The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-10-19
|ected so strongly that the girl gave up

|. She would not consent to a clandes-
tine marriage, however, at that time.
Her lover looked grieved, and a mist
like moisture dimmed the luster of his
beautiful eyes; but, though her W
overflowed with tears, Lefty remained
firm-for that time.
On their next meeting she did all h
talking, end her lover listened, almost
In silence. except for an occasiona!
long-drawn sigh or a monosyllabie
spoken in a tone of sadness.
Unable to bear this change. Lefty
asked, petulantly, what h had done to
be SO treated, and had anything hap
pened.
eyes, her lover answered, but in a
tone of deep tenderness, "almost the
worst that could happen"
He had received letters which re-
called him peremptorily, and he could
no longer invent excuses for remaining
away. His father commanded him to
return; his mother entreated him to
come to her, and his aunt, from whom
he had such large expectations, wept
for him, for she vas sick, almost to
death, and he could scarcely hope to
find her alive unless he returned with
out delay.
Poor Lefty listened and turned pale.
A terrible fear seized her, and h she
realized that this stranger had already
become a part of her life.
What would that life be If he should
go out Of it? A barren wilderness.
Nothing in all the world could fill the
void left by his absence; for, in all the
world, there was nothing like him.
Alas for her there was nothing now
but him!
"Anthony, Anthony" h gasped, in
terror, ct cannot let you go. I cannot
part from you!"
'tBut I must go, carina," he returned.
in the soft and velvet-like tones that
few women could resist. Rereft OF
you, I have, indeed. no personal inter-
est left in the world; but I have a name
and family to whom I owe much, and
for the remainder of my life I a live
for them"
mo, no!' cried Lefty, clasping her
slender hands about his arm. and look
ing up into his face with beseeching
eyes. you shall not leave me; for II
you do you may not return!"
Her lover shrugged his shoulders, and
declared he would, indeed, try not to
return, since she cared SO little for
him, and preferred to see him unhappy.
rather than forego the parade Of a pub
lie marriage.
"You are cruel!" moaned Lefty.
bursting into tears. "What do I care
for the parade of a public marriage? I
only ask to tell my mother; but even
that I will defer, since you say 1t mus
be so. I have no will but yours-no
wish but yours. I love you better than
all the world, and am yours, now and
forever"
It was already in the dusk Of even
ing, and their place of meeting was a
secluded end almost deserted little park
not far from Letty's w home; and
now, at this complete and imprisoned
surrender, her lover caught the slight.
girlish form in his great, powerful
arms, raised her like a little child, and
held her clasped to his breast, while his
kisses rained in a warm shower on her
brow and lips n cheeks.
"My own fair rosebud" he wh1s-
pered. CHOW I believe you love me, in.
deed!"
Before they parted, all the prelimin-
aries for their marriage were arranged,
and neither was late at. the appointed
place for the next morning.
Having taken the ~irrevocable step,
Lefty knew no regret nor any feeling
of uneasipess. The man she loved was
now her husband; she believed In him
Simplicity and obeyed him blindly. me
secret of her marriage was no longer
her own, but her husbands, n there.
fore she did not even reproach nefse.l
for keeping it from her mother. Al
though she had. in part, spoken Of her
love. and o.. her happiness In moving
it returned, to Bertha she Went no Iur-
Their in her confdenls"e; Tor her nus
band forbade her to speaA OF nef iaaf-
riage to any one.
.'The time will come, and soon, my
darling" he had said, "whan I will DC
you proclaim it to the world; but till
then breathe it not to any mortal, and
only in a whisper to our wv heart"
Gas If I could for a moment forget IT,
my own, my Anthony, my ~husband!"
murmured the poor, infatuated girl,
looking at the man she loved with ador-
ing fCndness.
Day followed day, and they met con-
stantly, and spent hours that seemed
but minutes, together; and still Lettys
husband postponed his departure from
day to day, declaring that he could not
tear himself away from his loved and
lovely bride, but always ending by say
ing that he might be forced to leave
her--for q little while-at any moment.
Therefore, when, on q certain morn
irg. she reached the trysti9g place first.
and spent hours there, in an agony OF
suspense and expectation. without
meeting her husband, she was neither
uneasy nor suspicious Of any harm.
Her heart was sore with d~isappoint-F
ment and the pain Of separation, but
not one Thought against thestfuth and
honor and goodness Of the man h hao
married disturbed her peace
HE has had further news from Eng
land.'. she thought. miserably. HE
has been obliged to go to-day. perhaps.
without even a word Of goodbye. How
shall / bear 1t? oh, II / could only tell
mamma or Bertha! To share my grief
with some one who loves me would
help me a little; but I dare not, for
Anthony forbade me. I must shut It
up IN my own heart, and wait until my
love comes back to me-and I will"
But 1t was impossible for Lefty to
conceal entirely er sadness during the
absence Of her lover, and to Bertha's
repeated questions she had admitted
that business Of a fanny nature had
called alvey Anthony Castel, but that
he would return soon, and that he was
then going to visit her mother and ask
for Lefty as his wife. as soon as h obs
~stacles to their marriage had been re-
moved. EsS