Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-10-22

my mothers Illness"
'sNor l." she said, signing deeply.
"If had known it." l continued, "all
this might not have happened. Surely
the troubles 1 shall have to bear must
plead with you for mep'
Eyes, Martini" she answered; yes 1
am very sorry for you"
She came forward and offered me her
hand but without looking into my face.
I saw that she had been crying, for her
eyes were red. In tone Of formal po-
likeness she asked me if would not sit
down. I considered it best to remain
standing, as an intimation that should
not trouble her with my presence for
long. I had no time to lose, lest Kate
Daltrey should come in. and it was a
very difficult subject to approach.
"We were talking of you to-day" she
said at length, in a hurried and thick
voice. Aunt is in great sorrow about
you. 1t preys upon her day and night
that you will be dreadfully alone when
she is gone, and-and-Martin, she wishes
to know before she dies that the girl in
Sark will become your wife,"
The words struck like shot upon my
ear and brain. What! had Julia and my
mother been arranging between them my
happiness and Olivia's safety that very
afternoon Such, generosity was incred-
ible. could not believe l had heard
Alright.
"She has seen the girl" continued
Julia, in the same husky tone, "and she
is convinced she is no adventures. Jo-
hanna says the same. They tell me it is
unreasonable and selfish in me to doom
you to the dreadful loneliness 1 feel. II
Aunt Dobree asked me to pluck out my
right eye just now, l could not refuse
1t is something like that, but l have
promised to do it. 1 release you from
every promise you ever made to me, Mar
tin"
.Juliar' I cried, crossing 20 her and
bending over her with more love and
admiration than l had ever felt before
this is very noble, very generous
NO." she said, bursting into tears; 81
am neither noble nor generous. 1 do il
because I cannot help myself, with aunt's
white face looking SO imploringly at me
do not give you up willingly to that girl
in Sark. I hope l shall never see her
or you for many, many years. Aunt says
~
till you are settled in a practice some
your wife. Aunt wants you to have
somebody to love you and care for you
after she is gone, as I should have done
! But you are generous to consent to
it." I said again.
NO." she answered, wiping her eyes
and lifting up her head; 81 thought was
generous; I thought I was a Christian
but it is not easy to be a Christian when
one is mortified, and humbled, and
wounded. am a great disappointment
to myself; quite as great as you are to
me. 1 fancied myself very superior to
what am. / hope you may not be dis
appointed in that girl in Sark.,
Her hand was lying on her lap, and
stopped down and kissed it, seeing on il
still the ring / had given her when we
were first engaged. She did not look al
me or bid me goodbye, and went out
shame and gladness. met Captain Carey
coming up the street, with a basket OF
fine grapes in his hand. He appeared
very much amazed.
why, Martini he exclaimed, "can
you have been to see Julia?'
s'Yes," l answered.
'Reconciled?" he said, arching his eye
brows, which were still dark and bushy
though his hair was grizzled.
mot exactly" 1 replied, with a stiff
smile exceedingly difficult to force; moth
ing of the sort indeed. Captain, whe1
will you take me across to Sark ?'
'sCome, come! none of that, Martin
he said; you're on honor, you know
You are pledged to poor Julia not to visit
Sark again"
''She has just set me free" answered
and out of the fullness of my heart told
him all that had just passed between us
His eyes glistened, though a film came
across them which he had to wipe away
''She is noble girl" he calculated; 's
fine, generous, noble girl. really thought
she'd break her heart over you at first
but she will come round again now We
will have run over to Sark tomorrow. :
felt myself lifted into third HEAVIER
of delight all that evening. Ny mother
and l talked of no one but Olivia. The
present rapture SO completely eclipsed the
coming sorrow that forgot how soon il
would be upon me. / remember now thai
my mother neither by word nor sign suf
fered me to be reminded of her illness
She listened to my rhapsodies, smilins
with her divine. pathetic smile. There
is no love, no love at all, like that of {
mother!
Swiftly we ran across the next day
with. soft wind drifting over the ses
and playing upon our faces, and Ion,
furrow lying in the wake of cur boat
It was almost low tide when we reached
the island. fodnd Tardif's house com
pletely deserted. The only sign of lif,
was a family of hens clucking about th'
fold.
The door was not fastened, and l en-
tered, but there was nobody there.
stood in the middle of the kitchen an,
called, but there was no answer Olivia
door was ajar, and 1 pushed it littl,
more open. There lay books I had len
her on the table, and her velvet slipper
were on the floor, as if they had onl.
| just been taken off. Very worn and BROW
were the little slippers, but they reas
sured me she had been wearing them
| short time ago.
returned through the fold. All tn
place seemed left to itself. Tardif'
sheep were browsing along the cliffs, an
his cows were tethered here and there
At last 1 caught sight of head risin!
| from behind crag, the rough shocl
head of boy, and l shouted to him
| making a trumpet with my hands.
Where is neighbor Tardif" called
Down below therer he shouted bacl
| again, pointing downwards to the Havr
| Gosselin [ did not wait for any furthe