Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-08-23

way. but. oh. forgive me, NJ
mistake me. ] know well You Nv, Is
never marry me now; and" love ssls
her voice" neither could ever m 49,
you. having once shown you nv 49,.
SO there can be no misconoass.ss
about that. But IL you knew ar p.0A
thing-how wretched was. how
less, how essential it was thai y
money should be procured. hnw w
ride II was to me to have to NJ s'ss
It, and how just and right a tbia.
seemed to give you myself ii =
cnange, having no other means !, :
payment-you might perhaps pitv =
Could you only have seen into ~
heart, you would have read there NJ
real was my determination to he A..
TO you, to make you a good wife ~
love you eventually as well as lay aas
that other
She broke down here and cor.u
her face with her hands. And I,ynasu
who had never learned the art o. ~
ing consistently unkind to anvthins
felt his wrath and wrongs melt ave.
altogether, while choking sensat;os
arose in his throat.
He forgot all his own deep ininr,o.
and, taking the pretty golden bass
between his hands, he drew il dow
upon his breast, where she began VI
cry right heartily.
Mildred, how could you do it," i.
WHISPERED, presently, in broker
voice. Had you hated me you conla
have done nothing more cruel. Child
did you never think Of the consa'
quences?"
i know have behaved basely IL
you, sobbed Mildred. "But I never
thought that this would be the end
All might have turned out so different.
~, had-had this day never BEEN
shall never cease to be thankful
that this day did come" he answered
earnestly. Better to wake from {
happy dream in time than rest uncon-
scious until the waking is too late
Bitter as it is to lose you now. and
no one but myself can guess how biz
ter that is. would it not be far worse
to discover that my wife had no sym,
pathy with me, no thought akin ia
mlne?" He paused for moment and
then he said, sadly, ut seems hard
thing for me to say, but yet-oh, NIL
dred, wish we had never nett"
is there nothing I can do to make
1t up to you?" she asked. despairing-
ly.
mo, there is nothing" he answered
regretfully; "all that could be said or
~h1 ~, -
You are crying still, Mildred" raising
her face, and regarding it mournfully;
ARE you SO very sorry then, for your
work? And yet few plain words
would have prevented all this. Tell
me-When returning the money, which
you insisted on doing after your
grand-aunt's death, why did you moi
then honestly speak the truth? Was
not that good opportunity
Oh, how could do it them" she
asked, turning away her head, with a
little shiver Of distaste: that would
have appeared so detestable in YOU
eyes. What!'''sh exclaimed, eeaAs
your kindness gratefully when I was
in sore need Of it, and then when j
had no further want Of it, throw you
Off without the slightest conjunction?
Surely you would have thought that
very unworthy action?''
Still it would have been better than
this" he answered, gloomily, Begin
ming to walk slowly up and down the
room, while she stood weaving her
fingers restlessly in and out, watching
him.
Poor Mildred, the bitterness Of her
remorse just then made half atone
ment for her sin. With a heart al
once affectionate and deeply feeling
it was to her the intensest agony to
see Lyndon SO crushed and heart
broken, and know 1t was her own
handiwork.
For few minutes there was silence
except for the faint sound OF Lyndon s
footsteps as he paced heavily to and
fro on the thick carpet At length
she could bear it no longer.
j. (To be continued)