
had been led to Rhodes Guillord's
home, why not have the battle cut
with pride here and now?
She arose, aud having the room to
herself, began to pace to and fro,
nervously clasping her hands as she
walked A sudden noise in the street
attracted her attention, and she
paused by the window. Nothing but
a forlorn cur running by, with half a
dozen hooting, yelling arabs of the
street at its heels. Sine was resuming
her walk hen-merciiul Heaven /
Surely her eyes had not failed herP
just across the narrow street she saw
the sign Rhodes Guilford, Attorney
at Law, "and behind it, just inside the
open window, the bowed form busily
engaged in writing was surely no other
than the subject of her thoughts.
Breathlessly she stood gazing, hid
den from outside view by tho lace
drnperies Of the window, her heart
throbbing wildly. It was fatel Alb,
he had suffered, too With touch
of feminine vanity she crossed the
room to the pier glass, and surveyed
with careful scrutiny the image il
presented to her. It was not tho
fresh girlish bloom of eighteen she
saw, but the maturer face of twenty.
six; yet there was comeliness and ever
beauty, Lucia truthfully declared to
herself and the form was as 1.-the anC
as willowy as ever,with an added grace
of matured charms.
"To deaths door I shall be faithful
to you, Lucia-yes, and beyond
the words rang again in her ears.
With sudden decision she tool
from her portfolio card, wrote
quickly line or two, enclosed it i
an envelope, which she addressed, nm
rang for messenger. While waitin
she stole another glance at the bus.
writer across the way.
'tAh, darling, how happy / shal
strive to make you to atone for thes
wasted years of obstinate pridel" sh
cried under her breath as she gOzed
What a perfect turnout that wal
coming rapidly down the street! 1t
} occupants were charming woma
/ aud bright faced little boy. 81
| just such a phaeton as that will I driv
down to bring my husband home,
{ dreamed Lucia.
The horses paused directly opposit
, and the little man jumped out al
disappeared within the building. 1
q moment Lucia saw the man she ha
r been watching drop his pen aud gras
a his son in his arms, while she hear
| the childish treble pipe out, 90
q papal lie an mammals coined fc
I you early, cause it's my birfday, al
you promised--"
a But the rest of the sentence W
lost to Lucia, who dropped into
j, chair, pale and trembling-sO pa
d that the maid who had at that nome