Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-07-03


ears. When heard them remembered
how many trivial things that at the mo-
ment Of their occurrence had seemed as
naught But now my eyes are opened.
am no longer blind. have brought you
here to tell you l will give you back your
promise TO marry me, your freedom" with
tsadden bitterness, as suddenly suppress
Nd-"on one condition"
"And that?" breathlessly.
In that you will never marry Roger
without my consent"
The chance of regaining her liberty is so
sweet to Dulce at this first moment that
It chases from her all other considerations.
Oh, to be free again! In vain she strives
to hide her glsdness.
1t will not be hidden. Her eyes CLEAN;
her lips get back their color; there is such
an abandonment Of JOY and exultation in
her face that the man at her side-the
man who is now resigning all that makes
life sweet to him-feels his heart grow
mad with bitter hatred of her, himself,
and all the world as he watches her with
miserable eyes.
And he-poor fool had once hoped he
might win the priceless treasure Of this
girls love! No words could convey the
contempt and scorn with which he re-
CARDS himself.
DO not try to restrain your relief he
says in a hoarse, unnatural tone, seeing
she has turned her head little aside, as
though to avoid his searching gaze. "You
know the condition impose-you are pre-
pared to abide by itT
Dulce hesitates. Later on ne will for
get all this and give his consent to my
marrying-an! one" she thinks, hurried
ly, in spite of the other voice within that
bids her beware. Then out loud she says:
Eyes"
Even If he should prove unrelenting, she
tells herself, it will be better to be an old
maid than al. unlovng wife. She will be
rid of this hateful ENHANCEMENT that has
been imbittering her life for months, and
and of course he won't keep her to this
absurd arrangement after awhile.
You swear itY"
81 swear it," says Dulce, answering as
Dne might in dream. Hers is dream,
happy to recklessness, in which she is fast
losing herself.
at is an OATH" he says again, as il to
give her a last chance to escape.
at is" replies she, softly, still wrapt
in her dream of freedom. She may now
love Roger without any shadow coming
between them, and-ah! how divine a
world it is!-he may perhaps love her,
too!
Remember" says Cover, sternly, let
Ling each word drop from him as if with
the settled intention of imprinting or
burning them upon her brain. 81 shall
never relent about this. You have given
me your solemn oath, and-I shall keep
you to it! / shall never absolve you from
it. as I have absolved you from your first
promise to-day. Never. Do not hope for
that. Should you live to be hundred
years old, you cannot marry your cousin
without my consent, and that shall new
er give. You quite understand"
Quite" But her tone has grown faint
and uncertain. What has she done? Some
thing in his words, his manner, has at last
awakened her from the happy dream in
which she was revelbing.
"Now you can return to your old lover"
says Stephen, with an indescribably bit.
ter laugh, "and be happy. For your deep
er satisfaction, too, let me tell you that
for the future you shall see very little of
me-"
You are going abroad" asks she, very
limidly, in her heart hoping that this may
be the reading of his last words.
"No; shall stay here. But the Court
7 shall trouble with my presence seldom.
| do not know" eXclaims he, for The first
time losing his wonderful self-control and
speaking Querulously, "what is the mat
ter with me. Energy has deserted me
with all the rest. You have broken my
heart, suppose, and that explains every
thing. There, co." turning abruptly away
from her; your being where l can see
you only makes matters worse"
Some impulse prompts Dulce 10 60 mp
to him and lay her hand gently on his
arm.
"Stcprcn," she says in a low tone, IF
] have caused YOU any unhappiness, for
give me now.
Forgive you eyclaims he, so fcrccly
that she recols from him in absolute
terror.
Lifting her fingers from his ann as
though they burned him, lie filings them
passonatcIy away, and, plunging into the
short. thick underwood, Is soon lost to
sight.