The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-07-16

crippled and inonrably ~. They
would not keep me After could get
about on orutohea, bat 1 have begged
or starved, aud Il viii not be for longl
! would not lot any one know for fear
Il would get to--to-Holen"
"You want 90 hide from her2'
'Yos-yesl What would her life be
tied 10 miner You will not betray me,
Spcncer1"
but y0u may recover,
''Nol / should be only a wreck II
could, but / cannot. ] have internal
injuries that the cold aud hunger Of
last winter have increased, fatally"
Will Spencer literally could not
speak. This man asked Of him only
the silence that would give him his
wife. Could he let Helen remain In
| ignorance Of this strange adventure the
memory Of her old love might die away
in time.
When he could speak again he led
the conversation TO Helen. He was
very frank, telling George Vanhorn
how truly he had been mournod, but
saying nothing Of his own hopes, and
it was easy 30 see how George had
loved her, how utterly self-sacrihcing
his silence had been. To spare her
pain he had kept from her an knowl-
edge Of his own suffering.
But his pride yielded 10 Wills en-
treaties 10 be allowed 20 befriend him.
He was very weak, very IN, and he al
lowed Will 10 get him q pleasant room
in a quiet clearinghouse, to furnish
him with necessary clothing, 70 en-.
gage q doctor, and to take q brothers
place beside him.
And then true, unselfsh love tri.
umphed.
"She viii never marry me-" Will
thought ruefully, as he folded a long,
long letter, "but she shall not be
cheated ont Of what little happiness
life may still hold for her. "
He wrote, too, to Mrs. Raymond, q
letter that caused that respectable lady
to grind her teeth, but which she
obeyed, packing her trunk and accom-
panying Helen in the journey west
ward.
1t was Will Spencer who met the
two at the depot, and accompanied
them to the boarding house, where he
kept Mrs. Raymond in the parlor after
sending Helen upstairs alone. 1t was
| Will Spencer who smoothed away every
difficulty, engaging rooms for mother
and daughter, and quietly effacing him
self.
1t was far too long a story to try to
record the three months that followed.
George Vanhorn was resolute on one
point. He would not marry Helen.
He had no hope of recovery, but if the
unexpected should happen he would
not risk running Helen's life by bind
ing it to his.
ooh, she would cry, "what am I
to deserve the love Of two such men?
Mother, it humbles me to think how
they love mew
And by this love her courage was
sustained through the three months,
when she and her mother smoothed
George Vanhorn's path to the grave.
Such happiness as could be hers, she
knew that she owed to Will Spencer,
, who showed his love only by his care
of the invalid He never spoke of love
to her, giving her up entirely, but
upon her lover he lavished every kind
ness wealth could procure, or friend
ship dictate. He gave him a brothers
devotion until the last parting came,
and when he was laid in the cemetery
, Will Spencer took Helen and Mrs
Raymond back to their home and left
/ them.
1t was three years later when he
came home from European tour and
) called on Mrs. Raymond
1.-THE old lady, sir, is dead, " the
servant told him, an Miss Helens liv.
in in - street. Maybe yees didn't
t hear she's come into some money from
her uncle, sir, and Mrs. Grady, she's
took this house, sir. "
Come into some money! Well, she
! did not need him. He would wait
S awhile. But in few days little note
s reached him:
| 'It was unkind to letme hear of your
Q return by accident. Will you not come
5 to see me?"
Would he not? And when he went
he could not keep the love out of his
e eyes or his voice, and she-at last
+ Her eyes dropped under his gaze, her
s cheeks blushed for him, her voice
s faltered, with tenderness He had won
his bridel And he had no secret hidden
y from her loving eyes, no treachery he
would dread to have her discover. BY
the frankness he had thought would
i. ALLEVIATE her forever he had won hel
true, faithful love, devotion as entire
G as that she had given in her girlhood
j! to the man he had sonobly befriended,
The Ledger.
y Bucks Paid Dearly for Their Scrap.
J, Two Susuuehanna County yOune