The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-05-13

her wedding ring shone little gold
serpent ring. whose diamond eyes
spariled in the freight.
He did not repeat his question just
then.
"Shall I tell you" he said. "why |
became a wanderer OH the face Of the
earth|'
She sat down quietly opposite him,
her folded hands on her lap. The night
ingalc sang loudly and passionately:
the moonlight flooded the little room
through the still open window.
"When l was boy-a wild, head
strong boy. If you will, but with Il
strong. loving heart-I loved one of
the sweetest women who ever walked
the earth. She was scarcely woman
"A girl. almost Il child-an angel"
Sylvia smiled.
"And she loved me, or said she did:
and then, and then Why revive
these old memores?"
Perhaps" she said, softly, at is bet.
ter TO revive them. There may have
been some injustice done. in thought,
to some one, which might at last be
righted.'
ut could never he righted now" he
said. ut is so long ago-nearly thirty
years"
what Is thirty years in eternity:"
she said. "An unconsidered moment"
"She. the woman-or shall 1 call her
the child?-I loved, ruined my life
without an explanation. without even
/ o.. 4 7 4
look for work. had almost the prom.
| ise OF situation in an office. a salary
OH which we might have marrled-for
she was always, even then, thrifty and
Eousewifely in her sweet ways-when
l heard from her just these words:
"'Forgivc me. For reasons / can
never explain we can never marry.
am going to marry (here she gave the
name) next week.
Sylvla's voice sounded small and very
| faint as she said:
"Was that all? Didn't she even send
her love? Didn't she ;ell you that she
should always remember your love for
her and hers for you?"
"She did" he said. "How we'll you
understand womenr'
Not all women, but perhaps this
one"
"There was nothing for me to do"
he said. "All was inevitable. l went
away. She would not see me. She
gave no xplanation-none. My father
died suddenly. Her father had urged
her to marry. My mother was dead.
What was left for me? 1 went away.
could not forget her: / shall never
forget her. When 1 am dead, if my
body were opened, her name would be
found written on my heart
WAS she 50 beautiful?" Sylvia
asked, and in the agitation of that mo.
ment the femininity CT the question
passed unheeded.
"Shc was-herself." he said. "the
woman God had made for me, and she
rejected me-
You do not know ALL" she said.
Perhaps If you knew all, you would
be merciful."
II was never less than merciful to
her, God bless her.
Perhaps you have never heard that
her father forged Il mans name for
great sum, and that the man refralned
from prosecution on condition of the
daughter marrying him"
The wayfarer started from his chair.
"Was that the reason? oh, my Godl
And did she think so poorly OF her
loyer?"
"She thought of her fathers and her
mothers name" Sylvia said quietly,
though her white face flushed n rosy
red and her hands Grasped the arms OF
her chair. "She knew that. great as
love is, honor is greater. Therefore,
she knew that she must save her faith
er's name and lose her own. She knew
that she must lose the whole world,
which was her love, to save her soul,
her honor, TO save her fathers. She
knew that she must let the man she
loved, the man whom she had loved all
her life. whom she had played with
and quarrelled with since they were
both babies, look OH her all the rest
of her life as a vile coquette and a
tilt She must send him forth with
his faith in womanhood ruined, to seek
such comfort as she could never give.
ruined by her father; married to n man
old in sin, and who only desired her
for her youth and what men called
beauty; and be despiscd by the mar
she loved. and be silent for Lonors
sake"
Sylvia's tears ran over her cheeks
and Sill the wayfarer never spoke.
"She accepted her lot. The man she
loved went away. she does not know
where. believing her fa.se; ard the man
she married made her life tragedy
she dares not lei herself think of. And
then came ruin. She was glad whcp
ruin came. She could work with her
own hands for the little son; she loved
the child. And the man-he lost every,
thing-health, strength. ard all worldly
goods, ard she rursed him till hc died.
She knew the price he had paid for
her. aud she would fulfil the bargain
to the uttermost farthng-and 1t was
the uttermost farthinS."
There was deep silence in the little
: room.
Very gently the wayfarer roce from
his chair and he stood before Sylvia
, looking at the lovely face-loyely still
, though the sorrows of many years
: shadowed the eyes and followed the
J delicate cheeks
, "And now he knows ALL he said.
Svlvin rose and puf hpi hands intr