The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-03

her afflanced husband DV MS NnTlStlill
name-ask her why she would not
call him James. Mr. Jeffrey simply
said
- Yes, my dear, came in some few
minutes since; but did not interrupt
YOU /; and, indeed, did not see you
were there in the twilight till thought
/ heard you speak. | met your cousin,
Edward Garvayse, on the stairs. 1t is
well, think, that he has returned. l
came to tell you that have taken the
box at the theater for tomorrow night,
and | hope you and Clara and Edward
Gervayse will come. And now, my
| dear, as | have an engagement at six,
shall leave you. God bless you, Edith"
And Mr.. Jeffrey was gone.
Yes, he had only been in the room
few minutes; but those few minutes,
how much had they taught him He
saw it all now. Fool, blind that he was,
only to know what he should have
known so long before-only now to
have perceived that when Edith Win
throp had promised to become his wife,
i was gratitude, not love, which had
! shaped her answer. so Ned! o my
love, my love ~ Yes, he had heard
those words uttered, and he knew all
! their meaning.
Mr.. Jeffrey had uttered very venial
!. kind of falsehOod when he had men
ftioned an engagement at six. He walked
slowly and sadly home to his lonely
chambers and he spent a sad evening
| in meditating with himself He knew
now the happiness which love might
bring with it-happiness greater and
better than happiness OF any other KIND,
! bat it was too late. But there was other
! happiness of another kind. 1t was not
too late for that.
Mr. Jcffcry had sent his oessiage for
the party from Lily Lodge, with mes
sage that he would meet them in the
box. They were all to come; indeed,
they all had come-the two Miss Win
throps and Edward Gervayse. But
when they reached the box, No. II,
first tier at the Theseum Theater, Mr..
Jeffrey was not waiting to receive them.
A note, however, in Mr.. Jetfery's
handwriting, was placed in Miss
Winthrop's hand as she entered the
box. She opened it; it was short, and
ran thus:
Ny DEAR EDITH-I know now that
was mistaken from the first. God for
give me, and you forgive me, too. | had
hoped, my darling-I must still call you
that-and thought that you might have
been my wife, and that your blessed
bright face might have cheered my fast
darkening and closing days. But it was
not to be. ! was wrong in thinking
| Ia /
well, my darling, to stand between you
and your happiness. | was blind. |
only knew yesterday that you loved
your cousin, Edward Gervayse. To your
cousin give you you will have from me
everything that YOU would have had Of
worldly wealth had You been my wife
May God bless you, and have for you
and your husband many happy days in
store. JAMES JEFFERY.
P. 81 shall join you later at the
theater tonight.
That was all. The words were not
many, hut the characters were traced in
the blood of that true mans heart. And
Edith well knew the struggle, nay, the
agony, which it must have cost him ;
and knowing this knew also how to es-
innate the nobility of the sacrifice. She
handed the note 70 Edward Gervayse,
and its purport was communicated to
Clara.
l always thought he would cry off,
remarked that light hearted young
lady. All men are jilts.'
Not long afterward Mr.. Jeffrey came
into the box. He shook Edward Ger
vayse warmly by the hand, and seemed
to be in excellent spirits. But he soon
excused, as before, on the ground of an
engagement
AS may be conjectured, Miss Win
throp is now Mrs. Gervayse; Mr.. Jeffrey
still lives on in his chambers and this
is true account of the only love affair
he ever had.-EjlghSh Society,"