For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

Upon His Doorstep,  Clasped His Knees,  And Laid Her Beautiful Head Down

Prone On His Feet. Only For A Second.

He Instantly Raised Her In His Arms,  Pressed Her To His Heart,  Kissed

Her,  And Kissed Her Again And Again,  Bore Her Into The Cabin,  Placed Her

In The Only Chair,  And Knelt Down Beside Her.

She Turned And Threw Her Arms Around His Neck,  And Dropped Her Head Upon

His Bosom.

And Not A Word Was Spoken Between Them. The Emotions Of Both Were Too

Great For Utterance,  Too Great Almost For Endurance.

They Were Bathed In A Flood Of Light From The Noonday Sun Pouring Its

Rays Through The Open Door And Windows Of The Cabin. It Was The

Apotheosis Of Love.

Rule Was The First To Speak.

"You Are Welcome,  Oh,  Welcome,  As Life To The Dead,  My Love! But I Do

Not Understand My Blessedness--I Do Not," He Said,  Dropping His Head On

Her Shoulders,  While She Still Lay On His Bosom,  In A Dream,  A Trance Of

Perfect Contentment.

"Oh,  Rule,  My Husband,  My Lord,  My King! I Have Come To You,

Unconsciously Led By The Divine Providence! But I Have Come To You,  To

Stay Forever,  If You Will Have Me! I Have Come,  Never,  Never,  Never To

Leave You,  Unless You Send Me Away!" She Said.

"I Send You Away,  Dear? I Send Away My Restored Life From Me? Ah,  You

Know,  You Know How Impossible That Would Be! But If I Should Try To Tell

You,  Dear,  All That I Feel At This Moment,  I Should Fail,  And Talk

Folly,  For No Human Words Can Utter This,  Dear! But I Am Amazed--Amazed

To See You Here With Me,  As The Dead To The Material World Might Be,  On

Awaking Amid The Splendors Of Paradise!"

"You Wish To Know How I Came?"

"No! I Do Not! Amazed As I May Be,  I Am Content To Know That You Are

Here,  Dear--Here! But," He Said,  Looking Around On The Rudeness Of His

Hut,  "Oh,  What A Place To Receive You In! I Left You In A Palace,

Surrounded By All The Splendors And Luxuries Of Civilization! I Receive

You In A Log Cabin,  Bare Of Even The Necessaries And Comforts Of Life!"

He Added,  Gravely.

"But You Left Me A Discarded,  Broken-Hearted Woman,  And You Receive Me A

Restored And Happy Wife!" She Exclaimed.

"But,  Oh,  Cora! Can You Live With Me Here,  Here? Look Around You,  Dear!

Look On The Home You Would Share!--The Walls Of Logs,  The Chimney Of

Rocks,  The Floor Of Stone,  The Cups And Dishes Of Earthenware,  Pewter

And Iron,  The--"

She Interrupted Him,  Passionately:

"But You Are Here,  Rule! You! You! And The Log Hut Is Transfigured Into

A Mansion Of Light! A Mansion Like The Many In Our Heavenly Father's

House! Oh,  Rule! You,  You Are All,  All To Me! Life,  Joy,  Riches,

Splendor,  All To Me! Am I All To You,  Rule?"

"All Of Earth And Heaven,  Dear."

"Oh,  Happy I Am! Oh,  I Thank God,  I Thank God For This Happiness! Rule,

We Will Never Part Again!--Never For A Single Day! But Be Together,

To-Day And

    'To-Morrow And To-Morrow And To-Morrow,

    To The Last Syllable Of Recorded Time,'

And Through The Endless Ages Of Eternity! Oh,  Rule,  How Could We Ever

Have Mistaken Our Hearts? How Could We Ever Have Parted?"

"The Mistake Was Mine Only,  Dear. After What You Told Me On Our Marriage

Day,  I Lost All Hope,  All Interest And Ambition In Life. I Had Toiled

And Striven And Conquered,  For The One Dear Prize; All My Battle Of Life

Was Fought For You; All My Victories Were Won For You,  And Were Laid At

Your Feet. But When I Found That All My Love And Hope Had Brought Only

Grief And Despair To You--Then,  Dear,  All My Triumphs Turned Into Dead

Sea Fruit On My Lips! Then I Left All And Came Into The Wilderness; Left

No Trace Behind Me; Effaced Myself From Your Life,  From The World,  As

Effectually As I Could Do It; And So--Believing It To Be For Your Good

And Happiness--Died To The World And Died To You!"

"Oh,  Rule! Miserable Woman That I Was! I Wrecked Your Life! I Wrecked

Your Career!"

"No,  Dear,  No; The Mistake,  I Said,  Was Mine! I Should Have Trusted Your

Heart. I Should Have Given You The Time You Implored; I Should Not Have

Fled In The Madness Of Suddenly Wounded Affection."

"Oh,  Rule? If You Could Have Only Looked Back On Me After You Went Away,

Only Known The Anguish Your Disappearance Caused Me And The Inconsolable

Sorrow Of The Time That Followed It."

"If I Could Have Supposed It Possible Even,  I Would Have Hastened To

You,  From The Uttermost Parts Of The Earth!"

"And Then They Reported You Dead,  Murdered By The Comanches,  In The

Massacre Of La Terrepeur,  And Sorrow Was Deepened To Despair."

"Yes; I Heard Of That Massacre. The Report Of My Death Must Have Arisen

In This Way: I Had Lived At La Terrepeur For Many Months,  But Had Left

And Come To This Place Some Days Before The Massacre. Some Other

Unfortunate Was Murdered And Burned In The Deserted Hut,  Whose Bones

Were Found In Ashes. I Did Not Return To Contradict The Report. I Wished

To Be Dead To The World,  As I Was Dead To Hope,  Dead To You,  Dead To

Myself!"

