Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-06-09
My Promise
-[Original.l

care of her daughter Cynthia, eight
years old.
Margaret said our mother the day
before she died, you know what l
have done for your
Indeed L do, replied.
"Now is your opportunity to make a
return. Cynthia has no kith or kin to
rely on. Without your care / know
not what will become of her. Promise
me that you will be mother to her."
Il will
TO do that you must not have chill
dren of your own. l know a woman's
nature. We will never permit any
child's Interest to stand In the way of
our own Promise me that you will
not marry until Cynthia comes Of age"
was silent.
AT least until she has married"
Again made no reply.
will you not promise me thisY'
II promise you that / will not marry
till Cynthia has a love Of her own-un-
til she is engaged.
Ny foster mother sighed and turned
away. She knew she had no right to
ask such sacrifice. What l had prom
1sed was equivalent almost to not mar
rying at all. Eight or nine years at
least must pass before Cynthia would
love, and she might never love at all.
Had not met Irving Peck / would
have promised my aunt all she asked
without hesitation. had only known
him little while, but it was long
enough to tell me that had met my
fate. The truest love, to my thinking,
is that which comes upon both the
man and the woman from the moment
they meet. Trying Peck and each
recognized In the other a mate, and
month after my foster mothers death
he asked ne to be his wife: When ]
told him of my promise he did not ask
me to break it; indeed, he told me that
if l did he would not respect me. He
said that he would marry no other wo-
man, and if Cynthia stood always in
our way he would never marry. We
did not think it best that we should
remain near each other, and Irving
Went away. 1.sp. 1855
I neither saw nor heard from him
till Cynthia was seventeen; then he
wrote me that since she was Of mar
riageable age we might meet again. I
replied that Cynthia promised to be
coquette, and there would be little
hope Of her choosing a husband. /
continued after this to hear from him
occasionally, but could give him no
hope. At nineteen Cynthia had firted
with every young man in the village,
and, like Alexander, there were no
more conquests for her to make. At
this time a friend in Caldwell invited
her to visit, and Cynthia gladly ac-
cepted the invitation. l wrote Irving
while she was away that he might
come to see me. The truth is, Cynthia
was so full of witchery and withal was
so much younger than l that 1 feared
to have him come while she was at
home 1 was disappointed to learn
from him that a special project would
prevent his coming till about the time
Cynthia would return.
When Cynthia was fifteen she had
discovered the secret of my promise.
We slept together, and l talked in my
sleep. had never told her, fearing
that she might feel constrained to mar
~ on my account But did not know
her. Realizing that l looked to each
of her love affairs to release me, she
seemed to take malicious pleasure in
tantalizing me. 1 wrote Irving of this,
and 1 should not have done SO, for it
made him furious.
One morning I received a letter from
Cynthia, and, to my great delight, it
told me that she had met man whom
she fancied she could love. She had
not thought to give me his name, but
this was of little consequence to me,
| for | would not know him. Her next
letter, written two weeks later, an
nounced her engagement, which meant
that at last 1 was free. Before finish
ing reading her letter l threw it down
and took up my pen to write Irving
announcing the good news; but, turn
ing to the letter again for the name of
Cynthia's f1ance, the room swan, and
I fell in a swoon. The name was Irv-
ing Peek.
What strange coincidence had brought
these two together? Did Cynthia
know that her lover had been my low
er? Did Irving know that Cynthia was
the girl who had stood between us?
/ Cynthia could not know the truth I'M
less he told her. Irving might and
might Rot know her. He had not seen
her before since she was a little girl,
| but he must surely know her by name.
Another week passed, and nothing
from Irving. Then one morning car
riage drove up to the door, and a man
alighted. knew at once that it was
Irving. He came to the door with a
quick step, pulled the bell and without
waiting for it to be answered strobe
into the house. On seeing me he step
ped forward to take me in his arms. I
drew back.
1--WE are free" he said. Cynthia is