The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-03-16

My suspicion is strengthened, however, by
the fact that he was seen to leave the
above mentioned place after a single days
| sojourn with an unaccountably perplexed
and dissatisfied expression on his face.
Meantime Mary Beck had returned to
Illinois. Just where she was no one hap
pened to know. All that could be ascer-
tanned was that she chad gone tor good"
married ?" inditerently inquired Dr.
10. while his heart stood still to hear the
answer.
No 1t was ''allowedN that she was
| teaching somewhere. She and her father
had been suddenly called away by some
intelligence or other 1t could not be as
certalned that She was in correspondence
with any one in Shocking. One Or two
had known her destination ut the time OF
her departure, but it had faded from their
minds. They could not think Of it now
TO save their lives. and 10 forbore, from
modest scruplcs, to push his inquiries.
For, after all. with his slight tenure on her
interest, what right had he TO be searching
her out as if she We're appurtenance or
even friend of his?
10 his credit, he went on with his
plans and found himself settled in a coup
lie OF months. His "starving' experience
was shorter than he could have hoped, for
q memorable sickly season came On as the
summer waned Baleiul fever floated On
every bre lth, and If the number of physi-
clans had been doubled and their quality
improved tenfold they could scarcely
have kept the guant foe at bay. Now was
DR. Jo in his element. Now We're body
and brain busy day and night. scarcely
stopping to take needed rest. Now did his
hand and voice grow gentler than q wo-
mans as he bent over his stricken patients,
and by the very intensity of his will almost
commanded the disease to depart out of
them. His father should have seen him
justify himself then.
Well, the fight was over at last, and life
was more monotonous. But he had fair
start now, and kept to his business when
there was business to be done. And vet
sometimes as lie sat alone in his office Il
dreary cloud would fold him in its gloom
and Il sense of loneliness would, for the
moment, wiring the bravery all out of his
heart. On such occasions he was apt to
drop his chin into the collar Of his coat and
fix his eyes on some distant point in space,
the walls Of his room apparently offering
no obstruction to his vision. And once he
was heard by some second party to eX-
claim, as he rose from his chair and shook
himself, But what's the use? | can't go
and canvass all Illinosn'
Ilewondered why the azure eyes Of Jen-
ME West, so potent with other men, took
no permanent hold on his fancy. He had
unwitingly surprised them into tenderness
once; had felt the temptation of vanity
rise 10 his lips thereat, and had suddenly
checked an impulse which in former days
would have urged him on into the tollies
OF u flirtation Whence the influence?
Under what benign spell was he coming to
be q better man? Was it principle, or was
it prepossession He only knew that he
remembered Mary Beck. Sometimes he
called himself fool for thus treasuring up
a brief glimpse of a girl who, after all,
might not have enough in common with
him on which to base even friendship.
But months came and went, and the vivid
tieeting picture was still with him. lie felt
bound to call himself fool ottener than
ever
One summer came a letter bordered
with black. and JOS father was dead
next morning found him en- route for Penn
sylvania Perhaps his fellow travellers may
have noticed the man who sat with bowed
head, manitestly absorbed in gloomy re-
Election, but no one ventured to speak to
him He was wrestling with remorselul
ughts-those hard bequests of the dead
to the living. Now and then he weariiy
looked out over the spinning expanse OF
prairie on tie waltzing trees as he sped
past them But that was all, And now he
had crossed the Mississippi and was whirl-
ING through Illinois Oh, DR., 10, this is
sacred ground! Why do you forget
There is but one chance in a thousand,
but why not watch for that? You ''can-
not canvass Illinois" that's true. But you
can sean the slender belt Of it over which
YOU are travelling, and perhaps, perhaps
No, let him alone with his grief She is
nowhere near. Among all the eyes which
glance up from the platforms at the sta
tions, or look out of windows as the train
sweeps past, none are black enough for
hers
indianapolis. The light of a sunrise
unwontedly red and glowing streams in
at one end of the great depot, and throws
its vivid halo over the bustlng crowd Of
workmen and passengers until they are
transtigured. 10 stops moment in the
midst Of his coffee and sandwiches to sur
vey the scene, and finds that newly ar
rived train is disgorging its contents in
the immediate vicinity Of his retreshment
stand The crowd Of sleepy looking pas
sengers come stumbling over the rails
rooms. A rumpled, grimy, unkempt set
they are, and 10 is about to return to his
breakfast, as a matter Of greater interest.
when suddenly the arm which rising the
coffee to his lips is arrested midway and
its owner stares out upon the crowd. The
next minute he is forcing himself through
it, vainly trying to recatch a glimpse of
what he had seen before Meantime the
bell of his train begins to ring furiously,
and more frantic grows his search. There
is not moment left; his train is moving.
He jumps on behind and strains his eyes
to catch one more glance at the interior
ofthe great building, till he is whirled out
of sight.
So near! His one brief glimpse had
not cheated him. 1t was indeed Mary
Beck But she was lost again as hope
lessly as at first. His gloom was now
doubled He even wished he had not
seen her He was getting on without
her, and why had she crossed his path
only to create this fruitless disturbance of
mind in him? Surmises as to her desti-
nation tormented him with their hopeless
uncertainty; but among all conjectures
the true one evaded his mind. For all
that forenoon she was no near to him that
he might have met her face to face had
he merely entered the next coach in front
OF his own
At noon he changed cars. So did she.
Again both boarded the same train; and,
as before, they sped on in unconscious
companionship.
Law was doing her best for 10, but Ac-
cident must needs step to her assistance.
And SO it happened, during the afternoon,
that the fastening of one of the car win
dows gave way and lady's voice was
heard to break out in sharp exclamation
OF pain. Half dozen gentlemen sprang
to extricate her hand, and it was found
that the wrist was Injured The lady
turned pale, but set her teeth and kept
back all further expression of suffering.
You are a physician, believe" said