Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-04-09

SHADOWS OF the llCneSL purple. The
sun seemed to sink into the water:
the day was dead.
Sir Basil turned to her. WONDERING
in his own misery at the light on he.
fair face
81 came to tell you something. Miss
Ray" he said. 81 know it will in.
terest you. | am going away"
He purposely avoided looking at
her If he had seen the sudden
change in her face, the deep anguish
he would not have gone at all. She
made him no answer, for the simple
reason that her lips had suddenly
grown mute
81 have business that compels me
to leave" he said, and come to
say good-by tonight
The western wind seemed to grow
chill. Hettie's heart was heavy with
pain and fear. He had been so much
to her, and her life was SO cherries.
She thought of her sick father and
her hard work, of her joyless, love,
less life that he had SO suddenly
frightened. She thought of the
happiness that had been hers so
short time, and then, with a pas,
sionate burst of tears, she cried-
DO not go away"
Il must" he said, briefly. There
| Is no choice left to me must 90"
| He saw the fair head bent until it
rested on the ivy-leaves. He was
only human, and he could bear no
more. He drew closer to her.
"Hettie," he said--"let me call you
Hettie for the first and last time
tell me, why do you shed these tears
Are they for me?"
Il am sorry you are going" she
sobbed
Are you really so grieved as
this?" he asked. ooh, Hettie, can Il
be true? What am | to you? Why
should you care?"
1T is quite true that you are moth
ing to me, hut you have been kind
to me, and my life is so lonely"
His heart beat fast with the great.
ness of his temptation 1t was
stirred to its very depths by her fair
loneliness, her love and her bittcr
tears He constrained himself with
desperate erOrt-"Dcath before dis.
honor!" Great drops stood upon his
brow, and his limbs trcmbled. The
mad thought come into his mind: II
but for once he might take her in his
arms, kiss her face, and die.
,rlo t, /
some small way to comfort you,
Iicttie,' he said; but the restraint he
placed upon him was so great that
his voice sounded stern aud even
harsh.
Perhaps" she said looking up at
him through her tears, you will
come again; YOU have been interested
In my poor father. You have enjoyed
your visits to our home. You seem
To have no enforced occupation, and
to be able to please yourself. You
will come again?"
He could hear how her breath
caught at every word. There was
nothing for it but to tell her the
truth, and then she would see that
he must go, The autumn wilma
moaned; all the light had gone with
the sun; a gray shade had crept over
the sea; the waves rose and fell with
Il mournrul wall which was the fore.
runner OF storm.
"llettic, will tell YOU the truth, .
he said. Strange that there should
hp
We're strangers some weeks since
and YOU do not even know my name.
mo" she said; have never hcaro
it. My father always calls You Glen
1t Is singular. hut in that first hour
that we talked together | felt as
though | had known and trusted you
all my life"
Il need never tell you my name,
Hettic. We must part tonight, and
we must never meet again. DO not
cry dear 1t is harder for me than
for you"
She chung to his arm, still weeping
He felt the quick beating of hel
heart and he stopped yet another
minute before he said the fatal words
which must part them for ever He
felt in that moment tnat, If this grief
of hers were caused by him. he dc
served any punishment
"Hertie, listen to me. dear How
we have dritted into this matters but
little, whether | have been blind or
careless matters less; the fault must
be mine, | ought to have resisted
the first temptation After | had
seen you that first time in church, |
ought never to have seen YOU again.
My sense my honor, my conscience,
tell me SO"
But Why" she cried, in amaze,
ment IL do not understand You
Tell me why"
Because am engaged to be mar
ried because | am bound by the most
solemn pledge; and, because of this
promise must go"
Why" she said, in faint, low
voice-"why must YOU go? If it be
some one who loves you, and some
one who YOU love very much, surely
she would be kind and let YOU stay
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