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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1885)
172 THE WEST SHORE. sharply awakonod Lise from a moral stupor. As she walked toward the forest, clasping and wringing her finjmr, nho wm in dfpnir. Her truthful, tranquil nature wan brought face to face with her position. She honored and reseoted the man who had loved and clioHen her the man (the had accepted as her husband in innocent ignorance of the fact that the old brother and muter tie between herself and the boy count had been a real, actual tie; now, she knew, she felt, that the childish tenderness and mutual deiwndanee waa the mere sign of a fact a deep, unutterable and passionate love. She waa in the forest Along the narrow path lay a felled pine, and here Lino annted herself and wept, until alio waa roused to aelf-jxissossion by the sound of a foot step. She dried her eyes and rallied herself. The tall, slender figure of Alexis came through tlio shades, As he camo near, sho shrank buck; but ho saw her white dress, and with one spring was close to her, seatod at her side. "Now, FrAulein Ilarmann, what does this mean?" Ilia happy bluo eyes sparkled under his long lashes. " You see it is of no use to avoid ine I know whore you are." His bantering, his actual, loved presence, was too much for poor Liso. She turned aside hor head, to hide tlio big tears that welled from her eyes. Aloxia was in dismay. Ho saw that Liso trembled. Ho waited a minute, then he heard a sob. He threw himself on his knees at her foot, in anguish. "What have I done? what have I said?" he cried; "oh Lise, for pity's sake tell mo. I would rather die than hurt you." " You have not hurt me, except by coming to me when I thought I should bo alone. "Then you cry when you are alone, Liso?" T .11 I -.. . I...f T .. . i uiii iiut urjr iHiiorn you cauio. ijiso was rallying her forces to defend herself -but they wore scattered and alio blundered. " People who cry are not happy, Lise." "I am quite happy." That relwillioua lin of hers would quiver, ami hor hands would tremble, though her eyoa were nxod upon Alexis with a steady gaze. " You are not my darling sister?" The tender, manlv voice was a torture. With a violent effort she brought nerneu u say, in an unnatural voice, " Count A)exis-I am liot well-1 am troubled - please go, ploaso leave mo." " If you are in trouble, my darling Lise, who but I should help you? He was by her side, sitting ou the felled trunk, hi supiorting arm round her. " My sister, whom I have always loved Ixwt iu the world, will you not let mo holp your "You cannot" Lise rallied herself, slid from hi embrace, and roused her drooping energies to help her to be true lo Herself, to t raus ami to Alexia. The movement, her repudiation of his sympathy, touched him to the quick. "If I thought it would make you happier," he cried, passionately, "I would leave you hero, uow, this moment, Lise! Hut I kuow you Utter than you do yourself; I know that no one can ever be to you what I have been." Her eyelids drooped, and Alexis gamed courage. "Tell me all about this engagement," he said, with the tender authority of an elder brother. "Perhaps, when you have described this Herr Ulrich to me and have told me the circumstances I may believe that he will make you a better husband than any one else could" " I met him in Dresden, began Lise, after a pause, then she sighed. "Well, I did not imagine that you met him here. They seem to have imprisoned you in Dresden, pretty welL" He spoke bitterly. " It was at church." " Quite romantio, in fact like Grelchen in ' Faust' " (Sho looked reproachfully at him.) "You must not mind me, Lise. It makes me so angry to see you un happy that I cannot help saying sharp things." " We sat just opposite. I did not notice him, but my aunt used to laugh about his looking at me. One day I dropped my hymn book and he picked it up; then some months afterward we went to a party, and he was intro duced to me; he did not say much, and did not ask me to dance, but he stayed in the corner; then then soon after that, his father came to my uncle, and said that Franz wished to be betrothed to me." She blushed and sighed. " So, when he did come out of his corner, it was to some purpose! Well, I can continue your story for you. There was the betrothal, and the cards were sent out (you took good care not to send one to me, by the way), and this ring" (he took her hand, then flung it from him,), "was put on your finger by him. Bah! I could tear it off and throw it into the stream the badge of your being bound to that ugly, black-bearded, solemn idiot-oh yes! Lise, you needn't start I know his face." "How?" Her blue eyes were round with astonish ment " How? Now do you know how?" he cried, furiously, tearing a photograph from his pocket "Ah! you look guilty, don't you? You never missed it you never thought of looking at the portrait of your beloved since you left it in my mother's room. And you call that love? I am ashamed of you, Lise! And as for the man who can inspire such a poor, sham sentiment, that is what he deserves!" and he tore the portrait and flung the frag ments contemptuously from him. Her breast hoaved-it was true she had not noticed the loss of the photograph. "The fact is, I am not worthy of him!" she cried. " He is so clever, and oh! so good. From the first moment he s,x.ke to me I felt how far above me he was; how dif ferent to the people I usually met. I trusted him with my whole soul. Ah! I could go to him now and tell him all-evorythiug, sure and safe that he would foiuive me and help" " In her agitation she had betrayed herself. Alexis suddenly changed -paled. "All?" ho said, with assumed calm. " hat is there, Liso, ha would have to forgive?"