SELF-RAISED; OR, FROM THE DEPTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 172, 23 July 1890, Page 6

SELF-RAISED; OR, FROM THE DEPTHS.

A SEQUEL TO "ISHMAEL, OR IN THE DEPTHS."

I CHAPTER V. SECOND LOVE. » The maiden loved the young man well, ,_!„ -And pined for many a day, , Because that star-eyed, queenly belle • Had won his heart away. . But now the young man chooaeat well Between the beauteous pair. " The proud and brilliant dark-haired belle, Aud gentle maiden fair. M. F. Tuppee. "p After tea, Ishmael, having missed Be_ Ifrom the drawing-room, wenb oub inbo the garden, expecting to find her there. Not i seemg -her, he- walked, ap and down the gravel walk, ' waiting for her appearI ance. j Presently she came up, softly and ; silently, and joined him. j 'Thanks, dearest Bee,' he said, as he | drew her arm within his own.

I- io is a Deau.uui evening, x.uuia.i. _ have never seen the garden look more lovely,' said Bee. And ib was indeed a beaubiful evening and a lovely scene. The sun bad just set: bub all bhe Western horizon and the waters of the distant river were aflame with the crimson fire of his reflected rays ; while over the eastern hills the moon and start were shining from the dark grey heavens. In the garden, the shrubs and flowers, 'j| not yeb damp wibh dew, were sending fl forth their richest fragrance; tbo latest ilj birds were twittering softly before'settlirtg II tljemselvts to sleep in thoir leafy nosrs : and the earlier insects were tuning up theii tiny, gleeful pipes before commencing their evening concert. •This garden is a very pleasant place, quit© as pleasant as Tanglewood, if uncle would only think so,' said Bee. * Yes, it is very pleasant. Yon do nol like the plan of returning to the country : Bee ?' said Ishmael. ' No, indeed, Ido not: breaking up anc parting is always a painful process.' Anc Bee's lips quivered, and the tears came intc her eyes. Ishmael pressed the libtle hand thab laj I lighb as a snow-flake on his arm, drew il I closer within his embrace, and turnec I down the narrow path that led to th( remote arbour situated far down in.-thi angle of the wall in the bottom of th< garden. Ho led her to a seat, pl_cod himsel beside her, took her band and said : •It is here, dearest Beß—here, in the scene of my humiliation and of my redemption~M;hab I would say bo you all I have to say; that I would lay my hear! ~ open before you,and place it at your feet, t| - for spurning or for'blessing.' . She looked at him With surprise, ijub also jj wibh infinibe affection in her innocent and I beautiful eyes. Then, as she read the | truth in his earnest gaze, her eyes fell and j; her colour rose. I • And, dearest Bee, I have your father's ! sanction for whab I do, for without ib I ! would not acb.' [ Hor eye 9 were still fixed upon the ground, $ but her hand that he clasped in his throbbed • like a heart. And oh !he felt how entirely j Bhe loved him; and he felt he could devote ] his whole life to her. I * Dearest of all dear ones, Bee, listen- to j me. Not many days have passed since, one ! ■ evening, you came to this arbour, seeking ji one that was lost and found—me V Jl. She" began to tremble. i «You know how you found me, Bee,' he 9 said, sadly and solemnly. it: * Oh, Ishmael, dear !' she criod, with an t , accent of sharp pain, *do not speak of that f evening ! forget it and lot me forget it! it Ln'iepast!' f r "'»Dearest girl, only this once will I pain i you by alluding to that sorrowful and degrading hour. Youfound me—l will hot shrinkfroni uttering the word, though ib will scorch my lips to speak it and burn your ears to bear it—you found me—intoxicated.' ' Oh, Ishmael, dear, you wero nob bo blame 1 ib was not your fault! it was an accident—a'misforbune!' she exclaimed, as ' blushes burned upon her cheeks and tears : suffused her ey._. :• ;•:; \ .;.;>' ' 'How much _ blamed, how much .1 i loathed myself, dearest Bee, you can never ! know ! Let thab nass. You found me as I said. Actually and bodily I was lying on this bench, sleeping the stupid sleep of intoxication, but morally and spiritually I was slipping over the brink of an awful chasm. Bee, dearest Bee! dearest saving angel! it was this little hand of yours that drew me back, so softly thab I scarcely knew I had been in danger of rain until thab danger was passed. And, Bee, since thab day, many days of storm have passed, but the face of my saving ang.l has ever; looked out from among the darkest clouds a bright rainbow of promise. I did not perish in the storm, because her sweet face ever looked down upon me !' > Bee did nob attempt to reply. she could - not; she sat With her flushed face and tearful eyes bent upon the ground; * Love, do you know this token .' he inquired, in a voice shaking with as he drew from his bosom a little wisp of white cambric and laid it on her lap. 'It is my—nay —' she essayed to answer, but hor voice failed. ' ' *It is your dear handkerchief,' he said, as he took it, pressed it to his lips and replaced it in his bosom. *It is your dear handkerchief. When you found me as you did, in ypur loving kindness you laid it over my face—mine I so unworthy to be so delicately veiled. Oh, Bee! if I could express to you all I felt! all I thought! when I recognised this dear token and so discovered who it was that had sought me - when I was lost, and dropped tears of sorrow over me • and then covered my face from the blistering sun and the stinging flies—if I conld tell you all that I suffered a»d resolved, then you would feel and know how earnest and sincere is the heart that ab last—atlasb, my darling, I lay at your beloved feet.' Sho looked up at him for a moment aad breathed a singlei word—a name thatseemed to escape her lips quite involunbarily— ♦Claudia!' 'Yes, my darling,' he said, in tonevibrating with emotion, ' ib is as you suppose, or rather it was so I You have • divined tay secret, which indeed I never intended to keep as a secret from you. Yes, Bee; I loved anobher before loving yon. I loved her whom you have just named. I love he. r no longer. When, by her*marriage wibh another, my love would' bare become sinful, ib wa. sentenced to death and executed, But, Bee, it died hard, very hard ; and in its violent deaththroes it rent and tore my heart, as the evil spirit did the possessed man when ib was driven oub of him. Bee, my darling,'

