The true Democrat., 1898-05-07

III nOC heuiy, Sue HllbLeleu.
"Henry will never come again"
In other days, many women had
smiled at Clint Loring, drawing him,
they hoped, to their feet, but all had
failed. He had gone on in his bright,
happy, careless way, until the. crash
came, and then, without even fare
we'll word, he had taken his pride and
his poverty out of their sight, lost in
the great city.
But strange, sweet intimacy
sprung up between him and his next
door neighbor. The rose lie had
taken her blossomed as no rose had
ever done before, and it grew to be
nightly occurrence that he should
leave little offering Of flowers or
fruit at her door.
All day, when she was absent giving
the vocal lessons by which she lived,
and he hard at work over his easel, his
thoughts were with her.
She had told him something Of her
early life-her girlhood nothing
of her marriage; from that she shrank
as from blow. But still the old
woman in the corner muttered Of
"Henry." She never needed what
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 was upon them, when Clint's
heart called out against further silence,
and demanded food for its hunger
He never doubted it's answer, as he
entered Edna Andrews's to ask her to
be his wife. Their intercourse had
been one of purest friendship-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
courage-her true womauhood--had
first aroused the feeling; but it had
grown and strengthened, until it
formed part Of himself.
So, in the winter twilight, he told
his story, and, in 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. hal grown to regard
you really as friend-to feel I had in
you protector--to lean upon the
rock you seem to have afforded me-
and, 10! I 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
I, 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 l 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 am
not rich man, Edna, as you know;
but 1 am succeeding in my art beyond
my anticipations, and I could have
offered you home more worthy of
you, my darling. Do you SO shrink
from the thought of becoming my
wife?"
"Your wife?" she almost gasped.
"What else, Edna, could offer the
woman who has opened my eyes to a
perfect womanhood?"
"Your wife? yours? Am I not a
wife already-deserted and betrayed,
it is true, but bound, hand and foot,
by the fetters he has forged?"
eyes, yes, Henry will come back"
muttered tho old woman, in her
corner.
"You hear her? It is he Of whom
she speaks-Henry, my husband.
Listen and I will tell you all. 1t is
your due. married him when I was
but sixteen, attracted by handsome
face, few loving words. Well, he
won me, no matter how. I had pot
been his bride three weeks before he
told me he had married me for my
dowry that he needed money, and
must have more. Then I obtained it;
but my father, a rich farmer, grew
tired Of my repeated demands, and
refused me more. When I told him
this, he struck me, in his anger, and
left the house. have never seen him
since. He forged my fathers name
for q large amount, obtained the
money, and fed the country. It is
his anut, not mine, Of whom I have
the care She is always looking for
his return. My parents died soon
after, and my father was 80 incensed
that he left mespenniIess.5 Yet, thank
God, I have youth and strength, and
though 1 never again can listen to
your words of love, though we must
part today, perhaps never again to
meet on life's highway,I shall remem-
Der that one true man has loved me-"
With an ashy face he heard her to
1 L. s,~k. L..