Infelice

er that Dr. Har

but she says

, and the night is so stormy he may remain in town unt

should not leave here without seeing the Doctor. She told the driver of the carriage

er? Not in that cold,

of the hall chairs, a

o you wish her to freeze? Go and ask

coals that glowed between the shining brass andirons; then carefully removed farther from t

mise you nobody shall

wishes to see no o

koning to her mistress, who paused irresolute, gazing cur

nience, madam. My business is solely with

ous, and she would have retreated, but Mrs. Lindsay p

the tea things into the dining-room, and then you need not w

dining-room, she slowly shook her grizzled head: "Many a time I have heard my father say, 'Mystery breeds misery,' and ta

unding brass or tinkling cymbals' are not tolerated. All kinds of sorrow come here to

g to-morrow. I must make up my buckwheat, a

es of the ancient trees encircling the parsonage, and dashed the drops in showers against the windows. Not a star was visible, and as the night wore on the wind increased in viol

rokes of the pendulum, when other sounds startled her; the sharp, shrill bark of a dog, and impatient scratching of paws on the h

hat kept y

d at eight o'clock, and I sat awhile with the stricken mother, trying to comfort

vy overcoat, and the terrier ran up and down the hall,

ting in the library to see you. Before you go in, let me

t I must see this visitor,

and entered so quietly that the occ

the arms were crossed wearily, and the head bowed upon them. The dog barked and bound

e Rev. Peyt

or you, madam? Pray ta

it away, an

oo have fo

countenance as he gazed searchi

the dainty moulding of the oval cheek, the airy arched tracery of the brows, the straight, slender nose, and clearly defined cleft of the rounded chin, and nature only now and then models them as a whole, in flesh. It was the

I certainly hav

the only person who can identify me. Four years

ick and laboured breathing, and saw the co

tances marked my forme

s quite fami

his eyes, and before he could co

u not one May morning marry in this ro

rle was a low-statured, dark-haired child--" again he paused, and keenly scanned the tall, slender, elegant figu

de me Minnie Laurance. God-and the angels know it

ded her utterance, and th

usband? Are you

d pity of the world; a widow has the right to hug a coffin and a grave all the weary days of her lonely life, and people look tenderly on her sacred weeds. To me, widowhood would be indeed a blessing, Sir, I thought I had learned composure, self-control, but the sight of this room,-of yo

with the damp chill wind blowing full upon her the pastor heard a moan, s

light, he saw an unnatural sparkl

the license that was ha

ran

e can it p

than everything else in life,-mor

ed the marriage, and your husband, who seemed to me a mere boy, quieted my objections by producing the license, which he said exonerated me from censure, and relieved me of all responsibility. With that morning's work I

t has been preserv

l licenses are recorded by the officer who issued them

ago in the room where those records were kept, and although the court house

e able to furnish a cer

o forget them. Please give me

e frame trembled like a weed on some bleak

stor, and he clasped his hands firmly behind him, as if girding

madam, and

n of that license can quiet me. You have no right to withhold it,-you cann

ons. Now I must be made acquainted with all the facts, must know your reason for claiming the paper in my possession, before I surrender it.

amed up in the gir

ou suspect, o

I demand your reasons for

d three years ago on a steamship bound for California, where her only son is living, and Gerbert Audré, a college

le at any time, should m

your evidence, my ill luck will seal your lips,

to make of the license

in life; to keep it concealed securely, until the ti

to prove your marri

aurance and

ible! Upon

twenty, irresponsible, and th

s your h

of my fair, stainless name. Less than one month after the day when right here, where I now stand, you pronounced me his wife in the sight of God and man, he was summoned home by a telegram from his father. I have never seen him

hastily broke away the ribbons which held

o a goblet, and as he held it to h

ld! God h

nt softened the girl's heart, for tears gathered in the large eyes, giving them a strange quiv

to aid in asserting her rights;-and she-the new wife-was a banker's daughter, an heiress, a fashionable belle,-and so Minnie Merle must

e corner of the room, and, unlocking a square tin box, took from it a folded

e floor, followed by Bi?rn, who

down his pen, his guest came to

e if I am unusually cautious in my course. While I have no right to doubt your as

ess in a poor helpless woman? Oh, man of God! is your mantle of charity cut to cover only your own sex? Can the wail of down-trodden o

nquil brow of the minister, but his kind t

llingly hand to you will serve your purpose. It is an exact copy of the license, and to it I have appended my certificate, as the officiating clergyman who performed the marriage ceremony

shook like an aspen in her nervous grasp; then she looked long and searchi

mine. I might be murdered, but they would never dare to molest you,-and

r ba

it seemed impossible that the creature before him co

t when I think of my innocent baby denied the sight of her father's face, and robbed of the protection of her father'

a moment

is your

ee y

A mere c

nly nin

ty you from the d

e woman started from the tab

e train; I promised

hrown aside, buttoned it about her

thing. Was not your hair ver

we might have had a quiet sleep under the violets and daisies. I see, sir, you doubt whether I am really little Minnie Merle. Do you not recollect that when you asked for the wedding ring none had been provided, an

ameo ring of black agate, with a grinning white skull in the centre, and around the ov

remember the

g to its owner, she returned it

ands was the restoration of this ring, which he said was an heirloom of untold value in his family, and must belong to none but a Laurance. He offered five hundred dollars for the delivery of it into his

the door, and Dr

is your

fting from city to city, on t

u no rel

ewhere in the gold

rance provide for

d and to his name, and pledged myself to 'give the Laurances no further trouble.' Had I been a man, I would have strangled him. Since then no co

you and the b

ir, is m

eight, and would have passed him, but he

ng and so beautiful, and the circumstances of your life render you so pecul

ses to be her mother's spotless name? Blushing for her father's perfidy, she shall n

at you should hesitate to receive it; and feeling a deep interest in your poor little babe, it will give me sincere pleasure to

heen of gold pieces. To his astonishment she covered her face with her hands and burst into a fit of passionate w

rity. But since you are so good, I should like to say something in strict confidence to you. I am suspicious now of everybody, but it seems to me I might surely trust you. I do not yet see my way clearly, and if anything should happen to me the child would be thrown helpless upon the world. You have neither wife nor children, a

ding of the tearful eyes; but Mr. Hargrove

think me presumptuous in my req

ever be smothered by persuasion, nor wrestled down and overcome by subtle and selfish reasoning. I blame myself for much that has occurred, and I am willing to do all that I can toward repairing my error. If your child should ev

to ask; promise me that you will divulge to no one what

romi

lly the unscrupulous character of the men with whom I have to deal, my only hope of redress is in preserving the secret for som

ay tru

than mere words c

rance, to walk circumspectl

own to the parsonage gate. The driver dismounted and opened the carria

et again, you will not allow

my duty f

sion; for snares have been set all along my path, and calumny is ambushed

he pastor was haunted by the marvellous beauty of the spirituelle features, the mournful splendour of

y you to the railway station. You will ha

r? Aye-lone

terly, and ente

he echoes huddl

nds fled baying