said Ishmael, smiling for the firsb time Bince commencing tho interview, ' this may seem feo you a very fanciful way o| putting the case ; but is a good ono, for in no other manner could I give you to

understand how terrible my sufferings have been for the last few weeks, how completely '• tny evil passion has perished ; and yet how sore and weak it has left my heart. Bee, it is this heart wounded and bleeding from a dead love, yet truo and single in ; its affections for you, thab I open before you and lay ab your feet. Spurn it away from you, Bee, and 1 cannot blame you.' Raise it to your own and I shall hies. •■*•*■'■

Bee burst into tears. He put his arm around her and drew her to his side and she dropped her head apon his shoulder and wepb passionately. Many times she tried to speak, but failed. At last, when she had exhausted all her passion, she raised her head from its rest-ing-place. He wiped the tears from her eyes and stooping, whispered : ' You will not reject me, Bee, because I loved another woman once ?'

' No,' she answered, softly, ' for if you loved another woman before me, you could .not help ib, Ishmael. It is nob that lam .oncerned about.'

•What then, dearest love? Speak oub,' lie whispered.

' Oh, Ishmael, tell me truly one thing—' and flhe hid her face on his shoulder while she breathed bho question—'lsn't it only for wi_/ sake, to please me and make me happy, thab you offer me your love, Ishmael V She spoke so low, with her face so muffled on his shoulder, that he scarcely understood her; so he benb his head and inquired : ' Whab is i\hat you say, dear Bee ?' She tried to speak more clearly, for ib seemed wibh her a poinb of principle to pub this question ; buther voice was, if possible, lower and more agitated than before, so that he had to stoop closely and listen intently to catch her words, as she answered:

'Do you nob offer me your love only, because—because you have iound outfound out somehow Or other that I—that I loved you first ?' He clasped ;her suddenly close bo his heart, and whispered eagerly : • I offer you my love because I love you, best and dearest of all dear ones !' And he felt at that moment that he did love her entirely. She was sobbing softly on his shoulder ; bub presently through her tears she said : 'And will my love do you any good, make you any happier, compensate you a little for all thab you have missed in losing bhe brillianb one?'

