, 1873-12-25

DO lin jastieo, he kaow well tl,st ho had
lls, full match tn tho ,yillnge coqnotso,
by marrying QUO Of tllo stcro1Eoopers
Jcnulo had como to tho school house for book,
lo had como to walk baok With Tho mistroas
lhoy moi by accident, aud both supposed Miss
Norm had Eono home II !ennle Afterwards
sho took carc to keop llor suspicion TO hotsoIf,,
flirting, meanwhile, a. much ~ sllo cpula with
tho ha,idaome young oflcor, and Roopiug nt tho
Hano tEle quiot bcatoh oyo upon tho yillaEo
sultor whom she intonaod to hocept III ler own
good limo.
Another wco1s paHBcd, and, tirel Of bis psstmo.
longing for the old look, tic lid voice, Stax ro-
tutucd tohis old habtts he followed the mistress
to and from the school. 1o mot l,ur on her Ho?l-
cottage. 19at shc took to going to school by way
OF the Icy cliffs. she changed lor wonted routes,
aud finally refused to 500 him altogether. On
Saturday. 4 cloaf. cold, dnzzllng dny, Miss Mo-
lan slppnd away from tho fort. aud turning into
tho snowy, woods, made her way up to oil Fort
Holmes; hero thoro was firm ico-oruRt and
sllo paced to and fro In tho crssollv cold Sun
slino, pursuing lor constan: labor OF ae1f-ro-
prosalou. educating horsctf to hor future ]ifo
l.nger stood boforo hcr. They llad not nut b.
foro for days, aud tho color surged into
her faco. rs. taken by snrprieo, hsr eyas
wore f1r 4 molnont thoir old look. Then
tho rsd fadod, tho 'iah ,,lroppod. "Mo
to lorkclf, ne If tho words were formula against
OWL. She knew bu. ono kind Of love, poor ar1ont
hcart!
"Flowor, whore have you been all those t1ays7
Wlat laavo you boon doing z" Hatd Max with
long look Of his blno oyes; some eyes make ono
moment seem liio five.
"Iieut 1suger, havo boen learning now
llfe.'
why now, Flowcrf"
I'll must bo Ho."
s'Are you then tired Of tho old ?"
"No hut it laR forBnlsou me-"
You lavo forsakcn 1t amt MO. Flower; and
oil, how lonely | havo bcen!" said Max
speaking tho truth. with tho impulse
won,un HoemoI to draw out the truth
ovon whom buried under mountains Of conyon-
tiona,itios.
Again came tho colur, and tho depth in the
eyes; but ale did not spoax.
:" Why havc yolt cha',ged SO, Flowot Yon
hare made mo suffer suffer koenly," pursued
the young man, watching her ciianging faco.
=" SuIorl" sho answered. turning toward him
with al hor hoart IL her VOICE; "l 1 make you
sufforl" And touderly sho took liishund in both
Aor own, while tho toats roBe In lIcr oyeB.
"Yeai have suffered, but not now, replied
moro to me- than any one olao. Flowor."
That is f!lso. You are larl" cried tho
thought Of Jolinie camo into her mind. Strong
words, porl!aps; but they simply expressed lor
plain meaning.
~ Miss Moran, mover forgive sucl, accusa-
tions flom man or woman," replied Max. pale
with anger, He nevor no much as thought OF
Jcunie hu had allowed himHelf to be cnrriod OH
to MI expression of real feeling That vas
groat deal for him; aud to be met in tlls way!
"Do ! aBk your forglvlness. Lieut.. llngor7 It
is you who should aaK,-you wlo should suffer
H. n
you naya chosen her! Do you, then, lko dolls
am always wrong. What am but
spp poo, ;oo u9o!ss'S pn9ya1@s y to yss Or
l shall dol And aa sho nttcrcd those wild
wordH, with q cry OF anguish, Flower Moran
turned ana ned down tho slope, disappearing in
tho Bnow-coyerod undol brush.
with whirling thoughts ho continued pacing up
and down on tho crust for hours. Like thurl-
dorbolt out Of clear sky, these hard words lind
pierced through all luis covering Of worldiiness,
quote, and reachel lis heart. Flower loved
linn This pale silent woman loved him And
how did sho loyo him ? At instantaneous con.
yiction illlod his mind that such lovo III mover
given but once to any nan.
strange, poor, plain schoo1mistroHs, no longer
young, fgnorat,t Of the world, without friends or
fortnls Quick thronging came objections.
came obstacles. came tho habits Of q lifetime,
came the great yoico Of society. "No, no, no"
thinker quailed boforo these yolceB, and resolved
to wait willie. "At any 1nto, there need be no
hurry, whntoyer decide" lie said to himself,
stitling tho inward conviction Of his heart. And
him 60 homo, finally. to restloss afternoon and
alceploHs night.
The mistress lived through tho last three days
Of school in alternating hope aud
despair; faint hope, lerco despair.
Perhaps, aftcr all, there was . shade OF
said over and over to hetself A1axB lalf-tent1ar
words. aud tried to mako Of tlom hope. But
Eer old habit Of reliance on fact brought back
Jonnie's image; her uneompromising honesty
and sto folt that sho must lice. It WIS not
pride. Poor girl It was tho instructive feol-
ing TINT aeuds tho wounded hart into the thick
est shatle to dio: ~ must Co." she thought
1noanod through tho LONG wild night. The lust
hour Of school camo; she locked tho door, mud
gave ono last look At the sceuo before her; it
sas then that she murmnrod, "Deso1ation! a
land Of tcAalatiou aud deathl"
| The next day, tho oyo Of Christmas, the
fires were not lBhted in tho sclool-loueo, for
| the weeks VACATION nnl begun. Maxwell Nnger
| notod tho abEenco OF smoke from tue chimney,
| and his thoughts turned to tho upper room with
| tho dol.ner windows across tic rarade-groumd.
tho islalsd with q purity Of soldier wood~cutters
| Tor the day. :" am bewitehedl" be thought. !" l
will SOC what hard work can do to hrcak through
| tue wob.''
Aud whilo ho was working With all hss might
| in the Bnowy forests towards the north, oyor
| the irozon strats towald the south went Flower
hloran wa'hing by tho side OF the dog-traiu flee
ing from him al hs fled from her, the long jour.
noy in tho bittos weather soemiug as nothing 10
longer endurance Of her bitter SORROW.
Toward night Max Rugor returned through
| tho forest to the tort, half blinded by drlviug
SNOW. 4 nortllor had come sweoping down from
| the eternal ioe-tlolls. bringing with it ono OF
toao raging storms which arc dreadod oyon In
tho Heml-aetic latitude Of Giant 1alaud. half
frozcn aud breathlcss, Max roacl,ed tho garri-
son enclosure at last. The day had been spent
in win warfare; neither the work nor the
wcathor had boon ablo to drive opt tho image OF
that ono woman, mud now, weary and chi'd-.iko,
he turned where his heart led him, to tho Chap
Iain's cottage. Hore ho found tho old man aloue
by the ilro, sit in l. wildorng evonug." ho Haid
alter soule conversation; . aud sad am l, Lieut..
Of sntana deyiaing. .hAe may porist, and doubt:
lsAH she had hor good pointa--hor good points" "
| Whit % rr;nH Max As}rfbciDr tn 1fA fant