Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-07-15
Vilfred himself, none the worse. :

- @--- 49, <A<a<A<,~A@1 A@<<@40 NAA< - 49,
Perhaps not; but he was certainly q
little tired mentally, as Clare saw at
once when he came into the salon.
and was content to lie quietly on his
sofa all the morning. In truth, he
was striving, desperate and helpless,
againstdhe bitter self knowledge which
he was now gaining too much mental
strength to shut out, and still not
strong enough to fight out the grim
battle against his passionate heart
without suffering in the silent conflict.
His brain reeled at the terrible memory
of the past that,had wrecked his life,
reeled at the mere thought of the
blank, sunless future.
He dared not attemprsto face it, he
had no strength for it.
II must-I will live only.in the pres
emit he said, in his fierce desperation;
''only breathe in each hours, each
days existence with her at my side,
my love! my love! And she must
never know it for honor's, sake, never
suspect, for she would have to leave
me; and. by Heaven, cannot-will
not lose the ecstasy of the present
the agonized happiness of the week or
month that she remains"
iClare, by the very intuition of her
great love, saw, nay felt, the subtle
sign of an intense smothered pain, but
she not unnaturally ascribed it T. that
deep-seated trouble to which those
half uttered words of bitter anguish,
which she had never forgotten, must
surely have alluded: "Oh, the mad
ness! the black disgrace of it all!
Fettered to the very ground"
But she only said, in her tender way
that he looked little tired, and they
should lave nice quiet day to them
selves and see no one.
For 1 can't have you 60 back, you
know" she added, smiling down on
the dark, Swallowed eyes turned on her
at once. THAT would pain ZIG beyond
measure 1t would be my fault"
No, no, Clare, don't trouble about
me, either. Yes, / only want you to-
day-quietness. My head isis lit
tie tired" he said, YEARLY, pushing
back the curly locks from his brow.
4 suppose that last evening recalled
old times when-and I got thinking
thinking-too much, Clare"
In the night when you lay awake"
said she, lightly-lsbut her lips quivered
for a second-"which won't do at all
either for your sake or mine. Ny credit
as nurse is at stake, you know, and If
you get fretting when you should get
stronger each day DR.. Faber will scold
me-"
Dear Clare, sweetest nurse, forgive
met
''Oh, that is all very well, you bad
fellow said Clare, archly; but how her
heart ached for him! Forgive you till
next time, suppose. You are not to use
your brain for anything disagreeable.
past, present or future. You are to keep
the peace with your faculties"
Peace peace. where there is no peace"
he muttered, bitterly.
But she heard though she took no overt
notice and only added:
"Just now you are to live in the pres
emit
He half-started at the echo of his own
desperate determination.
YES by Heaven. L will for you, my
darlingu were the wild, passionate
words that almost rushed to the man s
lips But he crushed them back, how,
he scarcely knew, only that he did, and
turned his face aside with heaving heart,
exhausted with the sharp fight for self
mastery won in that minute.
God help me, l will try" he whis-
pered presently, his hand blindly seeking
and clasping Clares tightly. Il will try.
Clare"
And she for minutes could only softly
caress that clinging hand her own heart
throbbed so heavily with anguish for
him He suffered, and she could do
nothing to lift the burthen that lay on
his life; dared not even plead TO share
it that she might ease its weight What
right had she to ask his secrets to tighten
them?
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