St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-09-03

1t? Jack, il that night you he'd toll
me could cause your heart such pain
would have scorned even the thought.
Yet l dare write the words forgive
me- Icare hope in time you may for
get me. Ihave broken my vows to you.
Jack. have pledged them to another.
The gilded bars are to be mine, afte-
all. not the home pervaded by loves
sunshine, yet it is my own choice. It
is as you said. The glare and glitter
has been more than my weak eyes
could bear. ] have promised to love
the man who is to be my husband. but
the love he requires is more easily
given than that the birds echoed and
the flowers blessed. / think, after all.
my heart is buried on the spot where
you and parted. Let us hope it never
may be resurrected. Jack, Jack, for
give mel"
So Dennis Doane had done this
work. Her letter once dispatched, Mel
lie forbade thought to enter more and
dreamed that in her new life she had
found happiness, while he who had
gained her for his own looked on her
wondrous beauty and gloried that
with wealth unlimited at his command
so fair bride should grace his hand
some home. The sweetly solemn words
Of wife and mother were to him un-
| known.
But her visit was approaching its
close. A few days more and she must
return to her home, when the prep
arations for the wedding were to be
hurried as speedily as possible, and in
the new year Dennis Doane was to
| come to claim her. 1t was the ex-
citement, she thought, which made
her head throb SO heavily as she laid
it one night on her pillow and caused
her cheeks to burn SO hotly, while she
tossed to and fro. wooing sleep in vain.
They knew otherwise when they
found her delirious and fever-stricken
in the morning. and their fear arose to
panic when the physician summoned
shook his head and pronounced 1T the
fearful scourge of smallpox.
For many weary days and nights the
poor girl knew not the dread enemy
which had overtaken her. The house.
which had been ever filed with gay
merriment, was silent and deserted.
while the shadow Of death in its most
horrible form hung dark and dismal
over it. But there came a day when
It lifted its somber wings and flew
away, and those who had well-nigh
despaired knew that Nellie Leonard
would live. In the early dawn, when
her attendants thought her sleeping,
when the wonderful crisis had been
passed. lying awake and alone. she
first realized the full consciousness o.
all that had happened. But it was
Jacks hand for which she longed to
press her fevered brow; Jacks lips
once more to meet her own, as in the
silence and the darkness her own
heart stood revealed to her.
Perhaps II she told him she had re
pented, il she proved to him that hel
illness had taught. her the poverty Of
all she thought wealth, he might for
give her and once more take her bach
to his true. manly heart. And with
this thought to soothe and comfort hel
she closed her eyes ana slept.
A week later. and with strength ant
fuller consciousness came a dim won
derment as to the ravages of the dis
ease. She asked for mirror. The at
) tendants pityingly turned away. bu
she would haze her demand complied
with. Once she glanced into it. theI
asked to be left alone. For hours sh'
Law silent and motionless, only nov
and then a tear fiSding its sad wa!
down the cheek whose first bloom hat
forever fed. Then she called for pei
and paper.
'.The beauty for which you love-
me-" she wrote, with firm hand. ''ha
vanished. / would that all is left ha,
been hid by the cottin's lid. but God
.. way is not our way, and He decreed
otherwise. You asked me to grac
your home. 1 can no longer do so, sine
YOU would turn shuddering from m.
: presence. Therefore. release you"
Then came in answer q few col
words of coincidence and regret, bu
no petition that her decision be RI
: versed, and Nellie Leonards life ono
: more belonged to her to do with
she would. But such . shattered
changed life! Jack never would bs
: llieve now that had all been differen
, she still would have burst her links Q
) gold and asked him once more to bin
!. her in the chains Of love. Home
5 Home! This was the cry of her hear
And at the first hour her physician
| 1aye consent. BY slow. careful stages
She was carried back to the home sh
: had left SO bright, SO joyous. The dii
!. ease, after all, had been far NOR
! merciful than she had at first SUI
! posed. It was still face of fai
!. beauty, with but here and there som
. slight blemish to prove its finger ha
but touched her and passed by, ba
she covers it shudderingly in bot
hands when Jack Harold first enter
the room where she sita Agreat rus
of tenderness comes over him. as b
: notes the action, and he approachs
: her side.
"Nellie, is this true, that your life
! lvours to do with as you will-that n
other can assert right in its posse
. sion? II SO. will you once more. m
3 darling, place 1t in my hands?
! Then she raises her face to meet hi
8 and Jack starts.
!. 81 thought you altered. darling, b'
Iyou are all unchanged. 1t is not tru
4 perhaps" he adds, sadly. Il ha'
heard wrongly"
n "No. Jack" she says. finding voi'
: and springing to her feet. IF you wi
4 take me with my beauty gone. oh. no
: clad I shall be once more to rest
: YOUR love! 1t has been my punis
). ment. Jack-a fit one. It Is also fit tn
= I should suffer"
! .Darling." he answered. folding h
= Ito his heart, ''in my eyes my WI
4 would be ever beautiful, even thou(
s disagreement had indeed been yo'
= norton, but thank God He has left "
8 beautiful in other eyes than tho
: blinded by love. Let Us not call
lv punishment. darling, but rather
!. cent il a His hand leading US into q
. / -.xh. ~ hannSness"-N