St. Tammany farmer., 1897-06-19

Pause. Marion. Think while yet on tn,
threshold. II your life il mine, It be
longs net to the world. II it il th,
worlds. then in it have no claim.
offer you, darling. all have. ask o.
you only yourself, but ask it as fret
boon and one which is placed Willingly
IN my keeping. You must decide. Ma
rion, for yourself. had hoped you,
decision long since irrevocable, but onc<
more place the choice in your hands
"You say you ask of me only myself
Is it not all l have to give? cannot
give up the world to lead the life Of q
recluse. even though you so selfishly
make the demand. One would suppose
was a child to be dictated to at will
It has all been . mistake. Mr.. Ellis, and
we may truly congratulate ourselves
that our eyes have been opened in time
to redeem an otherwise fatal error. We
part as friends, hope"
Friends? Who has been at work
Whose hand may I thank for having
laid this network of worldliness and
suspicion in the mind of girl. who, a
few short months ago. harbored no such
thought? You could not trust me,
then. with your beauty. You feared
I would guard It beyond the reach of
other eyes. True. might have held II
as sacred shrine, but its bloom, its
radiance would have been undimmed
till death robbed me Of both. You give
me up, then? So be it. Go back to
your world! Glory in It; revel in it,
and teach men the Lesson you have given
me. that the brighter the eye, the fair
er the cheek, the falser the heart. Good
evening, Miss Reynolds." and with q low
bow. Nelson Ellis went out from the
light into the shadow.
Marion stood - IN . stupor. She had
spoken her own thoughts for the first
time. for the first time expressed the
feeling which so long had ranked.
How cold. how heartless and worldly
it had sounded even to her ears. What
was the selfishness of which she had
accused her lover but the reflex Of her
own? Had the world really grown so
dear to her that she could not yield it
mp. even in the first flush Of wifehood
by husbands side? How inviting the
picture had been! She had not really
meant what she had said. She bad not
dreamed Nelson would so accept her At
her word. and wordless despair was in
the beautiful eyes, as the hot tears
welled up and dropped one by one faster
aid faster. until she buried her head
in her hands and sobbed rs child.
Dut there was one who heard az the
ruptured engagement with keen exul.
tation. and a suppressed look of tri.
umph was on Allen Fane's face when
next he saw the woman he had deter.
mined to win for his own.
"You did spleDdidly. Marion" he said
to her. Have I not told you from tho
first how selfish he was, even in his love.
that he never appreciated you? But
now. darling. that you are free to be
won and to WOO. will you not let me
prove that man may be generous? II
could have given you up to any other If
thought your happiness was at stake.
but not to one I read 80 well"
Hush, Alien. hush! Il seems to me
to listen to such words. IL
he were selfish, then is such eelfshness
glorious. You call it splendid TO show q
man who has placed his whole noble
heart at q woman's feet how frivolous.
and beneath him is that for
which he sues. I have thrown away the
highest prize life's lottery will ever offer
ne. ! have listened to the subtle words
which have first borne seeds Of distrust |
but now that all is over, and hare |
With my own hand plncked the unblos-
omed fruit, I can 1t least do him ins-
ice. and tell you my heart is his, HE |
'nly. though he may never knew It"
1: was q great benefit. The opera
louse was crowded, and many turned
re the curtain raised to look at the last
who had just entered their
OK. None who looked ON that fair
'ouDg girl dreamed that she bore be-
cath that outward show \ heart sad.