The Portland daily press., 1875-06-02

give an duSWST dCSOpb tuC PooV, VI 0hAo" ~
up"
Margaret took her hand from her face. Mr..
Sale could see how great was the conflict at
work within her.
"There was nothing to wait for, Isaac. l
wish there was. You must 60 by yourself,
and leave me-"
II have told you that will rot. If you
stay here, stay"
"Oh, pray don't do thatl 1t would be so
intense disappointment
"The greatest disappointment have ever
had in my life," he answered. You must
go with me-"
81 wish could / wish could! But it is
impossible. Ny duty lies here, Isaac. WISH
YOU could see that it does as strongly as see
it. My poor father always enJolned me 10 40
nv duty, no matter at what personal cost"
tsIt is your brothers duty to be here, Mar
qaret: not yours Where is he?"
"In London, believe" she replied and
| faint color flew into her pale face. She put
| up her hand to hide it.
1t had come to Margaret's knowledge that
| during the past few months her mother had
occasionally written to Benjamin. But Mrs
| Ryrher would not allow Margaret to write, or
| give her his address. 1t CHANGED, however,
| that about fortnight ago Mrs. Rymer incau-
| tiously left letter on the table, addressed to
| him, and her daughter saw it. When some
| three or four days subsequently, Mr.. Sale re-
| ceived the offer of the chaplaincy, and laid it
| and himself before Margaret, urging her to
| accompany him, saying that he could not 60
| without her, she took courage to write to
| Benjamin. She did not ask him to return
| and release her; she only asked him whether
| he had any intention of returning; and, ii so.
| when aud she gave him in simple words the
| history of her acquaintance with Mr.. Sale,
| and said that he wanted her to GO out with
| him to the Bahamas. To this letter Margaret
| had not received any answer. She therefore
| concluded that it had either not reached her
brother, or else that he did not mean to re-
| turn at all to Timberdale: and so she gave up
| all hopes of it.
"Life is not very long, Margaret, and God
has placed us in it to do the best we can in
| all ways for Him first, for social obligations
atterward. But He has not meant it to be
all trial, all self-denial. II you and part
now. the probability it that we part forever.
| Amid the worlds chances and changes we
may never meet again, however much our
| wills might prompt it,
''True,'' she family answered.
s'And 1 say that you ought not to enforce
| this weighty penance upon me and yourself.
| 1t is for your brothers sake, as | look upon
it, that yoU are making the sacrifice, and it is
| he, not you. who ought to be here. Why did
he go away"
| Il never knew," said Margaret, lifting her
| truthful face to her lovers. Benjamin was
at home, and so steady and good as to be a
comfort to papa; when quite suddenly he left
| without giving reason. Papa seemed to be
| in trouble about tit was but a few days be-
| fore he died-and 1 have thought that, per-
haps, poor Benjamin was unexpectedly called
| upon to pay some debt or other, and could
| not find the money to do it. He had"
| A loud bang of the entrance door, and
| noisy burst into the room proclaimed the re-
/ turn of Mrs. Rymer. Her mess of scarlet
curls garnished her face on either side, like
| couple of dropping bushes, looking particular
| " incongruous With her widows cap and bon
| net. Mr.. Sale, rising to hand her chair, ex-
planned that he was asking Margaret to make
her decision.
SIT has been made" returned Mrs. Rymer,
disregarding the offered chair, and standing
| to hold her boots, one after the other, to the
fire. Margaret can't go, Mr.. Sale, and you
| know it," .--
s'But wish her to go: and she wishes il"
OTIS puzzle to me what on earth you can
see in her." cried Mrs. Rymer, fnging her
black bonnet-strings to tilt the bonnet half
way off her head. margaret won't have any
money. Not penny piece"
81 am not thinking about money" replied
the curate, who somehow never could Keep
his temper long in the presence of this strong
| minded Amazon. ut is Margaret that
want, Lot money"
Sand it's Margaret, then, that you can't
have" she retorted. "Who is to keep the
| shop on if she leaves it?-it can't 60 to rack
| and ruin"
81 can see you serving in it yourself some
| times"
81 can serve the stationary-and the pick
les and fish sauce and the peri barley" con-
tended she, shut Dot the drugs. 1 don't
NEEDLE with them. When a prescription
comes in to be made up, if attempted to do
it might put opium for SIENNA, and poison
people. l have not learned Latin, as Mar
garet has,"
"But, Mrs. Rymer--"
Snow, ell just drop the subject. Sir, if it's
all the same to you," loudly put in Mrs. Ry-
mer. 81 have told you before that Margaret
must stay where she is, and keep the bust
ness together for me and her brother. No
need to repeat it fifty times over"
She caught up her muf and went out of
the room and up the stairs as she delivered
this final edict. Mr.. Sale rose
''You see how it is" said Margaret, in a
low tone of emotion, and keeping her eyelids
down to hide the tears. "YOu must go with
out me. l cannot leave. can only say, God
speed youp'
"There are many wrongs enacted in this
world, and this is one, "he replied in hard
| VOlcC-uOL udIu lOI uCI-do liz lOOh dOL
hands in his, and stood before her. 81
don't know that 1 altogether blame you, Mar
garet; but it is cruel upon you and upon me.
| Good night"
He went out quite abruptly, without kiss
ing her, leaving her alone with her aching
heart. r.r
Tuesday afternoon, and the ice and the
snow on the ground. We were to dine at
five-off the London Goldfish and prime tur-
key-and the Conveys were coming in as well
the rectory people.
But Mrs Coney die not come; only old
Coney and Tom; and the Tantertons drove
up on the stroke of five. AS 1 helped Grace
down-muffled up in furs, for the cold was
enough to freeze an Icelander's nose off Il
told her her aunt was not well enough to
come. -N s.t
"Aunt Coney not well enough to comet"
returned Grace. "What pity Have time
to run in and see her before dinner, john
ny2"
s'That you've not. You are late, as it is.
The Squire has been telling us that the
Goldfish must be in rags already"
| Grace laughed as she ran in; her husband
followed her, unwinding the foIds of his white
wooden comforter. There was general
greeting and much laughter.
The Goldfish came up all right and the oys-
ter sauce was in Molys best style. The tur-
| Key Was Hut IHc pun PuuuiuS ucLICl tHdu
good, and altogether we had a downright
merry dinner. Not sober face among us
save Herbert Tanertons; as to hs-well you
might have thought he was perpetually say
| ing. 'For what are we going to receive"
1t had struck eight ever SO long ago when the
last nut was eaten.
"Wil you run over with me to my aunts.
johnny" whispered Grace as she passed my
chair. 81 should like to 60 at once"
She put her wraps on, and we went trudg-
ing across the road in the moonlight, over the
crunching snow. Grace's foot went into a
sof: rut and she gave a squeal. 81 shall have
| to borrow shoe while this dries,' said she,
as she went in.
was rushing back through our own gate,
when some tall fellow gided out of the lau-
rels, aud put his hand on my arm. The
moonlight fell full upon his face and its mass
of reddish beard-and, to my intense surprise
1 recognized Benjamin Rymer.
IL beg your PARDON" he said. SIT is, as I
an we'll aware, very unusual and uncere-
moninus way of accosting you, or any one
else, but I want particularly to speak with
you in private, Mr.. Ludlow"
cit was you who were here on Sunday
night"
'Yes. saw the squire and the rest of
| them 90 ont TO church hut T did NOT see Won