Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-09-15
I was reserved. morose boy at sol.

replied his friend, but never morose.
Many times I longed to ask for your
confidence. but there was something
that told me it was too deep a sorrow
you were hiding for any intrusion"
Il could not talk Of It in those days.
When my father died and ] planned to
return to my home, | renewed my
self-eXacted vows to devote my life to
May, but-do not despise me. Roy-it
was with an added misery and pain
Remember. / had not once seen her
since the day when l carried her home,
after my hand had ruined her young
life, but knew that she was deformed
! was young man. in the full vigor Of
health, and, while my conscience told
me very plainly that | owed my life to
May Talbot, my heart shrank from the
only way in which I could offer it,
Common sense spoke very plainly. On
~ as my wife could | give to May the
tender care, the love. that might throw
some gladness into her life And |, like
a coward thought of the long misery OF
my own life tied to a deformed woman
that | did not love So | came home,
slave in my own idea to my duty,
and resolved to wear my chains brave
ly. 1t was summer weather again when
| went to Owls Nest and, to my sur
prise, the house was full of guests,
most Of them young people. think
that May must have gathered some
thing Of my intention from my letters
for she was no longer a child and suf-
fering had made her womanly even be-
yond her years. | only guessed this
from her manner. ! had expected to
meet a frank, cousinly welcome, for
our correspondence had been like that
of an affectionate brother and sister,
but May was dignifed and even chill
ing in her greeting. 1t was soon evil
dent to me that she was trying to
thrust other ladies' who were her guests
upon my care, and to avoid me as far
as possible"
But was she repulsive, Bob?"
"Repulsiye! She was far from that,
my poor darling. Feeling her deform-
ity, as such sensitive natures do feel
any personal defect, she had a morbid
idea that she was hideous, and yet a
craving to be loved, If she could not
be admired. Governed by this wish,
she had cultivated naturally fine in
tellect by constant study, porting over
books when other girls of her age
would have been seeking pleasure in
flirtations or amusements. With
sweet, pleasant voice and a good ear
for music. She had cultivated mu-
steal taste till she was wonderfully pro-
ficient, and her singing was a pure de-
light to her friends But for me she
never sang; she never played; never
chatted as she did with her other
friends, and avoided me so persistently
that at last 2 horrible fear took posses
sion of me IN spite Of her natural
sweetness OF disposition, her affection
ate letters, l feared she had never real
ly forgiven me, but was too generous
to let me know the truth"
HIN! Not an unnatural fear. But,
my dear fellow, when you found your
self so persistently snubbed. why did
you not leave her? You had done all
your conscience required"
But not all my heart desired! One
day, when she was more gracious than
usual, l made her a downright offer OF
marriage. She was furiousl She said
| insulted her, Nothing could con-
vince her that I was not trying to make
amends for the past, at the price Of my
own happiness. From hot indignation
she became pathetic, asking me how |
could so wound her. finally leaving me
To FL
brute gives but a faint idea of my SEN
sations. l left Owls Nest the same
day, trying to comfort myself by my
own virtuous intentions. But, Roy. |
love her. | love her with all the
Of my heart. Her deformity to
me is but a touching Renaissance of
the tenderness / owe her. and which l
long unutterably, to pour out upon
her TO me she Is the one woman In
the world, and | cannot imagine a deep
er, purer happiness than mine would
be could ! call her my wife. How to
convince her of this, how TO overcome
her morbid horror that | am unwilling
ly devoting myself to her service do
not yet know But l am resolved to
try. Surely such deep, sincere love as
mine must at last win its way and force
her to believe in its truth"
you have my best wishes. Come,
shall we rider
So they strolled away to order their
horses, and May Talbot threw off the
to stand before her mirror,
and once more compare her little
crooked figure with the thought Of 9TH
er women's symmetry
But into the blue eyes had come a ra-
dance that made her whole face joy
Gus. over the sweet, sensitive lips how
cred a smile born of love and such hap
piness as her life had never known
before. For she loved her knight well,
this fair maiden who would not accept
his pity To have been his wife doubt
ing his motive in seeking her, to have
thought every tender word duty
Yrung from his remorse. would have
been torture. To be his wife because
be loved her, had won her love, was
such happiness that the truth made
ler dizzy, and she sank into a deep
arm chair, sobbing for pure JOY.
My dear" said a matronly lady,
presently entering the room, who do
7ou think is here? Robert Blake! 1
net him as we drove up 10 the porch
;teps. Tell me, darling, will it be
painful for you to see him? We can
80 away IL It is
No, mamma. l want to see him"
But she made no explanation. She
net him in the evening promenade,
when, leaning upon her stepfathers