The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-06-04
HEhEN'S TWO LOVERS.
BY ANNA SHIELDS.


arestions over and over, wearying of
4he repetition, and yet never able to
and il by saying heartily that he was
olad and triumphant, or bitterly that
he was sorry and ashamed. The plain
soct stared him ever in the face, that
Helen Raymond did not love him, and
chat Mrs Raymond had urged his suit,
ord exerted her maternal influence and
oloouence until Helen had consented to
he his wife, telling him very frankly
that her heart was in the grave of her
lover. George Vanhorn, who had been
Titled in a railway collision nearly one
year before.
Mother was never willing should
marry George" Helen said, sadly, "be-
cause he was poor, and we have suffered
all that poverty can infiict. He was on
his way to Colorado, where his brother
has been successful, when he was
killed."
viii Spencer WINGED, for he was rich,
very rich, but then he put to the wound
that soothing salve, 81 will win her love
when she is my wife" that has wrecked
so many lives. 1t may come, this love
that will not be hidden, to a man and
wife, after they are bound together for
life, but the risk is great, and Will
Spencer knew it.
Yet he cherished the delusion that
love in the end would win a return,
md he knew his own love to be strong
ard enduring. He had stepped back
when George Vanhorn was met with
such smile, for he could never win,
had kept from pressing his suit when
the name of Helen's lover appeared on
the list of the killed in the account of
the railway collision, but after the lapse
of several months he had won Mrs.
Raymond to his side, and so, by proxy,
wooed Helen and won-what? a cold,
reluctant consent to be his wife.
Yet she was. not, cold, this girl of 20,
whose heart had been crushed ever
since the day when George Vanhorn's
name was recorded as dead. He could
have told how her eyes could soften
with loves tenderness, her cheeks burn
with loves bushes, her low, sweet,
voice tremble with loves whispered
words He had won what all the Spen-
Ger gold, the riches of long generations,
could not buy.
Before that fatal railway collision she
was bright, beautiful girl, with large,
expressive brown eyes, a voice of
music, the step of fairy, singing as
bird sings, from sheer joyousness of
heart, bringing a jest to all the house.
hold worries, laughing merrily over her
own blunders in the culinary depart
ment, turning old dresses, renovating
old bonnets without complaint, living
on love and hope.
After that day she moved about slow
ly, her eyes were dull and weary, her
duties met with rigid mechanical pre-
cision, her lips compressed, her cheeks
pale, shadow of her joyous self.
Mrs. Raymond was often afraid that
she would yet miss the golden prize she
had partly won, and heartily seconded
viii in his preparations for a speedy
wedding. 1t was Mrs. Raymond who
went with him to open the house that
he had bought to adorn for his bride,
who aided him in the selection of car
pets, curtains, furniture, and gave him
Instructions regarding the kitchen de-
partment, of whose needs he was as ig-
norant as most young bachelors. It
was Mrs. Raymond who received an
anonymous letter containing a liberal
sum- which she quietly appropriated
for trousseau and suitable dress for
the brides mother.
She was woman of rare tact. Hay-
Ing won Helen's consent to be viii
spencer's wife, she never bothered her
by complaints about her listless indif-
ference to her lover or her future pros.
poets. She simply made all the ar
rangements for her, without once ad-
hitting a possibility of change. The
betrothal was spoken of on all occa-
slons, the preparation Of the house, the
selection of the trousseau referred to, in
matter-of-fact words that made Helen
feel, as it was intended she should, that
she had walked into net from which
there was no escape.
And VIII Spencer knew 1t all, and
writhed under the knowledge, being
frank, loyal man, whose impulses were
generous and honorable, and who loved
Helen with all the strength of his heart.
Often he asked himself how he could en-
dure life, if he found his wife faithful
slave, instead of the happy companion
ne hoped to make her.
If she never loves mel" he thought,
bitterly. IF all my love fails to win
hers, what will my life be?"
He did her justice. He knew that If
his love failed to win her heart, his gold
was powerless to make her happy. He
knew that if her mother died or could
not be benefited by her marriage, she
would rather beg her bread herself
than be his wife.
While matters stood in this unsat-
istactory state, Mrs. Raymond made a
suggestion: II want you to go away
for month";" she said to him, land let
Helen miss the constant devotion that
she has had ever since your betrothal.
Let her feel that void has come into
her life, and how dull and cherries it
would be if she lost you. The wedding
day is set for June 10, and this is April.
Stay away until the 5th or 9th of June"
1t seemed to him good advice, and he
mad business in the west that would fill
his time pro6tably. 1t gave him the
first really happy moment of his en-
gagement, when Helen said gently, yet
with shudder: