The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-12

iiciP 10 tsat L Hnu tho misfortune to DO
married before 1 fell in love with you. If
IA known You first, of course it would
havo boon you l would have married."
But you asked mo to DO yourswifo.
You promised to marry mo boforo''-
Something seemed to choke hor and pro-
vent completion of tho sentence.
Yes" no admitted, with u littlo ON
barrassmont, II boliovo 1 did, but a man
don't mind much what no says whom no
loves n girl us I loved you, Selma, and ms
L do yet and always will, for it's Gods
truth / lovo you n million times better
than 1 do that othor woman. If I could,
Ia stay right here and mover go back to
her."
His rapid md seemingly earnest spccoh
bcv4ildorod hor, and half meditatlveIy she
replied, But you must hnvo told her, too,
onco that you loved her."
Loved her! No! Not at all. But
she was we'll off, and p
II didn't say you loved hor. I said
you told her So"
We'll, perhaps. I may have done so.
You see, I'm perfectly rank with you. A
man, you know, is expected to say somo-
thing of tho sort, and l may ovcn have
thought L did thon. But that was before I
met you anu learned what ronl love is"
Love! You! You know no more of
lovo thar n hog docs of tho colors of tho
flowers hc tramplcs on. You love nobody
but yourself. 1 know you now for what
you are. And 1 loved you so IL trusted
you! God holp mo! What do you sup
pose my father would do if 1 We're to toll
him?'
He trombled with fear and exclaimed
anxiously: You wouldn't do that. You
couldn't be SO foolish Think how it
would disgrace yourself. Nobody need
over know anything''-
II know, and that's worse than all tho
rest Of tho world knowing"
Como, Selma, it's too cold out here
on the bluff to talk ovor u thing of this
sort. Come to my room-tho corner one
when all gets quiet, and I'm sure wo'u
como to II better understanding. You
will, won't you, darling?''
mo, 1 will not. 1 never want to hear
or SEQ you again"
You feel that why now, but you take
things too seriously, my dear. You will
think better of it in the morning. L can't
help tho way I'm fixed now, but I swear
that if anything ever happens TINT will
enable us to marry 1 will make you my
wife. But 1 suppose you will got tired of
waiting for me and marry some other
man."
Il! After She burst into passionate
weeping. Nlu CONCTluR Hcr 1uCO Leaned
against tho tree.
Come, my dearest girl, don't take ON
So" he pleaded, stealing an arm about
her waist.
She recoi!cd from him, cxclaiming:
Don't touch me! I'd rs lief have a
snake''-
Don't speak so loud, for Gods sake!
Somebody will hear you"
We'll, what if they do? It's all got to
solnc out" But the thought of public
shame restrained her nevertheless, and in
IL lower tone she continued: "You want to
stink away from here i'll tho morning be-
fore anybody is around, before l havo to
meet you, and never let me sec your lying,
treachcrous face again, or you'll DO sorry
for it,"
She turned away from him and walked
toward tho house. He followed close,
dear. Won't you? You know I could not
help loving you
THAT lie disSusts me. No; I'll not
forgive you. l never will. Take heed of
what L say. II l sec you at breakfast, 1
shall tell my father I'LL, and he'll shoot
you like a dog, us you are"
She entered the kitchen and shut the
door. Her mother and Mes had conc to
bed, and tho fire was smothcrcd with
ashes for the night. The only light was a
tiny flame squirting from tho end of one
~protruding stick, Long she sat staring Mt
ii, but seeing only before her a limitless
gulf of disillusion, shame and woe. Then
Il paroXysm of violent weeping ovcrcame
her. She felt that she was going mad.
Suddenly she sprang up, and while tho
tears still rolled down her cheeks strobe
across the room to tho salt barrel, filled
her apron from it, and flinging the shawl
upon her rushed out.
There was no wind and tho stiffness of
the night was dcathlikc. Starlight and
the dliltiscd whitcncSS reflected from the
snow enabled her to SEQ clearly enough.
swiftly she ran down tho sloping road cut
through the bluff TO tho river and out ND
on tho ice, following II faint path troddcn
In the snow. In the center of the stream
where tho ice was thinncst over tho deep
water of tho channel sho stopped and scat
tered tho salt 10y handfuls broadcast.
Then she fed back to the house.
Az b o'clock Dick Beardsley, after a bad
night, set out upon his road, for he did not
doubt the girl would be rs good MS her
word. lio would go on to Bloomington,
no said TO himself, but return by way of
Spencer and send for his horse from there.
The snow crunchcd II cracked under his
heavy tread rs he strobe down the slope,
and when he won't out on tho ice it crack
pd and bent nlarIningly. But he knew
That young leo is tough, and soon, gaining
confidence, walked rapidly, and laughed
as no thought of his narrow escape.
Midway ncroSs, where tho leo had been
erodcd and rottcd by the salt, ho broke
through. Once nc roso to the surface,
with II dospniring yell for help. Thcn
his heavy clothing dragged him down, and
ho Il II TO rise no moro.
a Little encouragement.
j. L. Toole was once entertained by a