The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1900-01-06

sure that IN her loneliness, she mad
sought death.
II was too late: the rushing mount
ain tide had swept the young thing,
who had grown fragile in that one year,
out of my life forever.
II understood with an overwhelming
sense of anguish, all the wrong | had
DONE that | was murderer. A heavy
burden of guilt and shame fell on my
heart, crushing out all hope and glad.
ness. | loathed all for whose false APP
probation | had sacrificed her. For
years, like an evil spirit, wandered
from place to place, seeking peace,
which came not, and which I fear, can
never come.
''Have you never noticed" interpos-
ed Catharine, that God as a father, from
a willful, fretting child, withholds the
things we most desire, until we have
learned, through patient waiting, ODE
dience, to higher will?"
"'God grant it may be SC"
"'I have found it so, but 60 on and tell
me that you have found comfort in your
work.
Eyes, for my mothers sake, who had
been the one true friend of Laurel, |
returned and tried to take up again my
shattered life.
at has been fifteen years since first
saw Laurel, and for ten years have
lived here with my mother, trying to
redeem the wasted years. have never
thought of loving the women who have
crossed my path, until you came. | do
not know how | dared love you; it
came as an inspiration that, to some
extent, | might atone to her by giving
you my life's love and care.
"'You do not ask of my past, she
said.
Ono, you are the embodiment of all
purity and goodness to me: intuition
tells me you have suffered. | want to
guard you from it in the future, as my
honored wife. Can you forgive my
past and grant me that sweet privi-
lege?"
"She raised her head and looked at
him with eyes tear-dimmed. There was
tremor in her voice, as she asked.
:;.-:If I assss,- ..
!" Impossible, dear he answered
firmly, "Laurel has no friends or rela-
tives, or money, and she never went
again to her old home"
"'Not impossible, Robert; she is
alive: she has never ceased to love you.
She forgives you as she hopes to be for
given for her long neglect of duty. The
VOWS were not all on your side, though
you did seal them with this" and she
drew from her fingers and laid in his
hand, simple gold ring, which held
his initials, 'R. E. Afterward he had
her initials, L. H., added, forming
two monographs. ''As you have been
added to myself" he had said, and the
idea pleased him. He looked at her now
awe-struck, as though he doubted the
evidence of his senses.
"I have never taken it off before"
she said timidly regarding him. He
took her close in his arms and kissed
her tenderly.
"I shall soon put it on again, my
darling, my much-loved wife. But tell
me dear, that you have not known want
or poverty"
emo" she answered, 81 have not in
the sense you mean. Yet in the long
years I have often felt the need of your
love and protection, and heart poverty
is often the saddest kind. Good old
grandfather left me sealed letter, on
which was written, Not to be opened
until you are in dire need, my beloved
child When left your home | opened
this. 1t directed me where to find quite
a sum of money, which no one had ever
supposed he possessed. Instead of my
own name, took my mothers maiden
name, Catharine Lindon. | love it BEST
as while bearing it, have won the best
love of my life."
est is poor love, dear, but it is
wholly yours until death part us. :"
They sat late exchanging reminis-
censes of those past years.
In few weeks they were quietly
reunited. People wondered, but only
they ard the gentle mother knew why
DR.. Ellersly chose to be married with
worn ring. They only understood,
his imprisoned words, "My wife, doubly
my wife" who knew the history of
that past, and how he resealed those
long-ago and broken VOWS, with others
more true and steadfast. The years
give token only of their entire fulfill
ment
The conversion of the hintiest, rough