Middletown transcript., 1901-08-03
Deborah's Ring
BYL. G. MoBERLK.

|
Deborah, .eighteen-year-old Deborah,
with her beautiful voice, was binding
Jack Hillyard to duty and honor-plung-
ing him every day more deeply into for
getfulness of the obligations left behind
him in far off land
1t was when he had been six weeks at
Riversdale that the climax was reached.
Deborah's voice came out to him as he
strolled to and fro in the veranda-smok-
ing and thinking, somewhat disconnect-
edly, about letter which had reached
him that morning. The words in the
letter danced before his eyes.
"How soon do you think you will be
back? Grace is too far unselfish to say a
word about your prolonged absence, but
her father and / are anxious to have tie
wedding day fixed"
He kicked stone impatiently off the
veranda, and the words ran maddeningly
through his brain to the tune Deborah
was singing ''the wedding day ixed''-
his wedding day fxed-and the bride?
That other singing of ''Robin Adair'i
with the well trained conventional mind
to match, and the unfailing good manners
l-and-and then all swept over his mind.
Deborah's beautiful laughing face blur
red the picture.
Deborah's wonderful face thrilled his
very soul. He stepped abruptly from the
veranda and into the big, shady room
where the girl sat and sang.
"And l love thee, and I love thee, and l
love thee"
The words throbbed round him.
Deborah" he said hoarsely, laying
his hands suddenly on her shoulder.
Deborah, is it true? Do you love me,
dear?"
His voice sank to a whisper. His head
bent however, till his lips touched the
glory of her hair, and she turned swiftly
and laid her face against his breast in
silent answer.
Then Jack Hillyard lost his head.
He caught the girl to him with pas
sionate exclamation, and, lifting her face,
rained kiss after kiss upon it.; and in the
depths of Deborah's wonderful eyes he
read the love that was in her soul.
1t was the delirium OF moment, and
as instantaneously as it had come it was
followed by quick revulsion towards
honor and right.
"God forgive me-" the man said slowly
as he drew his arms away. Deborah,
my darling, IL"
"What is it?" she asked, "what is it?
Wasn't it true, after all?' and her face
grew white.
'True?" he laughed mirthlessly. 'True
that 1 love you, my sweet, with all my
heart and soul, but equally true that
am bound to another woman. That is |
the kind of brute you have been good |
to-" he added bitterly.
81 don't understand" she said, her
eyes growing dark with pain. ''Tell me
quick-what you mean. l would not |
take what belonged to another woman"
Her head was lifted with certain |
proud gesture, little flush ran over her
face.
'It is all miserable together" he an
swered brokenly. ''Six months ago |
proposed to girl in our own set in town
and was accepted. 1t was a good match.
I am not poor man, but this marriage |
was in every was excellent"
The bitterness in his tone made De-
borah vince.
There was money, birth, good looks
oh! everything that could be desired.
1t is an excellent Society match. I came
away to travel for bit before settling
down. I heard to-day from my future
mother-in-law, asking ne to fix the we'd
ding day, butt love you, Deborah-you
how can I?'
''You forgot honor for me-" she whis-'
pered. ''The other woman-the woman
who is waiting for you and trusting you
what of her? She loves you, she believes
in you. Ah! if anyone's heart, has got to
be broken, it mustn't be hers. 1t would
be so unfair, SO deadly unfair to her; she
has done nothing to deserve it,
Jack looked at Deb with puzzled eyes.
She seemed all at once to have grown
from girl into woman.
"But you," he stammered, ''but you
'1?" she answered, 81 can bear it.
would not hurt another woman; would
not take what is hers"
She stood facing him; her eyes flashed
into his.
Deborah, ,"-he spoke brokenly-"De-
borah, are you are you sending me
away? love you so, my dear"
A tender look swept over her face, and
she touched his arm gently.
'aThere is nothing else to be done, " she
said, "for honor's sake you must go back
forget me"
"But you," he said again. II
II shall sing-and work-and work J
until 1 have made great name-and 1
shall not forget our-friendship," her
voice shook, but her eyes never faltered.
"Do you mean that am never to see
you again?' f
'sNeyer-unless- sunless you can see me
in honor and~ right. See," she spoke
swiftly, take tbis-and if eyer-if ever
you are honorably free to come to me, |
give it or send it back to me; shall un- G
derstand." +
She drew from her finger a curiously h
chased ring of strange and unmistakeable y
pattern and laid it in his hand. n
aWhenever, wherever see it l shall \
know that it is a message to me from you. V
Five days later Jack Hillyard stood d
watching the shores of Australia recede
rom view, as the great steamer bore him !, y
,wiftly away towards England and honor 4 4
ind right. s
#*
The years slipped by. The name of