The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-25

and as engaging as ever. He touched
her heart. He appealed to her imagin-
alton. He filled her with a. transient
remorse, so that she begged his par
don with tears in her voice, and be-
sought him to turn over n new life for
her sake. At this the villain became
as theatrical as tenor i'll grand opera;
you would have listened insensibl for
the conductors baton; and as me ing
as any song was the speech that lme
instead.
"God bless you for those words!" he
cried out hoarsely. "Yes-I promise it
for your sake 1 will try. 1 will-for
your sake. l only care for you. There
its outfits the truth. Elsie, forgive
me; II am not master of myself"
Here he waited to see whether she
would rebuke him for so addressing
her, when she did not he came a step
nearer ard made his first mistake.
Life has been very hard without
you, Elsie; it will be still harder when
you belong to someone else. Elsie, is
it possible you can care for him as you
cared for me? Can you stand there.
after one little year, and tell me can
didly-."
She stopped him dead.
mot another word! How dare you
ask me such questions? 1t would serve
you right IL did answer you candidly,
but do not choose No, sir; il. have
really wronged you, as you say have,
then am truly sorry, and If can ever
be your friend 1 will; but do not re-
main here to be spoken to AZ you have
presumed to speak"
And with that she turned upon her
heel; but the specious scoundrel inter-
tercepted her, fell upon his knees in a
paroxysm of assumed pentence, but of
very geuine passion, and actually wept
for her forgiveness. The rough bush
man blubberinG in his knees in the
starlit garden-it is a picture over
| which a veil may well be drawn. The
young bride was distressed, of course,
but yet subtly fattered too; moreover,
| the passion for romance, which is in
| all women, was ministered to by his
scamp as unromantic Robert Clay had
not ministered to it yet. Sellers was
forgiven, had the girls word that none
should hear of his intrusion, and the
wisdom to tear himself away before
incurring further displeasure. COnse-
quently, Elsie Thornton was married
after all with reddish eyes, and not her
nearest friend knew the real reason
| why.
| Yet 1t all turned out wonderfully
well, and Elsie was happier than she
had ever been before. The bush helped
her. 1t made the life a new one in every
respect; it was not the old life under
altered conditions which could provoke
involuntary comparisons and real OF
imaginary dissatisfaction. Everything
was novel, everything delightful, from
the nearness of the stars at night, tc
the horsemen bobbing a league away
against the sunset with nothing anG
nobody between or beyond. And ther
Elsie had her husband to herself; she
was getting to know and love him bet.
ter; II was her nightly prayer that hel
love might one day be more worthy OF
his.
Clay was a perfect husband, forbear.
ing, patient necessarily kind, level
headed in all things, placid and good.
tempered to a fault. His men loved
him; he was known as a white man
far and wide Yet he ruled them Will
a hand of padded iron, and their love
was not unmixed with fear. Elsie dis
covered that he had fierce side, sid,
which she was never to see. And one,
a colt that he had broken in himself
for Elsie threw her so viciously tina
Clay had to carry his wife indoors will
sprained ankle; then he left her 70
a minute. and in that minute there wa
loud report outside.
"There!" said the squatter, verl