Litchfield enquirer., 1876-11-02

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 and had agreed to go on a.hunting expe-
 dition together. By chance they had
 come across the mission, and hAd staid
 there longer than thay oughk toehave
 staid. Ned was good fellow but he
 would drink now and then. Twice before,
 when under the influence of liquor. be
 had shot at the speaker, and barely miss
 ed him; this time he, Herndon, was half
 drunk himself, and he fired too. It was
 an even chance which one would be hit; it
 happened to be Ned. Didn't really know
 the man from Adam; merely O boon com
 panion for the summer Intended to pub fish his death in the Eastern papers, and tell the whole story to whoever wanted to hear it. Was sorry he was gone, poor fel- low. Good luck be to him wherever he was in the next world! he certainly didn't have much of it in this.
 On the sixth day he fell to talking of Ruth. He really loved the little maiden in his way, and whenever he thought of
 her, he turned angry against fate. The sweet clinging affection of the young girl seemed to him all that there was of high CT love; her dependent nature and her lit- tie fears charmed him. He loved to think of soothing her, as one soothes c frightened little child Then-so com- plex is the train of human motiyes-he felt desire to stir up thls silent woman, and see if she had any life in her. All women are alike: there must be spring to touch somewhere, if one could only find it. So. as he paddled steadily on, he talked of Ruth, of her loveliness, and her love. Miriam sat unmoved. He said more. She remained silent. He burst forth into rhapsody, partly real, partly assumed.
 ''Yet she failed you at last," said the woman, looking up suddenly, and fixing full upon him her dark-fringed, steel-col- ored eyes. t.e... .- .....
 ''And love her the more for her very failure, said Herndon, returning the gaze with one equally fixed. "Do you think like being saved by woman?"
 She turned her head away quickly, and for the first time showed some emotion. '"There seemed to be no other way" she said, in low tone.
 "Oh, you are referring to yourself? In that case it would be different, of course. l am nothing to yon, and you are noth- ing to me. You would have done the same for any dying wretch, being moved thereto by-by-shall we say pity? You are so strong minded. you know-not tim i'd or retiring, like other womeh. All the same, I am very much obliged to you, of course, and if there is any thing can do for you, pray command me-" He stop- ped padding for moment, and relighted his pipe. Do you think of returning to the mission?" he asked. ''She might as we'll understand that her future move- ments are nothing to me" he added men, tally.
 "No," ....
 "Ah perhaps you intend to remain at the Sault?''
 "No."
 ''Well, in any case, you must allow me to reccompense you in some degree for the loss of time or change of plans have occasioned."
 ''If I need aid, will send you word"
 "Oh 1. that will not do at ali, I can give you no fixed address. think of going abroad, perhaps to Spain, or Egypt. But Ero6. efGr0 In if fact. you AdVsP I've had HaeMtbi8 tune to rescue poor man, said Herndon, looking into her eyes, with little mock ing smile. It was too much. A spasm passed over her face, a sudden sobbing seized and shook her tears poured down her cheeks between the fingers that tried to hide them. There was no doubt that she was crying now in the most weak and way possible.
 Herndon remained motionless. paddle in hand, staring at her, He was so amaz- ed. that he did not speak. What this hardened man9verer overcome at lnst- this skillful player throwing up her hand, and sitting there crying like a baby, be- cause he had said word or two showing that he had found her out He could not bear to hear her sobbing {: he began to feel ashamed of himself, and to suspect that he had been mistaken all along. Tho longer he looked at her, the more he felt inclined to think that he had judged her wrongly that here was a character which he had not understood, one of those religious enthusiasts that people talked about now and then in books. She must think me brute" he said to himself. Then he began aloud, laundering but in earnest. "Miss Minam," he said. 'I beg your pardon with all my heart. have made huge mistake all along. thought you were marrying me for my name or my money, and now see that was all wrong, and my suspicious have been pos- itively insulting. Do forgive me. am a worldly sort of Q fellow, not fit to as- sociate with such religious sort of per- 6OA yOuIoOAA aAO oWOA VhAhBo "N done in the world, I assure you. Indeed, it would have been first class manever for-for such a woman as l supposed you to be. Come, forgive me I am deeply ashamed of myself. l will now do what. ever you please. will even let the mar riage stand if you wish it."
 The woman shook her head,
 ''I thought you would refuse. It would be highly repugnant to you of course, or to any right minded woman but, under stand me, am willing now to hold to it and to have it publicly acknowledged. Perhaps you are alone in the world. or desolate. In that case it would be better to let it stand, for then I could provide for you without comment. We need not be together at all, we could live quite apart, as so many husbands and wives do, nowadays. For, of course, l know that I should not suit you at all, being SO worldly minded, and so forth, while you are sort of "a saint-I mean a nun" be added, hastily changing the word, which held so low place in his own es- timation. Gle had never known ga saint" of either sex who was Q pleasant or even a sensible companion on earth, whatever he or she might be eventually in heaven.) ''YOu are not willing We'll, suppose it aOOuld be an inhiction. The truth is that do not know much about religious people," He paused, "Pleass tell me then what can do for you," he said, be- ginning to smoke again. .l v, 7 ''Nothing" said Miriam. as. 45
 She had dried her eyes and turned her head away. After while, silence being once more established between them, he saw her, while he padded briskly on to make up for lost time. take out half sheet of paper and begin to write upon it with pencil, steadying it with piece of bark -.tf 9, .'--- ss aa -f-rr
 What are you writing ?" he asked,s . after half an hour had passed.
 "Prayers," she answered
 Suppose you make some for El1e l need them" .s.ita sslf rLsiE
 For now that he believed in her sheer ity, such as it was, he felt himself no longer on guard before her, he fell back on his old half balltering tone. 4sr