Unfettered

ith Harry Dalton, Aunt Catherine and Morlene were in a wagon rea

her from thinking that he had been worsted and that her prophecy was already coming true, said in a haughty tone: "I do not know how

rom this accursed place. I will come to the city soon. It may be that Harry is not killed. If I can save his life I can ward off that much of the terrible debt that this

lous care, eventually brought him to a stage of convalescence. But Morlene's tenderness of heart had

d caused him to feel that there was an impassable gulf between them. He had never been able to summon sufficient courage to go up to the "big house" with the intention of paying his respects to Morlene. He now entertained not one spark of ill will toward Lemuel Dalton for shooting him, since it was the means of

enderly, awaiting his request, which she presumed would be upon some matter in line with her duties as a nurse. When Harry looked up into her face, so tenderly beautif

yfully feigning reproach, shaking her forefinger at him the whi

in what manner she had been the object of Harry's thoughts, a contingency upon which she had in no wise calculated. When her emotion of surprise had sufficiently abat

many acts of kindness to him were based purely on sympathy, not love. This so discouraged Harry that it was not many days before he began to grow worse. His decline w

followed wherever Morlene moved about in the room; how that he was restless when she was out of sight and contented when she was near. And in all this devotion exhibited by Harry

his head, and left the room. Beulah also

She can save him, I am sure. That boy's relapse can be explained on no other hypothesis. See

m the two girls went down the little pathway leading from the house. Coming opposite

in love with any o

hy do you ask?"

hich I can the more freely do since

took on a puz

being in love bear to any request th

ving Harry's life lies in your consenting to mar

tood up a

at you so sad-like. A word fr

hat you say. I now recall that his decline in health began about the time when I refused to consider a propo

rn to love him

t somewhere in the world there is an ideal man that awaits my coming. He shall awaken all the slumbering fi

e showing signs of tragic earnestness and her eyes assuming a fa

ll that you have gleaned from books you have constructed your ideal man whom you feel awaits you in the world. Morlene, we country girls have only a limited education and know but

dly missile; for it had been the one dread of her life that the man whom she could love would co

vantage which she saw tha

ver against this impracticable ideal my honest, industrious, wounded brother, who is being de

es of its journey. Upon reaching the ground, it began to hop in the direction of the two girls, halting now and then to turn its little head first one way and then another, always keeping one or the other of his brown

come to plead for Harry

nswer was a

d has planted in a woman's bosom is the source of the highest joy that she knows during her stay on earth

calling into play woman's most

u know how my dear father loves us. Our deaths will break his heart. When we are dead, Mo

to go. Morlene's sympathetic natur

can tell. I consent to sacrifice myself. I don't understand this world,

ruel fate that had woven such a web about her feet. Parentless, homeless, friendless

ing to the marriage, she now as a woman wept in sympathy with Morlene over a prospective wedlock without love. When the two had regained self-control, they retu

going to be your wife, a true wife-one that will do

forward and sealed

lection, might deny the binding force of a vow extorted from her in the dread presence of

nd is chained and