The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-07-28

carelessIy that he could frame no an.
swer, though sho waited for it.
"Never mind" she went on. IL
know it near enough almost six years
and very pleasant six years they have
been, for we have been merely friends,
never lovers as-as I understand it
now. Noel, let US be always just so;
dear friends, true friends, and nothing
more"
"Agatha, what are you aayiug?" he
asked, in low, vexed tone.
"What mean, dear Noel. It was
mistake OF yours to think you were
in love with ne; you did not know it
was mistake then-but you do now.
1t was mistake of mine to teel my
self in love with you, I ought to have
known it even then; these things are
palmer to women than to men. And
so-in fact, Noel, cannot settle down.
am wandering, restless kind of
person, and would rather only come
here just to see you and your wife"
"And yet you take my wife away
from me, when I was just going 10
bring her here 2"
"Not at I'll. only take somebody
away and leave room in your large,
loving heart for wife that H. to come
to you, mine own dear fiiend."
She could see his face but very in
distinctly, and she could read little of
the strange look that passed over it.
"Noel," she went on, In her most
gentle tones, "no one hears US; no one
! will ever know what passed between
us two tonight; but if I do not say
one thing to you, you may be proud for
my sake when I am gone, and make
yourself and others more unhappy still.
have done enough of that. Let me
have done it all, and let mo go to my
own happiness, leaving happiness be-
hind me too. I am a great deal older,
Noel, than the child you love, but that
shall make me only her truer friend.
shall come to her and to you, dear Nc
el, when I can and seeing your hap
piness, shall rejoice that Ibid not
love you in that sort Of way. I shall
tell Mrs. Herman tomorrow, how 1 am
fretting for foreign lands again, and
must go back to poor auntie; and, No.
81, do not falter because of me, for 1
shall take care never to come back un-
til-she is here. So you will be effec-
tuallv keeping me away, you see."
As she spoke she turned towards the
house, Noel beside her. But her quick
| steps fingered as she neared it.
"What do you say to me, before we
go in ?'| she said, abruptly.
ut shocks me so to feel you have
not loved me, Agatha" he said, quiet
y
"Does it ?" she answered, cheerfully.
"Ah! we'll, there's no accounting for
these things. The best thing is that I
can love you always as I have always
loved you-like friend and sister.
You want something rather more than
| that in your wife, dear Noel, don't you
think so ?"
"And you will rot give me more
than that ?" he asked, almost wistful-
y.
"Never! nor Can you give it me.
That love God only gives US once, 1
think, in all our lives; and, oh when
you feel it in your own heart, and win
it in another, it is thing to be CRATE.
full for all your life Come IN now, No.
ell; Mrs. Herman will wonder what
keeps u.s."
AS they separated in the hall that
night, Agatha, giving Noel her hand,
said with little happy laugh. "Noel,
you are not half so polite, nor half SO
handsome as Donald Kennard. If I
had brother like Don I should not
look at you"
And Noel, laying his other hand on
hers, looked down and answered "You
have read the secret there has been be.
tween us, dear. God bless you for the
way you read it,"
Once more group is gathered on
the stone steps at the Naples, in the
fair June sunset.
~ hope," said Kennerd, looking up
~ Will began to wheel his chair from
the bottom where he had stopped
among them, "that Don will be in time
to meet the tram"
| "No fear papa; Don would run all
the way sooner than miss it; it is due
now" said Josie, from her corner,
bending to him face that was beauti-
fal in its happiness. ''It is so good to
see him pleased and interested" she
said to Major Herman, who sat below
her.
"And other things are good teo," he
answered, quizzically.
eyes, how good it is to think of the
train just coming in; and, Freddy, you
are there, are you? How good it is to
see you well, my darling"
The child had put his arms round
her neck from behind, and Noel lean.
ing back, threw one arm round them
both. "Oh, Freddy" he said, "did
you ever hear the fate of that boat in
which the little fairy sailed with her