The Opelousas courier., 1898-06-11

- icSS AC Tx
. taken her blossomed as no rose ha
ever done before, and it grew to be
nightly occurrence that he Shout
leave a little offering of flowers Q
fruit at her door.
All day, when she was absent givin
the vocal lessons by which she lived
and he hard at work over his easel, hi
thoughts were with her.
She had told him something of he
early life-her girlhood-but notbin,
OF her marriage; from that she shranl
as from a blow. But still the ole
woman in the corner muttered @
Henry" She never needed wha
they said, nor seemed to have {
thought beyond her knitting, save the
utterance of that one name.
So the weeks sped into months, and
winter wa uron them, when Clint's
heart called out against further silence.
and demanded fdhd for its hunger. -,'
He V doubted its answer, I, he
entered Edna Audrews's ~ et .ner to
be his wife. TF~ir intercourse had
been Il OF purestfriendship-no talk
OF love had ever entered in; but still
he felt she loved him, even as he knew
he had given her the worship of his
soul.
Her patient endurance-her noble
couraSe-her true womanhood-had
first aroused the feeling; but it had
grown and strengthened, until it
formel part of himself.
SO, in the winter twilight, he told
his story, and, i'll the shadow, did not
note the great start his listener gave
how ashy white grew her face.
A moments silence fell between
them, as he told the story of his love.
Then she spoke, but her voice was
harsh, as though struggling to choke
down unbidden sobs:
"From you, Mr.. Loring, I did not
expect this. | ha grown to regard
you really as a friend-to feel had in
you a protector-to lean upon the
rock you seem to have afforded me
and, 10! [ find it all quicksand. How
could you? how could you?" and the
slight frame shook with the passion
OF sods which at last overcame her.
edna, what do you mean? Have
/, then, judged you SO wrongly that
the mention of my love thus agitates
you? An honest mans love is no re-
proach. Forgive me, if I have erred
and startled you from your repose. In
my hope of taking you from this life of
toll, in sharing with you all I have
which, thank God, is enough for both
Il forgot to break it gently. I an
not a rich man, Edna, as you know;
but [ am succeeding in my art beyond
my anticipations, and I could have
offered you a home more worthy of
you, my darling. Do you so shrink
from the thought of becoming my
wife?"
"Iour wife?" she almost gasped.
"What else, Edna, could I offer the
who has opened my eyes to a
womanhood?'
"Your wife? yours? Am I not a
wife already-deserted and betrayed,
it is true, but bound, hand and foot,
by the letters he has forged?"
eyes, yes, Henry will come backr!'
nuttered the old woman, in her
"You hear her? It is he of whom
The speaks-Henry, my husband.
listen and I will tell you all. It is (,
due. I married him when I was :
sixteen, attracted by a handsome E
ace, q few loving words. Well, he :
ION me, no matter how. [ had not {
'een his bride three weeks before he .
old me he had married me for nv :
.owry THAT he needed money, and ,
lust have more. Then I obtained it; y
ut my father, a rich farmer, grew :,
lred OF my repeated demands, and =
efused me more. When [ told him !.
his, he struck me, in his anger, and !
eft the house. I have never seen him 7
lnce. He forged my fathers name !;
'r a large amount, obtained the :,
loney, and fed the country. 1t is -
is anut, not mine, of whom I have T
le care. She is always looking for :,
is return. My parents died soon "
Ter, and my father was so incensed ~
lat he left me- %enniless. Yet, thank "
cd, [ have youth and strength, and =,
[ never again can listen to G.
words of love, though we must =
'rt today, perhaps never again to ~,
eet on life's highway,I shall remem- Y.
II that one true man has loved me-" ~
With an ashy face he heard her to IT
e end. Her eyes, looking into his =
it'll a great despair, told him what =,
II lips dared not utter, but in them 10
IS q resolution as well, which he r,
red not combat. III
He rose like one stricken, TUNED to- y
ard the door, then retraced his steps, =
d opening his arms, clasped her in
embrace she was powerless to
sist, rained passionate kisses upon ti1
eek, brow and lip, then, without 50
other word, went out into the night. tn
The next morning found him tossing cit
high fever, unconscious and delir- III,
Is. The long excitement, constant to
TX, with this last shock, had been hi,
re than even his strong frame could on
lure, and it had given way at last, wa
| cast him adrift and helpless in the tal
er's strong hold. lit,
For weeks he lay lowering between to,
and death; but when he opened til
heavy eyes, it was on the pale, ok,
I'm face of the woman whom he tho
who had mingled in all his to
ANS, that rested, and his first ques- a;o
was: D.,
why did you not leave me Why per
I'm for a second p%arting?' SUI
'Because-because, "she whispered,
answer, while q wondrous light