The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-01-26
lie was waltzed arocnd in II whirl Of

NAiN " 40 NsAAAH u sliAtllNl III u WHIT bi
excitement
And when the evenings amusements
had ended Molly seemed cross when
John pushed his way to the front and
claimed his right of seeing her from the
park 10 her fathers cottage gate. She
was irritable and moody John had
never known her 81 before, and ii was
with Il heavy, aching heart that ho
kissed her good night. Nor was tho un-
happiness Of his mind diminished when
fer several nights after she refused To
take her customary walk with him
Al length the climax came, and one
evening, after he had succeeded in in.
dueing her Ia come with him over the
hills. he received the dread ultimatum
which he had almost expected would
fall. Molly was frank. She avowed
shyly that she did not and could not
love him and then, with u pretty dis.
dainful toss of the head, declared that
she would be glad if he did not worry
her any more. John took the blow
quietly, but the agony of soul he suffer.
ed no one but himself knew
Then grave whispers and mods and
winks passed around from house 20
house i'll tho village. There were talks
III hated breath of secret meetings ut
night, and of Molly and the young
squire being seen together. And John
would be questioned, but he never an
swered. His sorrow was for himself
alone-so he would tell himself - it
could not be shared by tho curious. 1t
was his wont to go and sit by the sea,
and there find sort of melancholy sat
istaction i'll the low wall of the pillows
rs they broke in ut the foot of tho cliffs.
As for Molly. after one final attempt To
reclaim her, John avoided her To have
met her would have increased the in.
convenience of both, and i'll his case
would have opened afresh the wounds
but hardly healed. In the months that
followed the whispers took an uglier
form, and Longville delighted its soul
at last i'll village scandal,
And SO Molly went away and left her
poor cid father sorrowing.
There WAS only one who ever defend
cd the fair name of Molly when it was
made "A hyword with the young roughs
of tho place, who luafcd outside tho vii.
lago inn or at the roadsidcs. John was
never known to have become so inconsed
as when one evening in his hearing one
of these thuughtless youths mentioned
appropriately Molly's name and cou
pied IT with Il foul epithet Then he
thrashed the young lnut within an inch
of his life
After awhile the sad incident was
forgotten-at least until Molly return
TO her home again Then trouble began
ANEW she was very much altered, and
the roses had faded from her checks. In
fearful SORROW she would sit and nurse
her baby all day long
The last act in the tragedy cano when
one day Molly's father received Il note
from the hall Tho steward brought it
round, and as Molly's father was grow
ing old and feeble and his sight waning
the steward read the note aloud 1t was
formally worded cpistlo giving the
poor, old, SORROW stricken parent Il
month : notice bccauSs tho snnin" falt
unaC 1T was not conducive TO the morals
VI WV ' fitfAE' NAV lf'tlfi' VI 4h'lil ~
stamp should be harburtd in the midst
of his eettaser, Needless to say Molly s
father was almost broken hearted ut
the thought Of leaving the house ne had
occupied for SO long, while rs for Molly
herself her distress was too plteous for
words
one morning not long after John
stepped down the old roadway, his face
haggard, but the expression firm, reso-
lutte and determined. He presented him
self at the door of Molly's cottage and
was admitted. II was only look they
exchanged, and the loodpatos wcro
opened again, and, having sobbed ON
his shoulder awhile, Molly gradually
recovered herself, while John, with n
choking sensation in the throat which
he tried i'll vain to keep down, avowed:
II have always waited for you, Molly.
i knew you would come back to mt.
But | cant You forget that is
his, and she pointed i'll her anguish
to the cot wherein the babe was slum-
bering peacefully.
John didn't turn his head to look,
but he took Molly in his arms again.
And love was consummated in scry
ice, London Sun.