Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-07-19

words that were full of music. He
could not hear them. but he was con-
ten;.
And l." he said-"I will love you
forever, my beautiful queen!"
How cruel it was! How the words
stabbed her with sharpest pain! SO
hard, so bitter was the pain. that a
cly she never forgot came from her
lips.
My beautiful queen!" Who had
said those words to her before?
The lake, the cedar, the noble face
of her lover disappeared. She was
standing In the dewy freshness of a
summer morning by gate that led to
stretch of wood, and her young
newly-made husband was by her side
He was covering her hands with
kisses and tears. She saw the hand
some face; she heard the long-silent
voice saying: For | love you so dear
ly, my beautiful queen!"
All. dear Heaven, that even for one
happy moment she could forget. She
stood up with despairlng cry; her
beautiful young face grew CHASTITY in
pallor.
Il had forgotten!" she moaned. "Ah,
Heaven pardon me, had forgotten!"
Then the anguish of her pain became
too strong for her. and, turning from
him, with cry she fell on her face
on the long, cool grass.
He was frightened for her-not for
himself He felt sure that she loved
him-tha he should win her-that she
would be his wife; but he fancied that
he had startled her-that he had been
too abrupt. Yet why should she look
go despairing? What had she forgot
ten?
He went to her and raised her. AS
he turned her face to the sunlight, he
was startled by its look of pale, set
tied despair. He held her in his arms;
he kissed her white lips.
MY darling" he said, forgive me.
have startled you, Ethel | shall
never pardon myself if have fright
ened you"
His voice seemed to recall her to her.
self--a deadly shudder passed over
her frame Sir Oscar grew alarmed.
ETHEL, my darling, what is the mat
ter? | did not think / should startle
you 50 greatly"
1T is not that" she said, in a low
voice; Il had forgotten.
How was she to tell him? She grew
faint and sick with despair How was
she to tell him that she, so young, was
married already, and that the husband
she had welded in such secrecy and
haste was a common felon? Twice her
white lips opened, but all sound died
upon them.
When she was suffice .ly composed,
she said sadly;
Sir Oscar, am grateful for your
love, for your kindenss, but can never
be your wife.
Her voice was so altered that he
hardly recognized it, all the music
seemed to have died out of it.
My dearest Ethel, that is a neat
little speeeh---one that you have evil
IDENTIFY learned by heart; but | refuse
for one moment to believe that you
mean it. or that you intend to be so
cruel to me-you could not"
II am sorry" she faltered; "but in
deed 1t is true l cannot marry you,
Sir Oscar"
ooh, Ethel you are saying 1t to try
me, You cannot be in earnest, my
beautiful love!"
1t is true" said the girl "Sir
Oscar, ! love you, but can never be
your wife. because | have a secret in
my life
"A secret, Ethel" he repeated. He
looked at the pale, beautiful face, with
its sad, sweet lips and tender eyes. Il
should not care, my darling, If you had
five hundred. Oh, Ethel, trust me; you
are young ard inexperienced, and what
you deem Of moment may be nothing,
after all. | am quite sure of one thing
there can be nothing in your beauu-
full, pure young life to unfit you to be
my wife"
Thank you for your generous trust
in me- she responded; but my secret
VIII prevent my marrying you"
VIII you trust me with it," he
asked, anxiously. Net that | would
know it from idle curiosity, but that
Il ight help you, Ethel"
You cannot help me- | must bear
my sorrow alone until | die | cling
- your esteem. | cannot tell you my
secret BE generous, and do not ask
me to do So"
u would stake my existence on your
goodness, Ethel. If you yourself told
ne. | would not believe that you had
done wrong. | would never believe but
that YOU are the purest and best, even
as you are the most beautiful, of wo-
men"
THAT depends on what you call
wrong | cannot tell you what | did,
| will not tell you my secret did not
do wrong willingly. l was young
foolish, blind,