The Sauk Centre herald., 1904-05-05
her husband, while pride compels her
to wear a mask of indifference"

| ner husband, while pr1de cOmpetS her
to wear mask of Indifference"
"Of course, there is unquestionably
) right and wrong on each side, Miss
| Magruder; that is indisputable; but
that is not the point in question. He
wants to know whether to apprise the
object of his love of his affection for
her or drift on in the old, delightful
way?'
! "Well, if he tells her of his love, he
! should not exact Of her to betray the
state of her feelings, do you think !?
For what good could possibly come
of it,"
Exactly So" leaning forward in his
chair more eagerly Il agree with you.
Suppose | should tell you the case is
| not that of friend, but-but-that it
concerns myself, and that you are the
! heroine of this tragic little story? Yes
-Elizabeth-it is yourself. l am most
miserable. You may reprOach me with
scornful glances, for l should have
| concealed my love for you-buried it
! under an Indifferent exterior-but, oh,
Elizabeth! could not. /, love you
with pure love, and ask nothing Of
you in return except your good opin-
! ion. You shall see me no more. Your
bright sky shall not be darkened by
the cloud of my unhappiness, and the
love I bear you shall never burden
you.' ~
During Horace's passionate outburst
Elizabeth sat motionless, but an OBJ
server could not, have failed to detect
Quiver of the nostrils. the clenched
hands and the pallor of her face and
brow, all revealing intensity of feeling
| and suppressed emotion.
Have you nothing to say, Eliza
beth? Do you mean to condemn me in
silence?"
Horace had risen. lone word, Eliza
beth, is all 1 ask. Say you forgive me,
and my sufferings will be lessened."
Still she sat immovable with a cold,
fixed expression.
Horace moved to the door, when with
cry Elizabeth sprang toward him,
faltering, Il forgive! But you, and l.,
must forget"
No land was discernible as far as the
eye could reach; Jnaught interrupted
,, that great expanse of sky and sea as
I, Laughing Water" sped over the
mighty waves, to the tropics bent,
bearing number of passengers ON
missions of pleasure, ininterests OF
business, in quest of health, or prompt
ed by the curiosity of the tourist.
Elizabeth Magruder, seated in a
steamer chair, iazily watched the
gorgeousness of the tropical sunset,
and unconsciously turned the leaves of
her diary, when sudden gust of wind
caused several pages to become de-
tached and to fiutter out, scattering
themselves to the far end of the deck
With an exclamation of. regret, she i'm
mediately hurried to collect the miss
ing sheets, and was assisted in her eff
forts by gentleman. His back being
turned during the process, she was
prevented from obtaining a glimpse of
his countenance, though there was a
certain familiarity about his pose and
general bearing.
ALLOW me-tO-why! Miss Ma
gruder! Who would have thought OF
meeting you? Fate is determined to
throw us together"
Elizabeth replied with a few coldly
formal words of thanks, showing Capt
Trentshaw the attitude she intended to
maintain toward him.
Elizabeth's feelings were painful in
deed, upon discovering the presence
| of Horace Trentshaw on board the
steamer. What right had he to force
himself upon her. after these three
years, and after all her struggles to
blot him from her mind? Cruel! Yes,
it was nothing else-and she made up
her mind to remain in her Stateroom
and to avoid encountering him.
This determination was carried out,
and nothing more had she seen or
heard OF Capt. Trentshaw. The boat
was making for Porto Cortez, S. H.,
after having left Belize, B. H., and
from information gathered from the
maid, Elizabeth was under the i'm
preston that Capt. Trentshaw had left
the steamer With a sigh of relief
she mounted the deck The young
moon was shedding it's silvery refiec-
tion upon the beautiful Bay of Hon.
duras, and all was bathed in it's mel
low light
Leaning over the rail of the deck,
! enjoying the invigorating splash of
spray, stood Elizabeth. Standing a few
feet to her right and a trif1e to the
rear, so as not to be observed by her,
Horace Trentshaw stood watching her
with an intensity of longing and an
expression of unutterable pain. Softly
approaching, he placed his hand upon
that of Elizabeth and held her thus
trembling prisoner.
Elizabeth. the time has come when
you need avoid me no longer-and you
must listen to what have to say. We
parted three years ago. was a brute
/ then, Elizabeth, and confessed a love
| which I could not honorabIy offer you.
You, with your gentle, noble soul, un-
derstood and sympathized with the
| temptations to which poor, frail fu-
| manity is heir. You forgave me-and
-bade me-forget-Oh, God, if 1 could
have forgotten! Time dragged SLOWLY
and uneventfully along in maddening
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