The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-06-02

voice, which had ring of infinite pathos,
care you stopped here2"
Hardly" said Seton with an assumption
of gayety in his tone "but I'll tell you all
about it, My friends kindly took it into
their heads that was sticking too closely to
work-that wanted fresh air and exercise
so they bound me over, on my word of hon
or, to walk from London to Hastings in a
week. acquiesce in everything now, so, of
course, | acquiesced in this, and this is
my first day of hard labor and imprison-
ment."
"But you used" began the lady, then
she colored little, and seemed unwilling to
finish her sentence "you used to be so fond
of walking"
"But man changes a good deal in three
years" he replied, YEARLY.
Then came long silence, broken at last
by the pop of an ale cork, at which they
started as if an explosion had taken place.
ooh you grow used to it in time," OBJ
served Seton.
1t seemed impossible to imagine these two
persons, more formal to each other in man
ner than the most distance acquaintance,
could ever have been passionate and devo-
ted lovers. What thoughts had they, Iwon-
der, as they sat together, and yet so far
apart, of the old days wherein love led them
and all was well 1t would weary you, dear
reader, and to no purpose, were | to set
down here the dreary commonplaces with
which these two tried to beguile the time
for over an hour. AT length, worn out by
the arduous ofiort Of trying to entertain each
other while their thoughts were so far away
they took refuge in silence, and the wind
roared, and the rain lashed the window, and
the dusk came on prematurely; and Seton,
looking out on the cheerless prospect, shiv-
cred as with the cold Then that other per-
son in the room rose very quietly and stir
red the fire into blaze, and resumed her
seat on the sofa.
mo, you shouldn't, really" said Seton,
not turning round, however, though with a
look of great pain upon his face. 1t is Won
derful what suffering some small, common
place word or action may cause us, What
vistas of impossible joys, again, may they
not open up to us!
81 suppose the carriage will soon be back" !"
said Alice, presently, and speaking with
effort, "and our new coachman drives SO
fast, too
eyes, and your term of imprisonment will
soon be up" rejoined Seton, resting his arm
upon the mantelpiece, and examining with
critical interest the photograph Of Mr.. Hun
| ter's defunct mare.
Glow the time passes" said Alice, in a
low voice, as if speaking to her self. Then,
with sudden energy, 81 cannot tell when we
shall meet again. Before we part answer
me one question, You are looking worn
and weary-are you happy ?"
Now he stood before her, and through the
dust and the freight his eyes flashed on
her as Ire said, in low harsh voice-'From
your lips this question is an insult"
"Of which you need not fear the repeti.
tion," she rejoined promptly, with cutting
formality.
"No, it can't end like this" he went on
"Do you know, ever since you have beer
here, / have bitten my lips through ant
through to keep them from speaking of tn,
past This meeting was not of your seek
ing, and it seems to me unmanly and das
tardly to take advantage of this opportuni
ty."
ave are sometimes so mistaken" she saic
hurriedly, but her words were hardly audi
BILE, and he continued
"Alice you have treated me very i'll.
gave you my love, and believed in yours
was frank with you. l told you how will
and irregular my life had been, and how ful
of faults | was You reclaimed me-yo
transformed my days-you made my life a
at once pure and fair; and then, becaus
some thorn in my love hurt you, you thre'
it all away, and left me to perish miserably.
She would have interrupted him, but he S
fenced her by a gesture and went on can
now when we meet, after three years. 80
ask me if am happy? If | loved you once
| shall love you forever. Do look happy?
81 think there were faults on both sides,
she said, quietly.
"Yes, perhaps there WERE" he replied
"but | was reading your last letter Owe
only to-day. Oh! how terribly bitter
was !"
"And have you forgotten your answer
that letter ?" she said almost passionatell
her voice quiyering, and her breast hea'
ing.
81 don't remember it word for word h
returned quickly Il know it was write
on the impulse Of the moment"
"But | have it by heart" then, vel
slowly, ''you said if your love, in its hea
y, and strength was little exciting, mine WI
cold and tidcless in fact, no love, only
slow sluggish affection. You almost thougI
| was right, and that we could not be happ
am naturally proud" she went on "but
woman with less pride than | have cou
not have acted differently. Only one cour
was left me-to be SILENT
"Well, it is all over now," he rejoinet
1--WE shall never, never meet again."
"You won't take my friendship, then
'No, thank you you are very generou
> but do not want this gift"
He threw himself YEARLY into a cha
a nd for some time there was a complete
lence. Hope is so aubtle, so intangib
thrt we are often only aware of its eXisten
) when it has ceased to be. Arthur Seto
looked upon himself as man quite witho
% hope. 1t seemed to him that his life cou
hardly be more gray and dt solate than
: was, yet who shall say what feeling, Of viii
:" he was not directly conscious, may ha
sustained him through the last three yea
y Now everything seemed gone-there W
nothing but death left.
- Presently carriage wheels came down t
- road carriage lamps flashed through t
dusk, and grew stationary opposite the vi
dow. Mr.. Hunter hustled in, and annou
y ced, in tone of triumph, that the carria
n 4 I .