Middletown transcript., 1896-06-06
The memory of those cruel words never

| ledVeS U0. tuluk lney are DuT0b III
my scared heart. Finally las | turne
to leave him instead of our l0vin
childish goodnight, he hurled a curE
at me for my selishness. Ica1ght b
arm and fmplored him, Oh Ned dom
don't. Is it really you, my brotht
saying such things to meY Can it be2
'''If there's anything l hate it is t
see woman crying over nothing.
you're not going to give me the none
may as well tell you. Pm eff fc
California or some foreign port.
can't stay here and be shut up in
CELL
~ suppose l tainted for do not re
member answering him or seeing any
one but when I recovered my sense
Ned and Robert were talking. Rober
was just saying, sand you did it afte
all can you not be more of a man fo
her sake if not you own. I've war
ned you time and time again.
s"Oh yes, you're like the rest, kick
man when he's down. Pm tired o
your preaching at me and l mean t.
put a stop to it, right now too,' an,
drawing revolver from his pocket b,
fired and Robert lay dead at my feet
Dead Robert dead dead too wer,
my hopes and my life. My brother /;
thief and a murderer-my lover dead BY
brothers handl Think you, could any
one life hold more sorrow than mine
has held? Bereft of everything, sanl
beneath the burden, and for weeks
nay months, life and death struggled
for the mastery, and when was strong
enough they told me Robert was bu.
ried and Ned gone no one knew where.
l never knew and--I never forgave
him" She paused again then went
on, '.As | recovered my strength the
old doctor who attended me during my
illness gave me a shelter in his house
and employed me AS amanuensis. A
great deal of e.time l was idle and
began to scribble little stories. The
doctor found some Of them and without
consulting me, sent some to friend
of his who is publisher. They were
accepted and to my great amazement
published. The doctor and his friend
encouraged me and 1 finally drifted into
authorship. With my future financi-
ally assured, selected this little village
as my home and here l spend my days
Intent upon household affairs and other
things pertaining to village life, as
you know"
"But Miss Nancy, do you still
write," eagerly questioned Marjorie.
''Oh yes; that is my life. The
petty cares of housewife would not
be sufficient for me. And now you
would like to ask Z: who are you?'
Well, / will crafty you, but must ask
you to not speak of it to anyone. You
were enraptured with one of my books
the other day.
''Miss Nancyp'
Even so my dear. And do you still
think me happy and contented?o with
a ring of bitter pain in her voice.
Marjorie looked at her keenly for a
moment then with the tact such gentle
creatures seem to be born with, softly
said. mo not until you forgive Ned.n
Miss Nancy's eyes flashed and the
lot rebellious blood dyed her face and
,ven her neck as she sat with her hands
;lil ched round the arms of the chair.
And / say unto you, not seven
imes;but seventy times seven, went
IN the soft low voice of Marjorie.
Che tense lines about the elder woman's
mouth began 10 relax and when Mar
orle softly whispered Dear old friend'
he blood receded leaving her white and
pent as she whispered in reply, "As
lope to be forgiven
A ward in city hospital, and on
me of the cots haggard face, white
md drawn with pain as be eagerly
watches until one day she comes and
down beside him whispers her
forgiveness as h" humbly begs for it
Ind even as she kisses the white lips,
le has passed beyond her ken-and che?
when the kind hearted old physician
peaks to her, she does not answer, nor
ift her head--and so-they are to-
,ether, forever-passed out of the
|arkness into the etc rnal sunshine.