The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-05

| HOW long ago 10 II slnce-=slnce - he
did not want 10 say, "since we parted !"
he did not want TO remind her that she
had once refused him. .1r... 0.
ut Is just one.and.twenty years since
| saw you" she said simply, looking at
him with o smile which said very plainly,
land am very glad to SEQ you again"
He could scarcely believe in his good
luck. She had even kept count, as he
had done, oil the time that had passed
since they had metl
Perhaps not exactly las he had DONE"
But she was at least not unwilling TO look
back on that last meeting. He thought
more of this, however, afterwards. Just
now, his mind was too full Of the wonder
and satisfaction Of having found her again
at all. ..--... ..-
"To think Of my meeting your he
said, still looking at her, as II he were half
incredulous Of the reality Of her ap-
pearance. "And here too-in this place
where so little thought Of finding any
one whom had eyer seGen before And
g0a? DO you know was Just going to
start for Australia" look for YOU"
was on his tongue, but he checked him.
self. lie felt even in his bewildermcnt
that lie might be allowing himself to run
too fast. = ..-4'..H re -J|A EE
Australia ~ she repeated. And sud.
denly her heart seemed to die within her.
SO he was going to Australia; he was
not going to stay In Winchester. She had
meant to ask him, chiefly Tor the sake OF
covering her own agitation and furry, by
getting him TO talk Of himself, what had
brought him to Winchester; 6utSnow the
word Australia" seemed to choke her,
and for moment or two she could say no
more. -..s-..--
"But are you really living here, in this
town" he continued. as It possible? Is
your home here, after all?" --- -.
"Yes, my home is here" she replied, in
a weary, absent tone, which sounded cold
and discouraging to him. After q pause
he asked: "And-for how long-since
when have you lived here " alJ
"Since my sisters deat6.Y She spoke
very low, and through the noise of the
street, and the running Of carts and cabs,
he could only indistinctly hear what she
said. He fancied she was speaking of the
death Of her husband. After This they
walked on for some minutes in silence.
lie, in his turn, was somehow chilled and
sobered now and she was struggling with
that Hlmoot ovorpoworinS fooiiDg of dis
appointment which made her 80 nearly
burst into tears. For moment she had
been thinking that she got her old friend
back again, the friend who seemed now
almost like the only one she had ever had;
now she knew, it was only for that little
moment. He was going away to the other
side of the world, from which he seemed
so suddenly TO have come He was going
back to Auslralia-back, probably, TO his
home and his family. As this last idea
occurred TO her, she made a desperate
eff0rtto rally her energies. She ought not
to walk on silently beside him. as Il they
had time enough before them TO say Ill
that was to be said. He had asked about
her home; she ought to ask about his. In
sort Of agony of trepidation, she tried
to frame some suitable question; before
she could bring her lips to ask it, they had
got to the street where she lived. She
turned down il and he followed her. as
it here where you live?" he asked.
"Yes; this is my house home, that
is Will will you - She stopped,
blushing. 1t was so strange, so difficult
for her TO invite him, as q mere ordinary
acquaintance, to enter her door.
"Thank you; must not stop now" he
said with strange hasty abruptness which
made her shrink back into herself, vexed
that she had tried TO detain him. u am
on my way to the station; have 10 be in
town this evening. l must say goodbye
TO you now" He held out his hand, and
she instantly held out hers, Interpreting
his almost nervously hurried manner as
meaning that he was impatient to be gone.
Goodbye. ! am very glad have met
you" And as she tried to say tho con.
ventional words with a smile, her heart
died within her. Was It thus he had bid
den her goodbye one.and-twenty years
ago? Perhaps the very smile, brave as it
was, only made her eyes more wistiully
sad, for suddenly he grasped her hand
tight, aud said with Kind Or impaIIenCe:
"Yes, Unjust 60 1t can't be helped But
I'll write. You'll let Inc write IL you?
And Fll-l'll see you again. Fllbe' here
again this day week" %. e.4alzg
She could not have told how she an.
swered him; she did not know how she
got at last within her own door-only
there she was, sitting again alone in her
own parlor, and he was zone.
But had he not promised to see her
again, and talked Of writing to her?
CONTINUAL Fo,MoRRow.l,, --5s-