The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-10-18

and wrote instead of coming. In the
letter he said what he had said before,
with his eyes-yes, those same beauti.
full eyes-that was the choice of his
heart and the desire OF his life.
Answer me-" he said, 81 cannot
wait till see you."
So | answered. long, foolish letter,
though there was no need of writing /;
for he had read all could say long be.
fore, with those eyes of his then |
watched and waited for him, but never
saw him or heard one word more. If
you are young, you can imagine the
slow dying out Of hope and expectation;
and if you are old, you know how such
things can be lived over, and hidden in
secret graves.
But now, as though the graves had
been opened, and the judgment set,
came this sudden reproachful question
up from the buried past. | fairly
caught my breath, as | turned back
my eyes, and looked him in the face
again.
Forgive me-" said he directly, in a
gentler tone, did not mean TO speak.
You brought it out with your eyes /:
that questioning turn was so ia.
miiar. OF course you were quite right.
and | never blamed you. | never
meant you should see me again; but
the temptation TO feel MYSELF beside
you, only to be in the soothing charm
OF your presence, was too great. 1t has
been a blessing | shall carry with me
all the rest Of my life"
He was rising to 90 away, but | put
out my hand. 81 did write, Duncan
Ashley" said |, 1.-THE letter must have
gone wrong"
You did You wrote - he cried.
sinking back to his chair again, and
looking at me eagerly. What did you
say p
There was only one thing | could
say and | said that" | answered.
blushing as though l had just written
the letter.
A niddle.aged woman in hood and
waterproof. But, dear me, it was only
my face that was middle.aged, after ali;
my heart was as young and silly as ever.
And as for Duncan's face, the marks
of care, and thought, and time, fell off,
leaving in it only the eternal youth of
love.
1t was the old story of a lost letter,
and the older story of proud man be.
lieying himself rejected and Inundated,
and fleeing TO the ends of the earth
with his pain.
But, bless your heart | might as
well have tried to wipe up the Atlantic
with my pocket handkerchief. He was
so grieved and so impatient and so
resolute land, indeed, when one comes
to think Of it. twenty yaars is long
enough for an engagement that final.
ly dropped Oft my waterproof and sea
sickness, and stood up behind the bin.
nacle, and was married before eight
bells that very morning, ring and all.
Duncan produced it from a small
casket where he had carried it in his
waistcoat pocket for the whole twenty
years.
e" / could never bear to put the little
thing away" said he, looking at it
tenderly.
Twenty precious years were vast.
ed y said my New Zealander. 1--WE
will not be separated another day
while we both live. There is a cler-
gyman among our passengers and we
will be married this very hour!'
That was so like his headlong de.
cisions Certainly he did need sober,
second thought like for ballast. THAT
cannot bel" ! cried. "The ceremony
wouldn't be legal with a license or
something. And | would by no means
do anything so sensational and con-
spicuous.
The next day we came to port, with
the sun shining and our flags flying.
There was a furry of good byes, a
hosting of trunks, a welcoming Of
friends on the shore, and glad hurry.
ing TO and fro.
Among the rest was an instant's nest.
ling of Miss Armour's lips on my cheek,
and little cling of her hand in mine,
the vanishing of a smile-and she was
gone, like the flash of FREELY, out of
sight forever. But wherever she is,
and however she fares, she has the
daily blessing of two middle-aged
hearts, whose way 10 each other she
unconsciously lighted.-Chambers Jour
nal!