Middletown transcript., 1869-05-22

calm to be entirely natural. Mere friend
ly interest would have given more anima-
tion to the measured words.
"He has gonep'
"Gone 7" There was pain then in the
sudden cry.
"Yes, he left for Liverpool this after
noon, and will take the steamer that sails
tomorrow. Alma, Alma, do not tell me
you mistook your own heart when you sent
him away ?"
"No, no, it is better for him to 60"
Pride still uppermost, though she shiv-
cred as if with cold, and was white as Pa
rian marble.
"Well my dear, I hope you have judged
correctly of your own heart. I am only
sorry you were mistaken w and he kissed
her sadly, for he had loved Leon with the
affection he would have given to son of
his own, had he ever been blessed with
one.
The parting had been very hard for
these two men, thrust from each others
hearts by woman's vain caprice; but
each. while hiding his own pain, had COM
forted the other with the hope that she, at
least would be happier with her regained
freedom.
Released from the library, out of her
fathers sight, Alma staggered rather than
walked to the staircase and blindly CROPPED
her way to her own room Once within
that sanctum, secure from intrusion, pride
fell PROSTATE before the great food of love
sweeping now unchecked over her heart.
"Leon! Leon! Oh, forgive me and
come back !"
This was tho cry of her heart through
the long, sleepless watches of that weary
night. The morning found her pale, and
sad, but she said in her heart, "He was
too good, too noble for me. l will bear
punishment as patiently as can. praying
that he may find another who will have my
love and not my faults"
She thought he had ceased to love her,
had found his error in supposing she would
make him q true, loving wife, little guess
ing the agony he was carrying with him
in his suddenly undertaken voyage. 1t
was only one of the thousand cases of has
ty words and bleeding hearts, but it was
none the less bitter for that.
Once settled in Canada, Leon tried to
give his whole attention to the business he
had undertaken for Mr.. Crofts. Every
letter from that merchant contained words
of thanks and praise for the stimulous he
was giving to the trade in Montreal, and
Leon was grateful for the frankly express
ed appreciation of his services. But
while he valued this portion of his employ
cr's epistle, there were other words he
read more eagerly, sought for more ear
nestly.
Mr.. Crofts at first avoided all mention
of his daughters name, fearing to touch
upon unhealed, tender wounds; but once
or twice in Icons letter touching the
health of the family, had called forth an
answer till at last he wrote freely of AL
ma, half hoping that, as he wordod it in
his thoughts, "things might come right
yet" And one of the letters read in this
wise:
"Alma is well, but you would scarcely
believe in the change in her unless you
could see it. All through the spring and
summer she seemed dropping and feeble !;
but since the autumn she is better and
buster than ever before. Not busy in the
old way, with trimming evening dresses
and arranging jewelry and flowers; but
she is studying, and-would you think it
of our little Alma ?-visiting among the
poor of the parish She has grown so
womanly in the past few months, so gentle
and considcrate of others, that l can
scarcely recognize my little butterfly I
have always thought that if she would use
her mind, she would prove to have grea-
ter range of intellect than would appear to
casual observer, but even, / am surpris-
ed at the facility with which she now
grasps higher fields of thought than most
women venture upon My little gay girl
is certainly gone; but in her place no.
BILE woman is fast developing"
This was not the only letter in the same
strain Mr.. Crofts loved his child with a
fond parents most intense affection, and
second to his love for her was his affection
for his young friend, Leon. What WON
der, then. if he wrote freely of one to the
other-talked too, of the absent one to
the one near to him? Perhaps the faint
hope still lived in his heart that these two
loved ones might renew their broken en-
gagement; but if so, Alma gave it no word
or look to feed upon.
The winter months came and sped along
till February came, and the year of sepa-
ration was almost completed. Leon was
sitting alone in his office, on the afternoon
of St. Valentines Day, thinking sadly of
the last anniversary Of that day. He re-
called his visit to the green house to select
the flowers for his gift to Alma, and the
care with which he had hidden the en-
gagement ring in its centre. He wonder
ed what had become of his offering. Was
it still in the heart of the withered bou-
quet, lying upon some dustheap, tossed
there by an angry or contemptuous little
hand, or had she found the offering, and
kept il to return some future time with
scornful words of rejection He had
drawn the devices himself, and hoped to
see 1t decorating her little hand. and he
remembered now the jewellers comment
L x,o,, "a, ox,on n, fara,, M aoJ H., L.,