Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1909-08-28


the bosom bf her dress,
That night Dennis RaEhsay
came To her ID the garden. They
greeted each other formally, they
even commented Cd the closeness
of the night. and the beauty Of
the moonlight ON the water, Then
there was silence between them
for q few moments. Hilda
glanced at the man beside her
and noticed The deadly pallor Of
his face, bis haggard eyes. Pres.
emily he took 9 step toward her.
Hilda, be said. / have come TO-
night to ask you if you will be my
wife. You know | love you
there Is nothing more to say,
deaE-hut on your answer hangs
all my hope in life.
The woman scarcely realized
that she was actually now living
what she had dreamed would be
she supreme moment of her life,
when the man she loved confess
ed his love for her. Even now
her heart beat fasteF and a faint
color stole into her pale face, but
it seemed as though the wall OF
the dead Counts garden rose be.
tween them, separating them
irrevocahly. That the man should
dare to stand within a stones
throw of his last nights crime
and ask a woman to marry him
appeared horrible and grotesque.
AS the situation forced itself
more strongly upon her she shud.
dered and put up her hands as
though to keep him from her.
Her eyes were wide with horror
as she looked at him.
Hilds, he said, not understand.
ing her strange attitude. Hilda,
was I wrong in thinking you
cared for me q little? Answer
my question. dear, Will you
marry me
Then Hilda pulled herself to.
gether and spoke one word. No,
she said, distinctly,
Her voice, her attitude, were
new to him. He came close, and
looked down searchingly into her
eyes. Her glance met his and
never wavered. In q moment
Dennis Ramsay started back in
borrow. My God You know !
he gasped.
She still met his eyes steadily.
l know, she replied.
You will! not tellf There was
an agony of apprehension in his
voice.
I shall not tell. She spoke cold
Iy, contemptuously.
Then I pass out of your life to-
night forever.
There was Q note Of hcpeless-
ness in his voice which Wrung
her heart. She found no word
to speak, but merely bowed her
head and turned away.
One moment Tell mellow
you know? He asked the ques-
ton with a visible effort.
For reply she took the hand
kerchief from her bosom and
silently thrust it into his hand.
He watched her move slowly toward
the house and pass 10 through an open
French window. He pressed his hand to
his eyes; lie was dazed, bewildered He
looked at the thing she had given him;
aud which he held mechanically in the
clear moonlight; he saw the initials in
the corner. Il was bis own handkerchief.
The whole situation dawned on hip, She
had been in that very place when he e.
capped over the wall. He looked up az
the Counts villa aud groaned aloud. The
handkerchief fell from his iland as be
sank down with ashen face and FROM the
uttermost depths Of anguish which soul
may know Oh, my GUdI my Godl he
cried.
Mrs. Cochrane returned to- England
with what is commonly called broken
heart Dennis Ramsay buried himself
and his misery in the Rockies; only
Philip Ramsay's life flowed on smoothly
aud unchanged. Indeed, things we're
more prosperous with him. for be had
gone to Monte Carlo as he intended and
made small fortune at the tables. Sail,
ing from Belleville the very night on
which the murder was committed, be
only read Of the tragedy in the papers. 1t
was not likely the thing should affect him
pore than to elicit a comment Of pity for
the cd Count dc gernay.
Why his brother left Europe SO sudden
~ he never had the remotsst idea. In
deed, it was a constant matter Of speca.
lation With him. since is had appeared