He held her closely bo his hearb Vhile he stooped and answered ; ' Dearest, your love has always been bhe greatesb earthly blessing Heaven evar bestowed upon my life ! I thank Hoavnn that tho blindness and madness of my heart is past and gone, I an. .nabled to sco and understand this ! Your love, Bee, is the only earthly thing that can comfort all the sorrows thab may come into my life, or crown all its joys. You will believe this, my dearest Bee, when you remember that I never in my life varied from the truth to anyone, and least of all would I prevaricate with you. / love you. Bee, Jet those three words answer all your doubts !' Bright and beautifully she smiled up bhrough her teaig. ' All is well, then, Ishmael! For all that I desire in this worid is the privilege of making you happy !' ' Then you are my own !' ho said, stooping and kissing the sparkling tears that hung like dew-drops on the red roses of her cheeks; and holding her to his heart, in profound religious joy and gratitude, he bowed his head and said ;

1 Oh, Father in Heaven ! how I thank Thee for this girl! Oh, make me every day more worthy of her love, and of Thy many blessings.' . Aihd soon after this, lahmael, happier than he ever thought it possible to be in this world, led forth from the arbour his betrothed bride.

He led her at once to the house and to the presence of her parents, whom he found in their private sitting-room. Standing before them and holding her hand, he said : ' She has promised to be my wife, and we are here for your blessing.' ' You have it, my children ! Yon have it with all my heart! May the Lord in Heaven bless with his choicest blessings Ishmael and Beatrice. said Mr Middleton, earnestly. * Amen,' said Mrs Middleton.

Later in the evening, Judge Merlin was informed of the engagement- And after, congratulating the bebrobhed pair, he turned to Mr and Mrs Middleton and said :

• Heaven knows how I envy you your son-in-law.'

The gratified parents smiled, for they were proud of Ishmael, and what he would become. Bub Walter Middleton grinned and said :

* Heaven may know that, uncle Merlin ; but I know one thing !'

* What is that, Jackanapes?' ' I know they may thank Bee for their son-in-law, for she did all the courting !'

The panic-stricken party remained silenb for a momenb, and then Judge Merlin said :

• Well, sir ! I know another thing !' * And what is thab, uncle ?"'

•That it will be a long time before you find a young lady bo do you such an honour !'

Everybody laughed, nob ab bhe brilliancy of bhe joke, for tho joke was not brilliant, but because they wero happy ; and when people are happy they do honour to very indifferent jests. But Bee turned a ludicrously appalled look upon her lover and whispered : * Oh, Ishmael! suppose he had known about that little bib of white cambric. He would have said that I had "thrown the handkerchief" to you ! And .so I did! it is a dreadful reflection !'

' That handkerchief was a plank bhrown to bhe drowning, Bee. It saved me from being whelmed in the waves of ruin. Oh, dearest, under Heaven you were my salvation !' said Ishmael with emotion.

' Your comfort, Ishmael —only your conifer b. Your own right-mindedness, " under Heaven," would have saved you.'

This was the lasb and the happiest evening they all .penb ab bhe city home together. Early in the morning they separated. Judge Merlin and bis servants started for Tanglewood, arid Mr and Mra MiddletOn and their family for The Beacon, where Ishmael promised as soon as possible to join them. Walter Middle ton lefb for Saratoga. And, last of all, Ishmael locked up the empty house, took charge of the key, and departed to take possession of his new lodgings—alone, bub blessed and happy. (To be Continued Next Wednesday.)