The McCook tribune., 1897-08-13

that you would have supported me In
a very painful resolution. The blow
is hard enough to bear, even with
your help; without, it is almost un-
endurable."
She rose from her chair, and then for
the first time / realized the depth OF
her emotion. Her beautiful eyes
flashed, her bosom heaved, and she
slowly crushed the paper she held in
her hand to shield her face from the
| fire, into Ehapeless mass, and then
| threw 1t down.
| You have no heart" she said. "Do
You suppose it is nothing to re, who
was going to marry you within a week,
to lose my husband and to be obliged
to fall back again into this half life.
this very twilight of life? Oh. Geof-
frey, think again." and she stretched
out her arms toward me, and looked
at me, and spoke in accents of i'm
passioned tenderness. Think" she
went on, "can you not give up your
scrup1es for me? Am l not worth
straining point in your conscience?
There is nothing in the world, Geof-
frey, that a man can profit by in ex
change for his love. Soon this dis
ease will take a hold of you, and then
you will grow weak, and miserable,
and incapable of enjoyment. Live now
while you can, and leave the conse
quences to Providence, or rather to
the workings of those unchanging
rules which we call Providence. Look
at me: am beautiful, and 1 love you,
and my intellect is almost as great as
your own. Don't throw me away for
theory, Godfrey"
All the time that she was speaking
she drew slowly nearer to me, her
arms outstretched and her great eyes
glowing and changing in the shaded
light. And now the arms closed
round me, and she lay upon my heart
and gazed into my face, till l thought
that l should be overcome. But, thank
Heaven! somehow for conscience sake
found the resolution to hold to what
knew to be right. think it was the
recollection of my dear wife that came
over me at that moment, and induced
sudden feeling Of revulsion to the
beautiful woman who lay in my arms,
and who did not scruple to resort to
such means to turn me from my duty.
Hfsl it not been for the thought, l am
sure that being but a man, and there
fore weak, l should have yielded and
then there would have been no posi-
bility OF further retreat. AS it were,
with desperate effort, wrenched my
self free from her.
1T is of no use, Fanny" 1 cried, in
despair. 'I will not do it? l think
that it would be wicked for a man in
my condition to get married. This dis
tresses me beyond measure; but if
yielded to you l should be doing a
shameful thing. Forgive me, Fanny,
it is not my fault, did not know. 1t |
is hard enough 1 added, with a ma
tural burst of indignation, ''to be sud- |
denly doomed to a terrible death with |
out having to go through this agony"
and with sudden motion 1 flung the |
wedding license into the fire.
She watched it burn, and then sunk |
back in the chair, covered her face in |
her hands and said no more. In this
position she remained for nearly half |
IN hour. Then she rose, and with a
stern, cold face that it almost frighten-
"a me to look upon, returned to her
work, which was now once more the
'hief bond between US; nor was the
subject of our engagement alluded to
gain for many months. Nobody had
lnown of it, and nobody knew that it
lad come to an end. And so it died
hid went the way of dead things into
What seems to be forgetfulness, but is
n. truth the gateway into those new
nd endless halls of perpetuated life
n whose walls evil and unhappy rec
rds of the past, blazoned in letters
+ fire, are the lamps to light US down
rom misery to misery.
(Fo BE CoNTINUED.)