"Oh,  Rule! In All That Time How I Longed,  Famished,  Fainted,  Died,  For

Your Presence! Yes,  Rule; Died Daily."

"My Own,  Dear Cora,  How Could I Have Mistaken You? Oh! If I Had Only

Known!"

"Ah,  Yes! If You Had Only Known My Heart,  Or I Had Only Known Your

Whereabouts! In Either Case We Should Have Met Before,  And Not Lost Four

Years Out Of Our Lives! But Now,  Rule," She Said,  With Sudden

Animation--"Now 'We Meet To Part No More,' As The Hymn Says. I Will

Never,  Never,  Never,  Leave You For A Day! I Will Be Your Very Shadow!"

"My Sunshine,  Rather,  Dear!"

"And Are You Content,  Rule?"

"Infinitely."

"And Happy?"

"Perfectly."

"Thank God! So Am I. But Why,  Oh,  Why When We Met By The Spring Just

Now,  Why,  When I Was Crazed With Joy And Fear At The Sudden Sight Of

You,  Why Did You Turn Away And Leave Me?" She Passionately Demanded.

He Looked At Her Serenely,  Incisively,  And Answered,  Calmly,  Quietly:

"Dear,  Because You Shrank From Me,  Threw Your Hands Up Before Your Eyes,

As If To Shut Out The Sight Of Me. Dear,  Your Own Sudden Appearance

Before Me At The Spring,  To Which I Had Gone For My Noonday Draught Of

Water,  Nearly Overwhelmed Me; But I Readily Recovered Myself And

Understood It,  Connected It With The Trail Below,  And Concluded That You

Were On Your Way To Farthermost To Join Your Brother,  Whom I Had Heard

Of As One Of The Officers Of The New Fort. Then,  Believing That My

Presence Distressed You,  I Went Away."

"Oh,  Rule!"

After A Little While Rothsay Inquired:

"Was Not That Mr. Clarence Rockharrt Whom I Saw With You By The Spring?"

"Yes; Uncle Clarence. He Helped Me Up To This Ledge,  And Then He Stayed

Outside While I Came In Here To Look For You."

"Let Us Go And Bring Him In Now,  Dear," Said Rule.

And The Two Walked Out Together.

But No One Was To Be Seen On The Plateau; Only,  On The Ground Under The

Pine Tree Where Mr. Clarence Had Rested Was A Piece Of White Paper,  Kept

In Place By A Small Stone Laid Upon It.

Rule Picked Up The Stone,  And Handed The Paper To Cora.

It Proved To Be A Leaf From Mr. Clarence's Pocket Tablets,  And On It Was

Written:

    "I Am Going Down The Mountain To Tell Captain Neville That My

    Party Will Camp Here To-Night,  And Join Him At The Fort To-Morrow,

    So That He May Go On With His Train At Once,  If He Should See Fit.

    Clarence."

"He Saw You Receive Me; He Knew It Was All Right; Then He Grew Tired Of

Waiting For Me. He Thought I Had Forgotten Him,  And So I Had,  And He

Left This Paper And Went Down To The Trail," Corona Explained With A

Smile.

"Shall We Go Down And See Your Friends,  Cora? Tell Me What You Wish,

Dear," Said Rothsay.

Corona Looked At Her Watch,  And Then Replied:

"Courtesy Would Have Required Me To Go Down And Take Leave Of Captain

And Mrs. Neville Before Leaving Them,  But It Is Too Late Now. Their

Caravan Is On The March By This Time. They Were To Have Resumed Their

Route At Two O'clock. It Is After Three Now."

"We Can Go To Farthermost Later,  Dear. It Is But Half A Day's Ride From

Here. Shall We Go Down The Mountain And Join Clarence? Is It Your Wish,

Cora?"

"No,  Not Yet. He Is Very Well As He Is. He Can Wait For Us. Let Us Sit

Down Here Together. I Have So Much To Tell,  And So Much To Hear," Said

Corona.

"Yes,  Dear; And I Also Have 'So Much To Tell,  And So Much To Hear,'"

Assented Rothsay,  As They Sat Down At The Foot Of The Young Pine Tree,

With Their Backs To The Rising Cliffs And Their Faces To The Descending

Mountain,  The Brook At Its Foot,  And The Vast,  Sunlit Prairie,  In Its

Autumn Coat Of Dry Grass,  Rolling In Smooth Hills And Hollows Of Gold

And Bronze Off To The Distant Horizon.

"Tell Me,  Dear,  Of All That Has Befallen You In These Dark Years That

Have Parted Us. Tell Me Of Your Grandparents. Do They Still Live?"

Inquired Rothsay.

"Ah,  No!" Replied Corona. And Then She Entered Upon The Family History

Of The Last Four Years And Four Months,  Since Rule Had Disappeared,  And

Told Him Of The Sudden Death Of Her Dear Old Grandmother On The Very Day

On Which The False Report Of Rothsay's Murder Reached Them.

She Told Him Of Her Uncle Fabian's Marriage To Violet Wood A Year Later.

Of Her Widowed Grandfather's Second Marriage To Mrs. Stillwater,  Whom

Rothsay Had Known In His Childhood As Miss Rose Flowers.

Of The Recent Death Of This Second Wife,  Followed Very Soon After By

That Of The Aged Widower.

And Finally She Told Him Of Her Own Resolution