The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-02-25

Il forgot"
She looked at him with wide eyes,
ner face turning deathly pale. She
could not understand the change in him,
but she knew there was something ter
rible back of it.
| John" she cried, tell me what 1t is.
can bear anything so long as it does
not part you and me. Nothing else mat
ters."
No. he replied, nothing else would
matter. But that is the cruel part OF it
we must go our different ways. and
after tonight we must never see each
other again"
joint" Her face was CHASTITY white
Oh, God, what are you saying?"
1T is the bitter truth, Glenn. We
must walk our separate paths alone We
should never have met. wish to Heav-
en- We never had"
Then you do not love me-not as l
love you. Nothing on earth could make
me regret our meeting, and nothing
could make me give you up. Nothing
on earth nor in Heaven"
1 O' NAAAAAAA oO INV, lie Sdlu, UuI w dit
until you know the whole truth. Then
you will despise me as l deserve, and
never want to see me again. You will
wish with all your heart that you never
had seen me-"
She shook her head slowly.
Il cannot believe that" she said. 81
cannot believe that anything could cause
me to regret our meeting, for it has
brought me the only happiness have
ever known"
1t has brought me the greatest hap
piness of my life, he said; but with that
happiness has come my greatest sorrow.
You, too, will find it so. have quaffed
the sweet and the bitter, while you have
quaffed only the sweet. But the bitter
is at your lips, and soon you must drain
1t, even to the very dregs."
Then let me drink 1t, John, so that
may suffer as you have suffered. 1t is
Heavenly privilege to share your sor-
rows and pains. Tell me the truth
the whole bitter truth-and you shall
see how l can bear it for your sake"
May God forgive me, as | know you
never can, Glen! IL have a wife"
She did not faint She did not cry
out For a moment she was like one
dazed by hard blow. Then, placing her
hand over her heart, she gave low
! moan OF anguish, and covered and
shrank like green plant under the heat
of a scorching blaze God alone knew
/ how h. rH d, l., = So
Ransom FASTENED to her, and would
have put his arms about her to support
her, but she held UP her hand to stay
him.
NO" she said; never again.
There was no anger in her voice, and
her tones were low and sad, but he knew
that she was in earnest, and would never
waver. He looked at her for moment
compassionately, then humbly and con-
tritely said:
Il do not ask your forgiveness, Glen,
for know you can never grant it, but,
as Heaven is my witness, never meant
to deceive you. | should have told you,
but my wife is worse than dead to me,
and | never speak of her If | can help it,
and | never thought that you could care
for me like this. You will despise and
then forget me, and | can ask for moth
ing better; but of my life you will al
ways remain the best part for as long
as | live l will remember and love you"
He paused a moment, then added:
May God bless you, Glen. Good-by"
He waited awhile, but she made no re-
ply, and then he started slowly away.
But when he had gone step or two he
heard her softly speak his name, and
he stopped, facing her.
Il cannot let you go like that" she
said, for l do forgive you with all my
heart and soul"
He stepped quickly back to her and
reached out his arms impulsively.
us 1t true, Glenn" he cried. Can
you forgive me, after all?"
"a woman" she answered, slowly,
"can forgive anything in the man she
loves"
There was long silence, then she
went on YEARLY and more slowly yet:
I'VE can say no more, and now we
must part forever. We must each fol-
low where our paths lead. Yours leads
to your wife and your home. Go there,
forget me, and be faithful and true in
the discharge of your duty"
And your path" he said.
my path-it leads where God wills.
But you must go now We have no right
TO be together here"
Eyes, l must go. Good-by, Glenn"
"Good-by, John"
Far toward morning, Ransom, sit
ting in the door of his cabin, looking out
on the still world, drew a deep sigh and
murmured:
Poor Glen! Motherless and friend
less, and all alone in the world, except
for drunken father"
And Glenn, sitting at a window down
below, staring dry-eyed out into the
night, thought of all the kindnesses
John had shown her-the only kind
nesses she had ever known-and, wom-
anlike, all her pity was for him.
When the day came, Ransom went
down to the camp to take the stage for
his journey home, and while he was
waiting there the postmaster came down