Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-03-29
Six Years Lost.

from Hene2tn Its mem. 1t s all very
well TO eschew the probabilities OF
life, but they are somewhat necessary
for all that, and | have never seer
any great evidences of economy or
youls part, and am quite sure you
| have not on mine"
Max Bayard tugged impatiently al
his moustache as the girl, whom q
moment before he had asked to be his
wife, thus answered him
He had known her long enough to
learn to love her with all the strength
If his great heart; to worship her
| beauty; TO follow her constantly with
| his eyes, knowing but one wish, one
hope-that she might be his
| And he fancied, not altogether
| wrongly, that his love had met some
return. Her eyes had frightened at
| his coming, her voice had learned to
welcome him, until he felt he must end
suspense ard gain some certain as
ton had lately come upon the scene
a rich and childless widower, who
evidently looked with favor upOn the
belle of the watering-place and whom
her aunt (under whose care she was)
If not the young lady herself, looked
upon with favor in return
Il have never had an incentive to
economy" Max said, in answer. az
have enough to live on and feed nv
horses, though my tailor's bill does
trouble me now and then, | confess
but, Sydney, l will change all that,
dear; l can't, perhaps, give you all
the luxuries to which you are accus-
toned, but you shan't lack for COM
forts, that l promise you"
We should be misera ble-MaX,
miserable, both you and T." said the
girl bitterly. 1--WE have not either of us
been reared in school of poverty l
would cry for cake while you could
only give me bread, and you for ale,
while could give you only kisses
Come, be sensible, and let us be good
friends
Il am starving, and you throw me a
stone. Look into my eyes, Sydney,
straight and true, and say you do not
love me, and l will go away, and
trouble you no more"
The long lashes dropped low on her
cheek.
Il cannot quite say that" she ar
swered: but 1 will say more I prom
ised last night to become Mr. Clay
tons wife within six months"
Max Bayard's handsome face grew
white to the very lips-a look of dead
| ly anger, mingled with something like
| toathing, crept into it. Sydney shrank
| from it, as from a blow.
Don't Max-don't!" she cried Il
could not help it am very sorry"
You could not help it-you are very
sorryl' he repeated, very slowly
Gould not help what? Toying with
me for your musement-playing fast
and loose with your victim, or selling
yourself to the highest bidder?
| Which, You are very sorry-for
whom? For the man you led step by
step to the brink of the flowerstrewn
precipice, only to smile as he plunged
| to the chasm below, or for him who
wins the prize in the lottery-the prize
| for which he has paid the price of all
of his fortune? Pardon me, Miss Yer
non, but he, | think, is more desery-
ing of your sorrow than the man
whom YOU hurl to the lowest depths
of the abyss
With these words he turned and left
| her sitting on the sands, the ocean
making its low moan at her feet.
'Oh, if it would come on and on
and swallow me up.' she walled in
echo Il love him-love him, Max
you are right; the man I propose tC
marry does deserve the pity. But you
me your hate! l did it for the BEST!
Six years had passed-six years
fraught indeed with change.
IF she ha6 been but true to herself
and met" Max Bayard had thought
when, but a few months after the
event which had driven him from his
native land to find forgetfulness ia
| travel, a letter had been put into his
hand, which had followed him from
port to port, Announcing that he had
fallen heir to a fortune which might
have challenged Mr.. Clayton's in its
magnitude.
He had always known there was a
bare chance of his inheritance, but
then present possessor had been young
and strong and vigorous, with a seem
ingly equal lease of life with himself
until accident had done the work OF
disease, and fortunes wheel had come
round to him.
IF only she had trusted mel" he
said, bitterly, again and again, in the
lonely hours of the night, despisine
himself that he could not learn to
hate her.
A year afterward he married. His
wife was very young and very lovely;
but there were depths in his nature
that her haLd never stirred, and even
as she lay with her head pillowed on
his breast another haunted face would
come between, and, mid the earessing
murmur Of her words would sound
the echo Of the might have been"
| But he loved her very dearly, and
mourned her very truly, when, one
short year after their marriage, be
laid her away in her grave and took
up the burden of life again, with the
added responsibility OF the tiny daugh.
ter she had left him.
"Wanted-A lady to superintend Tx
education of little girl Apply be.
tween the hours of 4 and 6 at
1t was in answer to this advertise.