The Opelousas courier., 1897-09-25

s. va "S|SotioA VI VIC tIOuSScaU TeIetfe
G to in matter-of-fact words that mac
Helen feel, Us it was intended 81
should, that she had walked into a Il,
f from which there was no escape.
$ And Will Spencer knew it all, M
writhed under ACKNOWLEDGES, being
Y frank, loyal r.s,, whGnimpulses wer
generous and honorable, >and VIII
8 loved Helen with all the stSSength {
t his heart. Often he asked Mmse)
/ how ne could endapse life, if he re-li
his wife q faithfss1i Slave, instead of til
happy companion he hoped to max
her.
eff she never loves mel" he thought
bitterly. 81 all my love fails to wi,
hers, what will my life be?"
lie did her justice. He knew that
If his love failed to win her heart, hi
gold was powerless to make her happy.
lie knew that if her mother died OF
could not be benefited by her mar.
riage, she would rather beg her bread
herself than be his wife.
While matters stood in this unsatis-
factory state, Mrs. Raymond made a
suggestion: 81 want you to go away
for a month";" she said to him. "and
let Helen miss the constant devotion
that she has had eyer since your be-
trothal. Let her feel that a void has
come into her life, aad how dull and
cheerless it would be if she lost YOU.
The wedding day is set for June 10,
and this is April. Stay away until the
9Th or 9th of June"
1t seemed to him good advice, and
he had business in the West that would
fill his time protitably. It gave him
the first really happy moment of his
engagement, when Helen said, gently,
yet with q shudder:
~ cannot bear to think of you on
railway trains, Will. Write often, that
l may know you are SAFE"
Her lips met his in a tender pres
sure, such as a loving sister might be-
stow, but with far more affection than
she had ever before given him. Was
he winning her? The hope made this
unexpected absence endurable. and
for two weeks life held more pleasure
than it had done in all the days of his
courtship.
Then came g blow, sudden, sharp,
overwhelming! lie was in q large
Western city, when, after night, re-
turning to his hotel, a man on crutches
asked for charity. The voice was
familiar, and, in q shock of horror,
the face struck him. One gaspinr CRY
escapedhim:
George Vanhorn!"
The man would have hurried away,
but he followed easily.
"Let me go, Spencer!" the cripple
pleaded. II did not recognize YOU!
Don't you know I am dead?"
Il know you are coming in here
with me-" Will said, gently, substitute
ng his arm for n of the crutches,
md entering the hotel where he had a
'oom. STEADY, nowr' and he led
lin, feeling how he trembled, until
le had him seated in O great arm
hair in his room, and felt his heart
TIRED with deep compassion at the
lavoc pain and poverty had made.
He would not let his guest speak
Intil he had ordered O supper and
aade him comfortable. Then, turn ]
ng to him, he saw that he was weep I
rs. c
''See what q woman you make Of t
lei" the poor fellow said. "You t
[ WAS dead?' I
eyes! All your friends think So" t
TT was a narrow escape, and I /
'onder whyIwas spared. Nine months a
l a public hospital havo left me
and incurably ill. They. n
ould not keep me after I could get t
oout on crutehes, but I have begged il
starved, and it will not be for long! fl
would not let any one know for fear fl
would get to-to-Helenl" il
"You want to hide from her?" W
"Yes-yes! What would her life be ii
ed to mine? You will not betray me, fe
oencer?" IL
"But you may recover" Il
mo! [ should be only a wreck if I tt
uld, but I cannot. I have internal CT
juries that the cold and hunger of e.
st winter have increased, fatally"
Will Spencer literally could not
eak. This man asked of him only
9 silence that would give him his
tie. Could he let Helen remain in Is
norance ofrthis strange adventure the 81
emory Of her old love might die away IN
time. tn
When he could speak again he led Sc
. conversation to Helen. He was &c
" frank, telling George Vanhorn to
W truly he had been mourned, but WI
7ing nothing of his own hopes, and on
was easy to see how George had pa ,,
ed her, how utterly self-sacriicing II
silence had been.- To spare her sa
n he had kept from her all knowl- nc
OF his W suffering. ma
But his pride yielded to Willis en- LIZ
aties to be allowed to befriend him. re-
was very weak, very ill, and he al eS
red Will to get him a pleasant room 1o'
quiet clearinghouse, to furnish gu
4 with necessary clothing, to en- an
e a doctor, and to take a brothers. tn'
CO beside him. brl
md then true, unselfsh love tri- Al
pied.
She will never marry me-" Will
ught, ruefully, s he folded q long,
letter, ssbut she shall not be lin
ated out Of what little happiness On
may still hold for her." WI
wrote, too, to Mrs. Raymond, a
er that caused that respectable lady Ha
grind her teeth, but which she VIII
yed, packing her trunk and accom- rea
ying Helen in the journey west it j